At ‘Occupy’ Protests, Bearing Christian Witness Without Preaching

[rug]

By MARK OPPENHEIMER
Published: November 11, 2011

The old leftist dream was for everyone to abandon regional and ethnic allegiances to play for a common team, the working class. But as anyone attending a demonstration knows, many activists demand to be counted as representatives of smaller groups: home teams.

At Occupy Wall Street and the allied events, there are police officers in the symbolic 99 percent, wearing uniforms. There are self-proclaimed mothers in the 99 percent. There are Marines. There are Muslims and Jews, yoginis and puppeteers. Sometimes they proclaim their tribes on signs in protest-movement Magic Marker; other times their meaningful headgear speaks loud enough: firefighter’s hat, bus driver’s cap, yarmulke.

There are Christians, too, eager to be seen as Christians. They face a special challenge. They want to make the church visible, so they wear clerical collars or other religious garb, like the albs, or white robes, that lay Christians may also wear.

But they know that many, especially on the political left, are wary of Christians, suspicious that these men and women in strange garments are seeking converts. When liberal activists hear “Christian,” they often think “conservative.” Many would thrill to see an imam marching next to them but shudder at a priest.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/12/us/at-occupy-protests-bearing-witness-without-preaching-beliefs-by-mark-oppenheimer.html?_r=2&src=mv&ref=us

[xchrom]

1. Invisible rec. Nt

[darkstar3]

2. Petty grandstanding by the smaller groups.

"But as anyone attending a demonstration knows, many activists demand to be counted as representatives of smaller groups"

Really? Did I miss something here? Are the seniors involved in OWS demanding recognition and seeking out coverage for their group's involvement? Are the Latinos? The Asians? The homosexuals?

This is almost exclusively a religious behavior, and I sincerely doubt that "many activists" outside of a religious scope engage in it. If they are, I don't see it, and that's a good thing because it's not about them.

Let me see if I can put this another way: When you join up with a movement like this, it should be about the movement and not about how you want to be seen. It detracts from the overall message when your personal message is "look how awesome I am." That goes for individuals, and doubly so for groups. And if you want proof of this, look at the involvement of LEOs. It's not about them when they "cross the line", it's about the solidarity and nothing more.

[rug]

3. I'm looking at the involvement of "LEOs" in Portland.

Inspiring.

[roguevalley]

6. and then again, it could be that the true believers are making a

point of showing that Christians aren't like the wingnuts. Truly, there are more levels to human behavior than one.

[darkstar3]

7. "True" or not, it's not about them, and they shouldn't make it so.

[Gregorian]

4. This is why I feel Chris Hedges is so important now.

It's like something that is coming to fruition. Or coming together.

[Humanist_Activist]

5. OK, are Christians now required to where special stuff?

Seriously, if you are talking about Clerical outfits, then specify that, and who in their right minds where white robes except the pretentious?

Most participants of these protests identify as Christian, they just don't like people who where it on their sleeve, with good reason.