Protesting

[barnhart]

My favorite protests are the quiet type. Twenty years ago I was working part-time at construction and the first day on the crew I noticed it was organized by race. The white guys stood around and told the latinos what to do. So l launched my own personal protest by never standing with the standers, always working with the workers and speaking Spanish as much as possible. Within a few months that dynamic was eradicated entirely. The white guys were gone and it was just me and the latinos. An important part of effective protest is denouncing oppressive structures by distancing yourself from them. If you can't do that, your action will be partisan, not protest.

[temporal1]

My favorite protests are the quiet type. Twenty years ago I was working part-time at construction and the first day on the crew I noticed it was organized by race. The white guys stood around and told the latinos what to do. So l launched my own personal protest by never standing with the standers, always working with the workers and speaking Spanish as much as possible. Within a few months that dynamic was eradicated entirely. The white guys were gone and it was just me and the latinos. An important part of effective protest is denouncing oppressive structures by distancing yourself from them. If you can't do that, your action will be partisan, not protest.

Agree. Good example.

While I speak about March for Life not getting airtime, I also believe it’s a blessing.

Air time would change it, and very likely damage it. It’s big. It’s peaceful.
Possibly the best model for peaceful protests out there.

Even so, I do not attend.
I believe there are many people and many ways of contributing. I believe this is upheld in scriptures. We aren’t intended to be carbon copies of one another. All contribute. All are part of the whole.

[mike]

In regards to protesting I see it only as reactive. I see in the context of Jesus saying to not resist evil and to love our enemies as a call in our lives to be busy in proactively and actively loving others. Our motivation is rooted in the love of God. And motivation that involves reaction, which I believe protesting does(peaceful or not), is actually disobeying Christ as far as I understand Him because it is reactive.

Based on interactions with the state by Christians in the New Testament, we have biblical precedent for Christians making appeals to civic leaders. I can't think of any examples of NT Christians engaging in mass protests.

I'm not sure if being "reactive" is disobedient to Christ. That's a new thought to me, but I do like the proactive versus reactive idea. The mandate we have as Christians is a proactive mandate:

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

We clearly should be out there teaching and making disciples of Jesus. This activity may well be in the public eye depending on the format. We should take the opportunity to teach wherever we can.

[mike]

My favorite protests are the quiet type. Twenty years ago I was working part-time at construction and the first day on the crew I noticed it was organized by race. The white guys stood around and told the latinos what to do. So l launched my own personal protest by never standing with the standers, always working with the workers and speaking Spanish as much as possible. Within a few months that dynamic was eradicated entirely. The white guys were gone and it was just me and the latinos. An important part of effective protest is denouncing oppressive structures by distancing yourself from them. If you can't do that, your action will be partisan, not protest.

I love this.

[temporal1]

My favorite protests are the quiet type. Twenty years ago I was working part-time at construction and the first day on the crew I noticed it was organized by race. The white guys stood around and told the latinos what to do. So l launched my own personal protest by never standing with the standers, always working with the workers and speaking Spanish as much as possible. Within a few months that dynamic was eradicated entirely. The white guys were gone and it was just me and the latinos. An important part of effective protest is denouncing oppressive structures by distancing yourself from them. If you can't do that, your action will be partisan, not protest.

I love this.

It could only be better if “the white guys” were converted to Jesus and no longer oppressive. This may have happened, not clarified.

The goal should be conversion of hearts, not just domination of space. Right?

[Wade]

My favorite protests are the quiet type. Twenty years ago I was working part-time at construction and the first day on the crew I noticed it was organized by race. The white guys stood around and told the latinos what to do. So l launched my own personal protest by never standing with the standers, always working with the workers and speaking Spanish as much as possible. Within a few months that dynamic was eradicated entirely. The white guys were gone and it was just me and the latinos. An important part of effective protest is denouncing oppressive structures by distancing yourself from them. If you can't do that, your action will be partisan, not protest.

I love this.

I do to, I just don't consider this protesting.

[Valerie]

I really don't see Jesus cleansing o the temple as an 'act of civil disobedience'. Disobedience is sin, and Jesus had no sin.

Are you sure? Sometimes it is sinful to obey. We have the disciples example "we must obey God rather than man."

Jesus is God, how can He disobey when He has the ultimate authority?

I'd rather see it as Scripture says, "Zeal" than protest if that's okay

[temporal1]

My favorite protests are the quiet type. Twenty years ago I was working part-time at construction and the first day on the crew I noticed it was organized by race. The white guys stood around and told the latinos what to do. So l launched my own personal protest by never standing with the standers, always working with the workers and speaking Spanish as much as possible. Within a few months that dynamic was eradicated entirely. The white guys were gone and it was just me and the latinos. An important part of effective protest is denouncing oppressive structures by distancing yourself from them. If you can't do that, your action will be partisan, not protest.

I love this.

I do to, I just don't consider this protesting.

Yes. It’s walking in faith.
There is a temptation to buy into the language, which makes it a short step to the next step.

[MaxPC]

In regards to protesting I see it only as reactive. I see in the context of Jesus saying to not resist evil and to love our enemies as a call in our lives to be busy in proactively and actively loving others. Our motivation is rooted in the love of God. And motivation that involves reaction, which I believe protesting does(peaceful or not), is actually disobeying Christ as far as I understand Him because it is reactive. The sad part is that by my reaction to you I disobeyed this principle myself that I was trying to encourage. Sorry.

Hence why I try not to get caught up in any political, abuse stopping, racism renouncing, or etc. bandwagon, and people get upset or confused when I don't speak out - I believe Christ never got caught up in any of these things but intentionally, continually, and unconditionally actively gave Himself to self-sacrificing love for everyone. That is what I want to emulate when I don't get involved with any movement - the world gets involved in these things. I need to be emptied of self and lovingly serving others as I follow Christ. Protesting seems too late(maybe I'm reacting because I wasn't active enough?!) and protesting seems demanding and trying bend another person - love isn't demanding.



1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;

12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;

13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.

14 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.

15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.

17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.

18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if He thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.

21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:21

This resonates with my interpretation as well. I do not engage with protests which have as their stated purpose a negative script of denouncing someone or some thing.

There are gatherings of witness that I have engaged. One would be the March for Life which has as its stated purpose, a witness to the sanctity of all life from womb to tomb. These occur across the US and in the UK as well as other nations.

[ken_sylvania]

Okay- what do you call what the Anabaptists did during the Protestant Reformation?
Wasn't it a kind of protesting? I read where they would show up and 'talk over' priests?
What is the difference between 'movements' and 'protests'?

Not everything the Anabaptists did during the Protestant Reformation was wise...