Bringing Protest & Disruption To Church:

[Aquila]

Politically progressive and moderate Christians are starting to consider bringing protest, publicity, and disruption to right-wing churches.

Take the Politics of Disruption to Church
https://sojo.net/articles/take-polit...ruption-church

Excerpts:

By now, most of us have learned that 81 percent of white evangelicals who cast their vote did so for Trump. And the same is true of 60 percent of the white Catholics who voted. And, lest mainliners feel off the hook, 58 percent of Protestants, in general, voted for Trump. It is easy to see the ways in which current social injustices reflect the commitments of conservative white Christianity.

However, this isn’t another effort in the continuing criticism of conservative Christianity; we need to challenge progressive Christianity.

And...

If we want to confound and disrupt the narratives of oppression, we need to raise our angry voices in the pews as well as the streets.

I literally mean we should disrupt our churches. Just as Black Lives Matter has employed a politics of disruption to raise the national alarm about racist policing. Just as the water protectors at Standing Rock have created a human barrier against pipeline construction. So too, should we disrupt and confound any and every congregation that fuels militarism, economic exploitation, sexism, racism, Islamophobia, or transphobia.

While such an approach is uncomfortable and risky, it is hardly novel. We worship a man who marched into the Temple during its most busy week, disrupted its market place, and proceeded to occupy it for a week while telling stories that overtly undermined the authority of the priests and scribes and exposes their complicity with Rome.

Jesus was so offensive that “the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people kept looking for a way to kill him.” Jesus, like all the prophets before him, disrupted the injustices of their day by going to the center of myth making. They went to the Temple, the palaces, and the places of sacred meaning. And with bold words and deeds, they disrupted.

And it was, I believe, effective. Conventional wisdom tells us that interstate shut downs or Temple disruptions only “hurt the message.” But Paul Engler, director for the Center for Working Poor in Los Angeles, suggests that divisive tactics like those employed by Black Lives Matter and other groups force people to form an opinion about issues even if they disapproved of the tactics being used. He and his brother Mark write, in their book This Is an Uprising: How Nonviolent Revolt Is Shaping the Twenty-First Century:

"Time and again, patterns of polarization appear in democratic movements in the United States and abroad. Looking back from the safe removal of history, it can be easy to imagine that landmark social and political causes of the past--whether they involved ending slavery, securing the franchise for women, or establishing standards of workplace safety--were popular and widely celebrated. But the truth is that, in their time, these issues generated tremendous controversy. In promoting them, activists had to make the difficult decision to invite division and acrimony before they achieved their most impressive results." [Source: This is an Uprising, page 208]

We need to do likewise — even if it offends our sensibilities and challenges our desires for unity. It isn't enough to simply offer an alternative Christianity; we must disrupt the way a distorted gospel fuels imperialism.

It is time that we don the prophetic mantle within our churches and engage tactics of disruption so that Christians no longer feel comfortable going about business as usual. So that the vast and moderate middle is forced to contend with the issues and no longer remain complicit with the ways that Christianity has been used to justify oppression.

The strong delusion that has caused so many to align themselves with Donald Trump (in spite of his glaring fascism and hypocrisy) is fueling a movement that is preparing to confront right-wing Christianity.

Has the radical "conservatism" in our churches gone too far to the right?

[Birddog]

Great way to get arrested around here, we either cast the devil out or cast them in jail.

Got no problem either way.....

They start disrupting church in an organized way like that, that is a violation of my civil right. They will get their heads thumped.

[aegsm76]

I notice you left off these excerpts from the article:
"Yet any blame we place on Trump, his administration, and their legislative accomplices must be cast wider. Trumpian neo-fascism is simply the latest fruit from a much older tree. The worst imperial impulses of the United States of America find their root in a form of Christianity that legitimizes militarism, economic exploitation, racism, and sexism."
"Let us take an ax to the root. Our nation’s Christian roots aren’t incidental to our imperialism; they are central. The engine of Western imperialism is the quasi-Christian set of national myths that teach us that we, uniquely, embody the good life and should spread that life to the rest of the world. This Christian supremacy has been the justification for the deepest of our national sins."

So, for this author, (as for many of the left), Western Civilization is evil and must be resisted.

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Birddog

Great way to get arrested around here, we either cast the devil out or cast them in jail.

Got no problem either way.....

They start disrupting church in an organized way like that, that is a violation of my civil right. They will get their heads thumped.

I do believe they would have to embrace the very strong possibility of being arrested and physically attacked by conservatives in order to stage their protests.

The protests and disruption could include:

- Standing up in the congregations and shouting down pastors and ministers who preach hate or right wing political messages.

- Blocking driveways, entrances, and roads that access the church.

- Gathering outside of churches with banners, picket signs, slogans, and prayer vigils to bring publicity to right-wing pastors and their messages.

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by aegsm76

I notice you left off these excerpts from the article:
"Yet any blame we place on Trump, his administration, and their legislative accomplices must be cast wider. Trumpian neo-fascism is simply the latest fruit from a much older tree. The worst imperial impulses of the United States of America find their root in a form of Christianity that legitimizes militarism, economic exploitation, racism, and sexism."
"Let us take an ax to the root. Our nation’s Christian roots aren’t incidental to our imperialism; they are central. The engine of Western imperialism is the quasi-Christian set of national myths that teach us that we, uniquely, embody the good life and should spread that life to the rest of the world. This Christian supremacy has been the justification for the deepest of our national sins."

So, for this author, (as for many of the left), Western Civilization is evil and must be resisted.

I was trying to avoid referencing the entire article. lol

[aegsm76]

Originally Posted by Aquila

I do believe they would have to embrace the very strong possibility of being arrested and physically attacked by conservatives in order to stage their protests.

The protests and disruption could include:

- Standing up in the congregations and shouting down pastors and ministers who preach hate or right wing political messages.

- Blocking driveways, entrances, and roads that access the church.

- Gathering outside of churches with banners, picket signs, slogans, and prayer vigils to bring publicity to right-wing pastors and their messages.

My flesh wants to say "bring it on".
My spirit says that we do not battle against flesh and blood.
My Bible says let not your good be evil spoken of.

[Aquila]

Honestly, the Democrats are far closer to what the Republicans were in the 1980's. The modern Republican Party has moved radically to the right in many areas. It's even starting to disturb rank and file Republicans more and more. The conservative church's marriage to the Republican Party might end up bringing significant social backlash as Donald Trump becomes more inept (and therefore more dangerous) as a President.

Might we be seeing a grassroots desire to make right-wing pastors more accountable for what they say and teach and how it effects social policy?

[Amanah]

It's interesting many republicans/Christians are taking a stand against Muslims and Jihad, and open immigration.

And many on the left are taking a stand against Christianity and blaming Christianity for the resistance to their agenda of abortion, LGBT rights, ect.

Our world is spinning out of control in ways I would have never imagined just 10 years ago, and the only hope is that God would raise up prophets that will call our country to repentance, prayer, and consecration for a world wide revival.

Rise up men of God and call us to repentance, prayer and revival.

[KeptByTheWord]

This could be the most dangerous mob mentality yet.... for the mob! Why if those pastors would stand up and preach the gospel and salvation to them... we might get the revival in the land that we need!

[Aquila]

I think one of the first picket signs we'll see will read: