Would Jesus Join the Occupy Protests?

[Bozita]

Would Jesus Join the Occupy Protests?
November 26, 2011
By the Rev. Howard Bess


When the Martin Luther King Jr. monument was dedicated recently in Washington DC, I was reminded that the civil rights movement in America was led not by a politician fulfilling campaign promises, nor by a popular evangelist bent on saving souls, but by a highly trained theologian who put his religious teachings into practice with a demand for justice for those who had suffered at the hands of the rich and the powerful.

-snip-

The significance of this latest public protest movement, erupting all over the country, may eventually rival the impact of the civil rights movement of the 1960s, yet when comparing the two movements, there is one glaring difference: priests, pastors and clergy of every stripe are rarely in the forefront of Occupy protests.

Instead, secular young people are doing the very work that Jesus from Nazareth would urge us to do. Just as Jesus condemned the injustices of his own day – and overturned the money-changing tables at the Temple – the Occupy protesters are challenging how Wall Street bankers and today’s rich and powerful are harming the masses of people.

This week, religious people have felt proud of giving turkeys to the poor, but they should be joining the protests against the haughty rich. I maintain that Jesus would be a part of the actions in Portland, Denver, New York and many other cities. For Christians, the crucial issue should be “what would Jesus do”?

-snip-

more...
http://readersupportednews.org/off-site-opinion-section/442-occupy/8598-rev-howard-bess-would-jesus-join-the-occupy-protests

The Rev. Howard Bess is a retired American Baptist minister, who lives in Palmer, Alaska. His email address is [e-mail].

[TreasonousBastard]

1. Huh? Jesus never joined a movement...

He started one.

[jtuck004]

2. If he did, he would be awesome in the kitchen.

Someone could just send one pizza and a large drink, he could feed everyone.

[saras]

3. Jesus didn't necessarily believe in nonviolence...

..his teachings, and actions, are a little ambivalent in this regard.

But personally I think driving the money changers out of the temple with whips is a pretty good metaphor for what OWS needs to do. Civil disobedience all by itself just isn't going to cut it, just like it didn't work in India, or in the civil rights movement, without help.

[woo me with science]

19. The only time Jesus was violent toward anyone in the Bible.

was when he forcibly drove the money changers (i.e., the bankers) out of the temple.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleansing_of_the_Temple

The narrative of Jesus and the money changers, commonly referred to as the cleansing of the Temple, occurs in all four canonical gospels of the New Testament.

In this episode Jesus and his disciples travel to Jerusalem for Passover, where he expels the money changers from the Temple, accusing them of turning the Temple to a den of thieves through their commercial activities....

This is the only account of Jesus using physical force in any of the Gospels.

[ellisonz]

20. Good Thing Jesus Didn't Get...

Oh Gosh Golly He Did!

:rofl:

[gateley]

4. I think so. nt

[Arctic Dave]

5. I am shocked this comes from a religious leader in Palmer.

Palmer is like Wassila's uncoordinated little brother.

Good for him.

[Blue_In_AK]

14. Howard Bess ROCKS.

You remember that he was on Sarah's list of dangerous people, don't you? He wrote the book "Pastor, I Am Gay" that she didn't want in the Wasilla Library.

And don't be so mean to Palmer. At least it's retained its character, unlike Wasilla, the armpit of Alaska.

[Arctic Dave]

24. I did not know that.

Anyone who pisses moosilini is ok with me. ;)

[unionworks]

6. Kung Fu Jesus

Would have shoved the cops pepperspray into a dark place:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[HuckleB]

7. How about we deal with what's right, and let Jesus do "his" thing when justice has been served...

... and we've found a better peace. ???

[ellisonz]

21. I demand a Second Coming!

:sarcasm:

[unionworks]

8. Kung Fu Jesus

I mean...the cops are spraying and spraying him, and it has no effect...and then KFJ points at the can, and it flies out of the cops hand and right up....:rofl: :rofl:

[Angry Dragon]

9. He would march, carry a sign, and tell the police and politicians

to their face that they are corrupt

[rocktivity]

10. Well, he DID once open up a can of whoop-ass on some money changers

because they were cheating people...



:think:
rocktivity

[phasma ex machina]

11. Jesus drove out TEMPLE money changers. The 1% who got wealthy by shortchanging other Jews

who needed to change Roman coin to temple coin out of necessity. Jews could only use temple coin for business (purchasing offerings) inside the temple and Roman coin for business outside of the temple.

Despite the fact that NYC banksters love to call their bankster buildings "temples", Jesus said, "Render to Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's, and to God the things that are God's." In other words, Jesus remained apart from secular affairs of state.

So, why did the state crucify him? Because the 1% TEMPLE money changing Jews (Pharisees) wanted to kill Him after He upset their business of royally gouging poor Jews who just wanted to worship God. So the Pharisees threatened the Roman governor with a riot. As with the coin of the realm, the Roman Empire also exclusively reserved unto itself the right to murder people.

Oh, BTW, there's a rumor that some Pharisee blood still circulates in the City of London's central bankster cousinhood.

[Devil_Fish]

12. I think he would join....

[The Straight Story]

13. Last time Jesus peacefully protested he got crucified, pepper spray would be nothing

:)

[ellisonz]

22. Yeah, Jesus was one tough SOB...

Cheer up, Brian. You know what they say:
Some things in life are bad.
They can really make you mad.
Other things just make you swear and curse.
When you're chewing on life's gristle,
Don't grumble. Give a whistle.
And this'll help things turn out for the best. And...
Always look on the bright side of life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlBiLNN1NhQ

[Norrin Radd]

15. Supply-side Jesus would tell them to get a job:

The Gospel of Supply Side Jesus

by Al Franken & Don Simpson

http://www.bobonline.net/progxiansd/ssj/index.html

[JackRiddler]

16. The question is hilarious. He would, of course, have started them.

[LeftyMom]

17. Is Batman part of the 1%? What brand of hay would Mr. Ed prefer?

Oh wait, that was a serious question? :crazy:

[RZM]

23. Beat me to it

Here are a few more:

Would Eugene Debs post on DU?
Would Genghis Khan show horses?
Would Stalin have laser surgery?

[JackRiddler]

25. We're allowed to discuss fictional characters and their traditions...

The Dark Knight version of Batman would have cleared the square weeks earlier.

Mr. Ed doesn't care. He wants hay.

[begin_within]

18. No, but he would provide the loaves and fishes.