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Notorious gang leader turned to Christ
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
At 16 Nicky Cruz became a member of the notorious Brooklyn street gang known as the Mau Maus (named after a bloodthirsty African tribe). Within six months he became their president. Cruz fearlessly ruled the streets as warlord of one of the gangs most dreaded by rivals and police. Lost in the cycle of drugs, alcohol, and brutal violence, his life took a tragic turn for the worse after a friend and fellow gang member was horribly stabbed and beaten and died in Nicky's arms.
As Cruz' reputation grew, so did his haunting nightmares. Arrested countless times, a court-ordered psychiatrist pronounced Nicky's fate as "headed to prison, the electric chair, and hell."
No authority figure could reach Cruz — until he met a skinny street-preacher named David Wilkerson. He disarmed Nicky — showing him something he'd never known before: Relentless love. His interest in the young thug was persistent. Nicky beat him up, spit on him and, on one occasion, seriously threatened his life…yet the love of God remained — stronger than any adversary Nicky had ever encountered.
Finally, Wilkerson's presentation of the gospel message and the love of Jesus melted the thick walls of his heart. Nicky received the forgiveness, love and new life that can only come through Jesus. Since then, he has dedicated that life to helping others find the same freedom. He now runs a Christian outreach team to bring the Christian message to other alienated youths called TRUCE.
As Cruz' reputation grew, so did his haunting nightmares. Arrested countless times, a court-ordered psychiatrist pronounced Nicky's fate as "headed to prison, the electric chair, and hell."
No authority figure could reach Cruz — until he met a skinny street-preacher named David Wilkerson. He disarmed Nicky — showing him something he'd never known before: Relentless love. His interest in the young thug was persistent. Nicky beat him up, spit on him and, on one occasion, seriously threatened his life…yet the love of God remained — stronger than any adversary Nicky had ever encountered.
Finally, Wilkerson's presentation of the gospel message and the love of Jesus melted the thick walls of his heart. Nicky received the forgiveness, love and new life that can only come through Jesus. Since then, he has dedicated that life to helping others find the same freedom. He now runs a Christian outreach team to bring the Christian message to other alienated youths called TRUCE.
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Comments
Yes. Then delete it.
hehe, with SQL.
(Oh, and sorry to be pedantic, but Mau Maus were actually a racist group of black Kenyans in the mid 20th century who wanted to drive all the whites out of Kenya)
Well, if you care to look up Aisha's posts on this site, you'll quickly learn that most of the people here are pretty hostile to pointless religious statements ...
If you want a debate, debate! Otherwise it's best to keep the evangelising to yourself.
a leopard cannot change its spots. neither can a man change the colour of his eyes but ...all men are capable of changing their behaviour.
Heard the story before. Cool story. Prove the love of God etc...
...what was the point of this thread though?
Are you asking some thesite posters to change their ways?
Are you telling them that they can if they think they can't?
Are you asking us how many titles we've heard that story under?
Still respect to the bloke though. Here is someone who was basically a screwed up kid from a poor background, who changed his life and wanted to help similair people do the same thing.
The films called The Cross and the Switchblade.
And who says the Bible is true? It is a matter of opinion.
Can't I leave the money I earn in this world to my family to leave them in a better position when I'm gone. All going well, I'll beat my children there by a few years, I want them to enjoy life while they're alive.
Born with "original sin". Pretty much sums up what is wrong with organised religion.
That and the fact that it always seems to have it's hand out.
BTW There are many other things which the "Christian message" says. Do you adhere to them all?
Oi there Rockwell
You trying to push us all into religion or what?
Note, this forum is called 'Politics and Debate', not 'Let's ram my idea of religion down everyone's throats by quoting a story that has been rehashed several times throughout history'!!!
As for organised religion, I'm not a big fan of it. Why should people go through their lives feeling guilty about being alive and always having to bow down to this almighty being that frankly, might not even exist?!? Fair enough, some people choose to do this.
On the other hand, some people have it forced upon them at birth. Unfortunately my experiences with friends who have been born into a religion have been negative. Many of them were fucked up in the head due to feelings of guilt (even when they had been living a perfectly moral life) and one of them is no longer with us. She couldn't face herself any longer.
Heh. There IS no God; I don't feel he exists. I see no reason to believe.
Prove what? That it is opinion? I think you'd have more problems proving it isn't ...
I'm not going to take credit for it, it was posted in Anything Goes with questions about whether the author had wasted their time.
Personally I agree with you Aladdin. Always nice to see someone questioning the "unquestionable" truth...
MoK and others, as someone who has recently joined the church and become a Christian, I understand your feelings about organised religion. For years although having to attend church from a kid, I saw a lot of hypocrisy not just in the Christian faith but also other religions.
I have come to understand since I got older the difference between organised religion and true faith. Unfortunately just like political philosophies, religions have been twisted and shaped to suit the purposes of Man and there so-called teachers, this has lead to disillusionment and distrust.
To put in easier terms, its like being a socialist at times and looking at Nu Labour.
I'd love to be able to answer all the questions people can throw at me about my faith but I can't, thats the honest truth. You would probably be best asking someone a lot more experienced than me or a theologian, thats what I do.
What I do know is, having been through some bad times, now having a belief and faith in Christianity has helped me more than what I used to do to relieve the pain.
Yes I know other people have got through life without needing religion but I'm talking about myself.
Sorry for the long post but I felt a need to respond
One the subject of why Jesus died though which is fundamental to the Christian belief, that answer is simple. Jesus was not just the son of God he was God himself he died because he was prepared to pay for everyone else's sins. He made us imperfect deliberatly so that we can choose whether or not to do right or wrong. If we were all made perfect we would have no free will.
One the subject of whether people born before Christ went to heaven or not. The answer is they are not yet resserected. The Bible says that one day all the dead will be resserected on judgement day and made to account for their sins. Those that repented before they died will go to heaven. God will forgive all those who repent.
if he was god and he died ...who resurected him back to life? he was trusting that his father would.
the bible talks of a great resurection of the dead ...those from the graves and the sea ...it doesn't say they will go to heaven ...it says that the meek will inherit the earth and turn it into paradise.
som who is feeding you this misinformation then? the pope i would imagine.
Jesus also says: "Before Abraham I am." In one passage of the Bible. Meaning that he existed before any of the phrophets, therefore he must have been God. He also says in another passage that: "Me and my father are one". In another passage he says: "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty."
As for who resurected him. If he was God he was never really dead. Only his phsyical body which was just one of his forms. His spiritual body was still alive and able to do things.
He only says: "I will now go to my father for he is greater than me." Right at the end after he had been resureted and was about to leave his disciples for good. He could be implying that is an inferior form of himself as a physical being. His real true form being a spirit.
This site is also helpful in understanding the Christian message