Aggressive religious proselytizing at Pattaya shopping mall Christmas tree

[Jingthing]

Well, we're approaching Christmas day in Thailand.

As Thailand is a large majority Buddhist nation, Christmas for most Thais is about decorations and trees at shopping malls, and whatever other western consumerist customs that may have migrated here associated with the season. In other words the fun stuff without the religious stuff.

Yes, of course there are Christian Thais but they are a rather small minority. 

Tonight at Central Pattaya Mall Pattaya where there is an impressively very large Christmas tree covered with commercially branded Smiley Face decorations (so traditional) on stage something surprising was happening. 

An English speaking Asian lady without discernable accent was speaking to the crowd from the stage and then all she said was being translated into Thai.

What she was saying was aggressive religious proselytizing and she was repeating her message, again, and again, and again. There were merchandise prizes as well to involve the audience.

I was surprised and kind of shocked.

I think this being a Buddhist country if a speaker explained the religious aspect of the holiday for religious Christians just for entertainment and information purposes it would be kind of charming and in no way offensive.

But this was aggressive preaching. Stuff like Jesus is the savior of the world and he's your savior too. Then active recruiting and name, contact info taking obviously trying to get converts.

Again, this is a Buddhist nation. You don't even hear stuff like that in majority Christian nations at shopping mall Christmas trees.

Imagine if it was a Muslim doing the same thing.

Of course this being Thailand it was clear that the Thais in the audience didn't find anything odd or offensive about the spectacle. It's takes an outsider to see that.

 

Please discuss.

 

(And Merry Christmas to those celebrating the holiday, in a secular and/or religious way.)

Edited December 24, 2018 by Jingthing

[NCC1701A]

Thai girls are 10 times more horny than repressed Catholic school girls so I am good with it.

[bojo]

to add to the mix...

In Bristol UK, last summer there were a group of religious Christions banging on about religious righteous stuff. There was a fracas after a very short while, police on the scene instantly, lots of local muslims in the mayhe. In the death, the so called preachers were arrested; can't remember the outcome at court, it slips my mind.

Point being that perhaps what you preach should be kept at home, no need for discussion really, it only causes divison and what's the point in that, it doesn't get anyone anywhere...........

 

[NCC1701A]

 

[swissie]

On some remote Islands in Tha Andaman Sea, missionaries get speared for that.

[Jingthing]

Thailand is a nation that has a good degree of freedom of religion. That's a very good thing. Compare to countries like China or Saudi Arabia and the way they treat religious minorities including Christians for how bad it can be when there isn't such freedom.

But allowing people to practice their own religion is one thing. Religious minority groups aggressively PUSHING their religions on others, surely that's another thing.

Edited December 24, 2018 by Jingthing

[sanemax]

34 minutes ago, swissie said:

On some remote Islands in Tha Andaman Sea, missionaries get speared for that.

No, anyone who goes there gets speared , regardless of why they go there

[Jingthing]

1 hour ago, swissie said:

On some remote Islands in Tha Andaman Sea, missionaries get speared for that.

The Thai audience appeared to be listening passively, not reacting positively or negatively. Maybe that would have been different if the chance of getting free merchandise wasn't being teased as part of the sell. Free toasters!

 

Another interesting thing about this is that clearly the commercial symbols of Christmas have been very well integrated here but with no religious content. The preachers are probably smart to associate that with their mission. The foot is in the door. Eyes on the prize. All those "heathen" souls!

Edited December 24, 2018 by Jingthing

[swissie]

55 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

The Thai audience appeared to be listening passively, not reacting positively or negatively. Maybe that would have been different if the chance of getting free merchandise wasn't being teased as part of the sell. Free toasters!

 

Another interesting thing about this is that clearly the commercial symbols of Christmas have been very well integrated here but with no religious content. The preachers are probably smart to associate that with their mission. The foot is in the door. Eyes on the prize. All those "heathen" souls!

Free Toasters? To the best of my knowledge, there are 3 major world religions. I have accumulated 3 Free Toasters over the years.
- But there is more to it. I just woke up from my afternoon nap. I had a nighmareish dream. I dreamt that 10 years from now, Farang arrivals would be speared at the Airport in BKK and only Chinese were spared of being speared.
A nightmare! Or a vision of things to come?

[swissie]

1 hour ago, sanemax said:

No, anyone who goes there gets speared , regardless of why they go there

Rats! I will have to re-think my travel plans.

PS: Can you think of a reason to convince Donald J. Trump to go there on some diplomatic mission?

[Jingthing]

Forget to mention one of the funny talking points at the Christmas tree. She was talking alot about Christmas gifts including ones they were giving out somehow. Not fully certain but I think it was linked to giving your name and contact info and an invitation to join the local Christian community. So then she got to the money shot -- the best gift of Christmas is Jesus and that gift is for everyone and that gift is FREE. (OMG.) Who doesn't like free stuff?

Edited December 24, 2018 by Jingthing

[digbeth]

Which Central was this? Festival on Beach Rd. or Marina?

Thais evengelicals has been very active lately, in Bangkok you see them with signs on their back reading into loudspeakers around skytrains exits all the time too

[JimmyTheMook]

5 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

 

 

Good Lord!

 

 

 

[balo]

There are Christian missionaries here but I am not sure they are Thai , seen some Filipinos here working for them and speaking loud when they are given the chance.

[rvaviator]

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

[Jingthing]

6 hours ago, digbeth said:

Which Central was this? Festival on Beach Rd. or Marina?

Thais evengelicals has been very active lately, in Bangkok you see them with signs on their back reading into loudspeakers around skytrains exits all the time too

Beach road of course.

Speaking of Christmas trees, the one at Royal Garden Pattaya is upside down!

[Jingthing]

4 hours ago, balo said:

There are Christian missionaries here but I am not sure they are Thai , seen some Filipinos here working for them and speaking loud when they are given the chance.

Well the lady that was making the hard sell speech certainly didn't have a Thai accent. I couldn't hear any accent at all which is kind of unusual. Maybe American. 

[DMC1]

There are Christian missionaries here but I am not sure they are Thai , seen some Filipinos here working for them and speaking loud when they are given the chance.

 

A mate of mine from work here in Thailand joined the Jehovahs Witness Watchtower cult about 10 years ago - he’s got most of his Thai family indoctrinated now, doesn’t speak to, or associate with most of his old mates/acquaintances anymore. I was surprised how many Thais are involved with the JW’s here, most of them probably have no idea about the history of the cult, false prophesies, or their current child abuse cases worldwide.

 

Anyway, bit of a tangent but there you go...I’m off to the Robin Hood for my Xmas dinner....All the best....

 

 

[Gracas]

12 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Christmas for most Thais is about decorations and trees at shopping malls, and whatever other western consumerist customs that may have migrated here associated with the season. In other words the fun stuff without the religious stuff.

This is the way it should be everywhere.

"Religious stuff", should be like Batteries 'NOT included'.

[Jingthing]

An aspect of many (most?) Christian sects is that "sharing the good news" is an explicit and important part of the dogma. So it could be argued that repressing proselytizing is in effect repressing the freedom of people to practice Christianity. So freedom of religion isn't a simple black and white thing when you consider that part of it. 

 

I don't think there are any laws in Thailand against proselytizing, are there? So Thailand is very tolerant in that regard. Certainly the crowd I observed was. 

Edited December 25, 2018 by Jingthing

[DMC1]

An aspect of many (most?) Christian sects is that "sharing the good news" is an explicit and important part of the dogma. So it could be argued that repressing proselytizing is in effect repressing the freedom of people to practice Christianity. So freedom of religion isn't a simple black and white thing when you consider that part of it. 

Exactly JT....persecution, they love it!

[bluesofa]

2 minutes ago, Gracas said:

This is the way it should be everywhere.

"Religious stuff", should be like Batteries 'NOT included'.

Also have a similar notice to batteries, about being disposed of thoughtfully.

[Jingthing]

31 minutes ago, DMC1 said:

 

A mate of mine from work here in Thailand joined the Jehovahs Witness Watchtower cult about 10 years ago - he’s got most of his Thai family indoctrinated now, doesn’t speak to, or associate with most of his old mates/acquaintances anymore. I was surprised how many Thais are involved with the JW’s here, most of them probably have no idea about the history of the cult, false prophesies, or their current child abuse cases worldwide.

 

Anyway, bit of a tangent but there you go...I’m off to the Robin Hood for my Xmas dinner....All the best....

 

 

That's an interesting point related to the OP because the preacher failed to tell the crowd what flavor of Christianity she was selling, whether more mainstream or not.  Indeed some of them are more cult-like than others. A person might think they are visiting a mainstream group and then possibly experience a bait and switch. Of course Thailand being a more naïve environment I assume the majority of the population here isn't educated about the implications of joining the different flavors. Not all same same. 

[Jingthing]

Also worth consideration is whether the business interests that own the Central Pattaya Beach Mall were aware that such explicit proselytizing was occurring at their obviously commercially oriented Christmas tree and whether they would really be OK with that if they were asked permission. I would assume probably not as such entities usually shun any kind of controversy. That is a public space of course but it is privately owned and the purpose of malls of course is PROFIT. Prophets not so much. 

Edited December 25, 2018 by Jingthing

[marqus12]

The Thai people are indoctrinated in many fields but leftists

or gays are always the most terrified of Christianity, especially Catholicism.

I am not a practicing Catholic, but I have grown up in a quite

strong Catholic environment so I suggested to my Thai girl that

our 4 years old kid should be baptize next year on a trip to

Philippines or Vietnam.
She asked why and I told her that the unbaptized did not go

to heaven...She got scared and wants to be baptized too ????

[thequietman]

If she's all for denouncing the Gays, then I am all for it. ????

 

Happy Xmas Jingthing. Wouldn't want you any other way. ????????

[sanemax]

7 minutes ago, thequietman said:

If she's all for denouncing the Gays, then I am all for it. ????Happy Xmas Jingthing. Wouldn't want you any other way. ????????

I do know that its Christmas , but a quick kiss under the mistletoe is quite sufficient .............no need for a full on suggestive festive  suggestion .

   If you would like him "that way" , why not book a room together ? ????

[thequietman]

1 minute ago, sanemax said:

I do know that its Christmas , but a quick kiss under the mistletoe is quite sufficient .............no need for a full on suggestive festive  suggestion .

   If you would like him "that way" , why not book a room together ? ????

Now, now .............. you know what I meant. Please don't get crude on the Lords birthday ( even though it isn't) ????

[theguyfromanotherforum]

14 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

Thai girls are 10 times more horny than repressed Catholic school girls so I am good with it.

 

Yea, sure. That's why most repressed Catholic girls end up in porn.

[DMC1]

That's an interesting point related to the OP because the preacher failed to tell the crowd what flavor of Christianity she was selling, whether more mainstream or not.  Indeed some of them are more cult-like than others. A person might think they are visiting a mainstream group and then possibly experience a bait and switch. Of course Thailand being a more naïve environment I assume the majority of the population here isn't educated about the implications of joining the different flavors. Not all same same. 

For sure Thais will be probably be more susceptible to the supernatural stuff that comes into play with some of these sects. With the JW’s it’s all about love bombing initially, and then they hit you with Armageddon and the threat of shunning and all the rest of it. I think JW’s are more likely to just stand there with their Watchtower carts or go door knocking. Still, would be interesting to know what ‘flavour’ the preacher was.