This Friday, at noon, at the convergence of Mall & Goddard Boulevards in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, locals will gather to protest against the work of Lockheed Martin. The Brandywine Peace Community calls Lockheed Martin the largest war profiteer in the United States.
So far, the protest sounds good. It’s at this point, however, that the Brandywine Peace Community does some really clumsy mixing of religion and antiwar activism. They declare their demonstration “War’s 5th Anniversary Trail of Mourning & Truth” and say that it will be modeled on the Catholic stations of the cross Easter walk, which in many parts of the world still involved ritual self-mutilation.
The posting at United for Peace and Justice explains, “The Good Friday Demonstration, modeled on the traditional Stations of the Cross, will include readings paralelling the U.S. policy of war and occupation, war economy and unmet human needs, with the last steps and crucified death of Jesus Christ and will also include nonviolent civil disobedience…”
Huh?!?
What on earth does the crucifixion of Jesus have to do with Lockheed Martin? Are they supposed to be responsible for the execution of Jesus?
A word of advice to the Brandywine Peace Community: There are a lot of good non-Christian peace activists around, but you lose their support when you insist on using antiwar demonstrations to push your religion at people. People ought to be able to protest for peace without having someone harangue them about Jesus.
The Iraq War is not about Jesus, or the Virgin Mary, or the Book of Revelations, okay? Please, let’s stay on topic.
Unfortunately, it seems you know very little about war or religion, and absolutely nothing about Lockheed-Martin. I don’t know where you are located, but it would be an eye-opening experience for you to join us on Friday at LM. Then you will see how wrong you are.
Comment by Rich — March 18, 2008 @ 9:26 pm
Pardon, Rich, but what exactly don’t I know about war or religion? Please inform me.
What exactly don’t I know about Lockheed Martin? That they are indeed responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus?
I won’t be there, Rich, and one of the reasons is that your group insists on throwing religion into the mix. That’s not my agenda, and I wish you’d stop pushing it when a simple universal message of peace for all people would be so much more successful.
If there’s something that I don’t know about your protest, then it’s because the Brandywine Peace Community hasn’t done a good job in describing what it’s about.
Comment by Statesman — March 18, 2008 @ 9:38 pm
[...] Valley Forge Protest Against War Profiteer [...]
Pingback by Favorite Blacked Out Media Stories In Seattle?!? | Progressive States Directory — March 18, 2008 @ 10:12 pm
I applaud your idea that “a simple universal message of peace for all people would be so much more successful.” Back in January, on the MLK holiday we held a demonstration and civil disobedience linking MLK’s teachings on nonviolence to opposition to this and all wars. Maybe you would have liked that demo better.
You might benefit from spending more time at the Brandywine site. You will see that Brandywine started out as a Christian pacifist group linked to the activism of the Berrigans. In fact, the first Plowshares action was conducted in Valley Forge with the help and support of Brandywine. Thus, linking religious and anti-war ideas is what we do. And have been doing for over 30 years. Maybe it’s not your cup of tea but there are many here in Philly who find it a meaningful way to spend their Good Friday.
Comment by Rich — March 19, 2008 @ 10:01 am
Rich,
The activism of the Berrigans has had a lot of positive reception among Christian activists, and not much effect outside of that circle. Locally, we had a group engage in civil disobedience against war, then claim in court that they shouldn’t be convicted of the crime that they admitted to, because God’s laws should overrule the laws of this country.
These tactics work for Christians, but they turn off the rest of us. If peace really matters to us, then we need to work for it, and not use antiwar platforms to opportunistically push our unrelated political and cultural agendas.
Peace requires coming together on common ground. The Brandywine Peace Community is not walking toward common ground.
I don’t like coming to that conclusion, but it’s staring me right in the face. Why would I, as a non-Christian, come to one of your protests, which you’ve constructed as a Christian action?
Comment by Statesman — March 19, 2008 @ 1:18 pm