When I travel, it’s seldom with a purpose in mind other than just relaxing and taking in the sights. I’m not the sort of person who likes to have an agenda or a schedule at the best of times. However, I can’t really imagine flying halfway across the world and not taking it easy when I finally arrive.
Well, this guy sure did have a mission for his trip, but it looks like maybe he should have just taken it easy.
Phillip Blair has stirred up some passions as a street preacher, but during a trip to Australia, he ignited an absolute firestorm.
He describes himself as “Director of Torch of Christ Ministries” and “Former United States Marine” on Twitter , but folks Down Under aren’t using many nice words to describe him after his visit to Sydney.
Blair will often film his proselytizing speeches, and one of his videos caught an exchange on the streets of Sydney that really united Australians.
As he’s spreading his gospel or whatever, Blair comes across a flower shop, where a man in a wheelchair is at the counter.
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“You’re in a wheelchair. God can touch you but you’re too bitter to ask,” he yells at the man.
The florist came to her customer’s defense immediately.
“He can’t walk, alright,” she shouted back. “You keep yelling and screaming for no reason — no one cares.”
“There is a reason, people are going to hell,” he yelled, almost to the street in general rather than the florist.
“That’s okay,” she replied.
Blair decided to take his message to a wider audience at that point, screaming to the public space as passersby generally tried to avoid him.
But another man who had witnessed the exchange at the florist stopped him.
“You’ve just slated a man for being in a wheelchair, and you’re talking about people going to hell?” the guy says. “Well, you’re going to hell for saying that.”
Blair later took to Twitter to try to defend himself.
“Dear Aussies, I love you,” he wrote . “Before bad mouthing me, please spend some time researching where I’ve been and what I’ve done to help people around the world, by God’s grace. I’m here because the Lord sent me to tell you how much He cares and wants to save your soul.”
Yeah, Australians were not cool with this American preacher, and they weren’t about to drop the issue of him berating a guy in a wheelchair.
And they were more than happy to bad-mouth him about it.
“Harassing a total stranger in a wheelchair is NOT witnessing!” wrote @yohornsby .
Many folks pointed out that his preaching was probably having the opposite of the intended effect.
“The irony of your work is that you’re turning people AGAINST your religion, instead of TO it,” wrote @JasonEvans_ . “You’re doing far more damage than good, no matter how well-intentioned your schemes may be.”
Even those who apparently did research Blair’s work weren’t moved.
In addition to the video of him berating a man in a wheelchair, they also found a video of him yelling to a crowd of commuters trapped on a train with him, which many also took umbrage with.
“Arguing with passengers when they told you that they don’t want to hear it is rude and condescending,” wrote @saltyhalaman . “I don’t think even God would want that.”
In general, people pretty much just took issue with being harassed.
“Harassing people in public spaces is NOT loving,” wrote @Rosentic_xo . “The Jesus I know certainly didn’t act so aggressively. Australia doesn’t suffer people like you easily.”
Even some Americans chimed in against Blair. “As a compatriot, one of the things I hate about our country is when people come into a public space when I’m trying to go about my day and talk utter nonsense,” wrote @BigBrain61 .
And a lot of other folks who seemed to identify as Christians, or were at least up on the scripture, couldn’t defend Blair.
“Read up on Proverbs 21:23 and stay off public transport,” wrote @libbyturns .
“If you really love others, go and help the poor and the destitute in your country. Free the children locked up in cages. Protect your children at school by striving for stricter gun laws. I’m sure the Lord would do that before he shouted at people on a train,” wrote @nk_howell .
So it looks like Blair hasn’t made many friends on his trip to Australia, let alone converts.
You can watch Blair’s exploits below — the exchange with the florist begins at about 2:30 into the video.
