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A recent event drawing widespread attention is the monks’ Walk for Peace. During this journey, a group of monks has been traveling through multiple states, often greeted warmly by locals who offer food and water. However, not everyone has been welcoming. TheNerdStash recently covered a distressing incident in Georgia, where a group of Christians reportedly harassed the monks. Initial reports suggested they were affiliated with the Baptist Church. Fortunately, a woman named Darla reached out to provide clarification, revealing that the group consisted of extremist pastors and does not represent the broader Christian community.
In her correspondence with us, Darla revealed that the men harassing the monks have been doing so continuously. According to her, they would attend every stop the monks made in Georgia and speak against them aggressively. When we initially reported the story, the things these men said to the monks were shocking, including telling them they were “walking toward hell.” Thankfully, Darla investigated the group and identified its members and affiliations. Two key individuals are Adam Cartner and RaShaan. They call themselves “Heralds for the King” and are part of a fellowship known as “Maranatha Cry.”
Reactions to the original story included Christians emphasizing that these men do not represent the faith, a sentiment Darla shares. She attempted to guide the men by contacting them to express how aggressive their behavior was. Instead, she encountered the same hostility the “pastors” had shown toward the monks. In her first email to the group, she addressed how they treated anyone who tried to reason with them. One pastor responded to her with, “No, I will not speak to you, evil woman.”
Rather than taking her criticism to heart, the Georgia pastors doubled down in their replies. Adam wrote, “We have been doing this for many years and what we’ve noticed is that many people respond to the truth sometimes when they’re convicted in an angry way.” He went on to claim that scripture doesn’t forbid “preaching strongly or even sternly” and revealed their fixation on the monks’ Walk for Peace by sharing the title of an upcoming sermon: “Witnessing the falling away of America in light of the Buddhist March for peace.”
The hostility continued when Adam addressed Darla, who was merely offering advice. He claimed, “Biblically speaking you are actually in rebellion against God’s Word as a woman of God the way your conduct is.” He wrote this even though Darla’s only suggestion was that they share the gospel more kindly. He further questioned her faith, stating, “I will say this. If you are supporting Buddhist monks who reject Jesus Christ, then you are supporting another spirit.”
Despite dozens of Christians, including Darla, showing kindness to the monks, Adam and the pastors dismissed them. He wrote, “I hope you understand and are biblically based and not emotionally based because we don’t want you to fall into the trap of false peace either.” Supporting peace should never be seen as wrong.
In response to Adam’s claim that aggression is the proper way to spread the gospel, Darla recounted an incident she witnessed. “With the interaction I had two teen boys with me whom saw how ‘Christians’ act based on these two men. They specifically stated that if this is what following Christ is like they do not want any part of that. I would like to remind your team that this type of behavior will deter people to Christ,” she wrote. The behavior of these pastors toward a group of monks promoting peace is deeply embarrassing.
Not All Christians
Unfortunately, a group like the Georgia pastors can cast a shadow over Christianity and its followers through their actions. Under videos showing the pastors spreading hate, many viewers emphasized that this behavior does not reflect true Christian values. Darla made the same point directly. She told Adam, “Showing love, compassion and understanding is what Christ would be doing. Not everything has to be over a megaphone, being hostile and having the last word.” She added, “You two did not represent my Christ correctly and I will stand by that along with warn people of your teachings as I felt the Spirit to move me to do!”
In her correspondence with TheNerdStash, she also wanted to highlight how many Christians actually supported the monks. She explained, “Some ‘Christians’ misunderstand scripture based on that they are not reading the whole chapter but a few verses at a time. When Jesus spoke aggressively was only towards those of higher power such as government, tax collectors or leaders however, Jesus spoke with kindness, grace and compassion to the communities!” She further noted, “Believers are not all the same as you can see in the Monks’ travels they have been welcomed into many different churches to break bread and rest!” These Georgia pastors, who have made it their mission to harass the monks, certainly deserve to be called out.
People Reacting to the Georgia Pastors Harassing the Monks
Under the original video shared of the Georgia pastors harassing the monks, several comments criticized them. “You are not supposed to pressure anyone into anything. Their message is simply peace,” one person wrote. Another person said, “Mind you… they’re walking for peace… something I don’t see churches doing.” Others commented on the sign held by one of the pastors as someone wrote, “His sign says it all! They walk for peace and his sign condemns people to hell. Smdh!” Unfortunately, several comments attacked Christians because of these pastors.
Many Christians also spoke out against the actions of the Georgia pastors. One woman wrote, “‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God’ (Matthew 5:9). Let them walk and spread the peace.” Another commented, “That man isn’t a true Christian. We’re taught that choice and free will is the biggest thing God gave us while your supposed to spread the gospel, it’s not Christianly to use fear to get someone to believe. We’re not meant to judge we’re meant to love no matter what. Don’t blame the whole religion on someone who’s not even actually following the way of Christ.” While it’s important to call out harmful behavior, it’s equally important to recognize the many people who actively work to prevent such extremists from defining their faith.
