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Christian evangelists seek out children at Portland playgrounds, pools
San Jose Mercury News/AP ^ | 7/22/14 | AP

Posted on 07/23/2014 11:09:55 AM PDT by Faith Presses On

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- An evangelical Christian group plans to try to convert children as young as 5 at Portland apartment pools, public parks and dozens of other gathering spots this summer -- a campaign that's got some residents upset.

They've banded together in recent weeks to warn parents about the Child Evangelism Fellowship's Good News Club, buying a full-page ad in the local alternative weekly to highlight the group's tactics.

"They pretend to be a mainstream Christian Bible study when in fact they're a very old school fundamentalist sect," said Kaye Schmitt, an organizer with Protect Portland Children, which takes issue with the group's message and the way it's delivering it.

CEF says Protect Portland Children is a shadow group run by atheists who seek to dismantle Christian outreach. The group said its methods are above reproach.

"Children are easy to manipulate, we all know that," said CEF's vice president Moises Esteves. "We don't use any of the schemes and high-pressure tactics that we're accused of. Nothing could be further from the truth."

Esteves' group decided to hold its annual summer mission program in Portland because of the area's irreligious leanings.

(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...


TOPICS: Current Events; General Discusssion; Moral Issues
KEYWORDS: cef; christians; evangelism; ministry
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To: Oliviaforever

Jesus never forced himself on people. You could merely pray for these children and mountains would be moved. (merely! ha)
However, if you want to save these children, then approach the family unit, the mother and/or father.

You don’t have to get the parents to come, but you must go through them. They are the God given authority over these children.


61 posted on 07/23/2014 12:35:26 PM PDT by Shimmer1 (If chocolate fudge cake could sing, it would sound like Barry White.)
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To: Agamemnon

Who are you? No, what are you?


62 posted on 07/23/2014 12:39:19 PM PDT by SkyDancer (If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed. If you do read the newspaper you are misinformed)
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To: stars & stripes forever

Right - a 5yo kid on a swing knows what you are talking about. In the meantime, here comes dad .....


63 posted on 07/23/2014 12:40:05 PM PDT by SkyDancer (If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed. If you do read the newspaper you are misinformed)
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To: DoodleDawg

“If not Muslims then how about if your child came home from the park with a fistfull of literature from the Mormon Church or Christian Scientists? Would you be OK with that at least?”

It is not my children’s faith that I am concerned about and I know that their faith could not be challenged.


64 posted on 07/23/2014 12:42:21 PM PDT by Oliviaforever
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To: DoodleDawg

We are living in an era where no child is safe anywhere by himself or herself. In fact in many parts of the country an adult alone is unsafe. Also, I wouldn’t trust my child in some public schools either. A captive audience there (mandatory at that) that must regurgitate what is being fed or suffer the consequences (i.e. bad grade or met with sarcasm for not going along with anti God social mores). Satan knows his days are numbered and is unleashing the best he has. . . keeping the Gospel (Good News) from children. In our neck of the woods CEF is a positive thing. Oh yeah, what about the Girl Scouts and now Boy Scouts with their social agenda. I would certainly be in attendance at those meetings.


65 posted on 07/23/2014 12:45:13 PM PDT by Maudeen ("End Times Warrior - Sinner Saved by Grace")
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To: Shimmer1; Pearls Before Swine
You don’t have to get the parents to come, but you must go through them. They are the God given authority over these children.

Exactly. The parents are the front door. It's the thief who has to sneak in some other way.

66 posted on 07/23/2014 12:46:05 PM PDT by Ezekiel (All who mourn the destruction of America merit the celebration of her rebirth.)
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To: SkyDancer

Right - a 5yo kid on a swing knows what you are talking about. In the meantime, here comes dad .....

Hopefully Dad will learn about the Good News too!


67 posted on 07/23/2014 12:46:16 PM PDT by stars & stripes forever (Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.)
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To: Pearls Before Swine

Hypothetically speaking is the key.

I don’t mean to come down too hard, but I assume people here are aware of the distorted propaganda that comes from the left as well as the orchestrated effort to slander and marginalize mainstream Christianity, or any Christianity for that matter.

When presented with an article such as this the first reaction should always be skepticism of it’s accuracy.

It is clearly propaganda coming from a militant antiChristian group via the alternative press and the mainstream national press, as passed along by the SJ Mercury News.


68 posted on 07/23/2014 12:47:59 PM PDT by ifinnegan
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To: stars & stripes forever

Guys are weird.


69 posted on 07/23/2014 12:54:00 PM PDT by SkyDancer (If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed. If you do read the newspaper you are misinformed)
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To: Oliviaforever
It is not my children’s faith that I am concerned about and I know that their faith could not be challenged.

I'm sure the Mormons and the Christian Scientists and the Scientologists are concerned about your child's faith as well. That's why they're trying to steer them onto their path. And you don't have a problem with that?

70 posted on 07/23/2014 12:55:33 PM PDT by DoodleDawg
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To: Faith Presses On

The responsibility for raising a child of this age to know Christ is on the PARENTS. That is the biblical duty. Anyone that attempts to subvert that is violating the scripture. Anyone that proselytizes to my kids without my knowledge of permission is in for a world of unhappiness. That is my job. I don’t trust the US government to do it and I sure is heck don’t trust some random street corner group that claims they are Christian. Christ said let the children come to him. He did not go ambush them when their parents were not around.
Want to preach at some kids? Go become a youth pastor and get hired some place. Come near my kids and you will not like the result. If you don’t work at the church or Sunday School in the church of my choosing you don’t have any business talking religion with my kids. Period.
I believe in parents rights and I think they are fundamental rights given by God. I respect those rights for other people as well. There will be time enough for the Spirit to convert them when they are older. Jesus is sovereign and does not need this type of ‘help’ any more than he needs the old ‘convert or die’ tactics.


71 posted on 07/23/2014 12:59:03 PM PDT by TalonDJ
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To: DoodleDawg

Heck you don’t even have to go that far. Pick Catholics, Armenians or Calvinists or any one of a number of flavors and you will have people up in arms.


72 posted on 07/23/2014 1:00:52 PM PDT by TalonDJ
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To: TalonDJ

Approaching strangers’ children without permission= Good way to get yourself in serious trouble.


73 posted on 07/23/2014 1:10:28 PM PDT by darkangel82
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To: TalonDJ

There are other children in this world besides yours. More and more they come from dysfunctional homes. . .your kids are mingling with them. It doesn’t have to be an adult “messing with their minds”. Have you checked your children’s friends’ iphones or computers?

At age 5 in our area the public school has them to read and write. . .even stories . .probably most can talk with some confidence about the current kid and also adult trashy stars, the latest on the ninjas on and on and unless you and your children live in a bubble you might be surprised what they know.

CEF is not for just for 5 year olds. http://www.ceflongbeach.com/bible-lessons-and-stories-1/

Visit some prisoners that were abused since early childhood, children without a mother or father or functional mother and father; listen to the heart wrenching personal stories on CBN’s 700 Club and see if you wouldn’t agree that a Backyard Bible Club would have been welcomed.

I applaud your ability to keep track of your children and evident excellent childrearing. . .but unfortunately you and yours are the exception. Look at the statistics.

Also, unfortunately, some Churches don’t have Sunday School or children’s outreach anymore.


74 posted on 07/23/2014 1:26:13 PM PDT by Maudeen ("End Times Warrior - Sinner Saved by Grace")
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To: Faith Presses On
"They pretend to be a mainstream Christian Bible study when in fact they're a very old school fundamentalist sect," said Kaye Schmitt, an organizer with Protect Portland Children, which takes issue with the group's message and the way it's delivering it.

The atheists just want a monopoly on molding the children's minds. They're mad about the competition.

CEF says Protect Portland Children is a shadow group run by atheists who seek to dismantle Christian outreach. The group said its methods are above reproach.

That is irrelevant with the God hating atheists are involved.

75 posted on 07/23/2014 1:36:13 PM PDT by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith...)
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To: All

Like people have said who are expressing skepticism about the media’s reporting on this, it may very well be that the evangelists are going up to the parents with their children (one of the parent stories sounds like it), but the media sees an opportunity to make it seem frightening. What they are calling pursuing children on playgrounds and in pools is that the evangelists want to speak to children and so are going to such places, but they know if they word thigns right they can give the impression that the children are being directly approached.


76 posted on 07/23/2014 2:11:47 PM PDT by Faith Presses On
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To: Pearls Before Swine

**I don’t approve.**

Neither do I. If I had found someone doing this to my children they would have gotten a tongue lashing.

A JW tried to give one of my daughters a book. I wrote “No thanks, and don’t do this at school.” and took it in to the principal.

I don’t know what happened after that, but I was irate.


77 posted on 07/23/2014 3:10:34 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: SkyDancer
Who are you?

 photo million-vet-march.jpg

No, what are you?

A poster to FR who actually reads the articles before he posts (unlike yourself), and a poster to FR who gave you ample opportunity to make your case, which you simply failed to do so.

78 posted on 07/23/2014 3:22:18 PM PDT by Agamemnon (Darwinism is the glue that holds liberalism together)
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To: Faith Presses On

I doubt you can convert a 5 year-old.


79 posted on 07/23/2014 3:24:19 PM PDT by AppyPappy
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To: Agamemnon

You’re weird.


80 posted on 07/23/2014 3:49:39 PM PDT by SkyDancer (If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed. If you do read the newspaper you are misinformed)
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