But it wasn't him. It was another less-colorful preacher -- a term being used loosely -- telling people why they are sinners and how they can fix it. And of course there was the usual opponent trying to out-yell him. I asked a guy next to me how many pit preachers we need. He answered that one was enough for him.
Needless to say, Wednesday I witnessed the same thing -- preacher number three.
As a supporter of free speech, I respect the right for people to spread their opinions and religious hoopla. Just because I respect these preachers' right to relay their messages, however, doesn't mean I have figured out the value of their messages yet.
It's doubtful that their rhetoric changes people's religious ideas, as most people are set in their religious ways. Those who agree with these preachers, likely not many, listen in support of the message. Those who disagree often listen for entertainment. Some choose to ignore them, and others don't care. These preachers probably know all this -- they just love the limelight.
Because religions are left to interpretation, it is often impossible to convince another what right and wrong is. This room for interpretation also leads to the development of radical and over-exaggerated personalities. Many agree that the Pit Preacher does more to repel people than to attract them.
Few things are scarier than religion taken too far, and many of these preachers do take their interpretations too far. For example, most of Birdsong's speech is about hating people of different races, religions and sexual orientations. He embraces sexism and has no tolerance for multiple groups. I doubt that a person in search of true religious awakening would embrace these. If recruiting followers is a preacher's usual goal, then what is Birdsong's motive?
Birdsong has become a local superstar because of his views, and most people don't consider him a threat.
But sometimes religious interpretation can be dangerous. The terrorists in the World Trade Center attack vividly demonstrated this. Reading too much into the Quran, Bible or any other religious text can lead to extreme outcomes.
Ironically, Birdsong is a mirror image of the World Trade bombers he loves to hate. He has repeatedly used the bombers to bash Islam -- despite that the bombers were not truly practicing Islam. They do not represent true Muslims, and Birdsong's representation of true Christians is just as shaky.
