Christians to help late-night revellers

“If you want to stop the council/police funding the Street Pastors, this is how you do it:

Ask them to carry out a ¿Equalities Impact Assessment¿ because I think you will find the fact that, under the aims of the scheme, Street Pastors can only be recruited from ¿individuals with a Christian Faith¿ and is only open to those ¿whose relationship lifestyle is in keeping with mainstream Christian teaching.¿ i.e. no gays thank you very much. The Equality bill, which clearly states that all equality strands ¿ sexual orientation, faith, gender/sex, disability, age, and ethnicity ¿ must be considered whenever a project or scheme is introduced by a local authority.”

“Superstition is a belief or idea which isn't based on reason or knowledge and which is recognised by the believer as such (i.e. "I know it's silly, but I always salute when I see a magpie"). Faith is different as those who believe do not accept/believe it is irrational. Others may believe they are, but that in itself does not make faith a superstition. Believers would argue that the world in itself is proof of God's existence.”

“If Christianity is a belief in God, or a higher power then it is a superstition.
There is no proven fact that a God exsists thus the term faith.”

“Alternative TV - The Christian faith is not based on superstition.

I'm glad someone has the guts to go out and do some good out in the town on a Saturday night. I live near the town centre and binge drinking has taken a turn for the worse.

Residents say "something needs to be done." This is SOMETHING so give it a chance before getting cynical!

I don't think I could personally be a street pastor, so I 'take my hat off' to someone who has the guts to stand out, make a difference and help, regardless of religious belief.”

“I can see your point, Alternative. I suppose I find it sad that what appears to be - and could well be - an innocent, well-meaning gesture is seen to have rather more sinister motives; but as I said there are plenty of people out there (and good on them, they're better people than me!) who want to help others, and perhaps it's best to just let them, and see how the idea works out. They have stated themselves that they are there only to help people, and not to convert them. Surely it is fairer to give them a chance to prove their word?

As for the Neanderthal comment, I stand by it: the drunk vandals I see mooning or trashing the streets have Neanderthal attributes. Hence I wish anyone the very best of luck in dealing with them!”

“EJ

Peoples religious beliefs do affect others !

There is much prejudice that emanate from faith based clubs. If someones behaviour does not fit in with a person or organisation of faith they can be made an outcast, made to feel they have sinned in some way or told they are immoral and/or made to feel guilt etc...
These are not compassionate attributes.
Of course, not everyone who believes in higher powers hold prejudice, it would be unfair and wrong to state that.

Also EJ, it is fair to object to drunken yobs if they are being anti-social but to call them Neanderthal is a veiled insult. As far as I'm aware there are no accounts of Neanderthals running around like drunken yobs.

I have no objection that the individuals in this story go out and help others, I am concerned that this idea is really a cover for the real purpose of encouraging vulnerable people to join a superstition based organisation.”

“Alternative, I can see your point about those 'left behind to pray' - but not everyone finds helping people tedious. They don't always do it for reward, either. Some people just do it because they want to help, to feel they have made a difference to someone's life; and as Alfredo says, although no action is truly altruistic because the reward is a good feeling about helping someone else, it doesn't make it any less a generous gesture.”

“Alfredo.

I agree totally with your second paragraph.
Personal pride and happiness is a worthwhile reward for helping others, however, I have helped people who were unable to help themselves many times, and to be very honest I found it a tedious chore and felt resentful that my time had been taken up but I did it and would always do it because it is a human duty, because we all may need help at some point in our lives.

This is why I am challenging the real motives behind this story.

Colleagues of 'street pastors' remaining behind to pray appears to be a loss of serious hands on practical help which to me dilutes the seriousness of their professed motives.”

“Alternative: I'm not hurling insults at people; I am describing the drunkards (not all people) who wander around legless, throwing rubbish, glasses and punches, on Friday and Saturday nights. There is a difference between deriding someone's religious beliefs which affect nobody, and deriding antisocial behaviour, which affects everybody.

I guess the only reason the religion is brought into it in this case is because it's a religious group who have set up this idea.

Considering there have been cases of women being assaulted as they walk home inebriated or God forbid murdered (though not in Cheltenham!) I think someone trying to look after them is rather a good idea, although as I said, I wouldn't be up for it.”

“*Alternative TV* - there's no such thing as a truly altruistic act. Even Mother Theresa did what she did to win her place at God's side.

At its most altruistic, an act gives the person some sense of pride or happiness that they've done something for, what they believe is, no reward. However, that pride or happiness is a reward.”