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Prayer protest

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Prayer has a long history as a means of protesting injustices, appealing both to God to intervene and enact justice in the situation, and to political opponents to rise to a superior moral position. Boston declared a day of fasting and prayer in September 1768 as a protest against a British plan to station troops in the city. The Colony of Virginia's House of Burgesses established a day of fasting and prayer to take place on Wednesday, June 1, 1774, to protest the Boston Port Act.[1] Thomas Jefferson found this to remarkably effecting, writing that "the effect of the day through the whole colony was like a shock of electricity," moving the Virginians to choose delegates to establish self-rule.[2]

A. Philip Randolph pioneered the use of prayer protests as a tactic of the civil rights movement.[3] A "pray-in" is now a recognized tactic of nonviolent protest combining the practices of prayer and a sit-in.[4]

More recently, Christian leaders have publicly prayed for corporate executives in an effort to change their decisions regarding employee pay.[5]

References

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  1. ^ Davis, Derek H. (2000). Religion and the Continental Congress, 1774–1789: Contributions to Original Intent. Oxford University Press. pp. 83–84. ISBN 9780195350883.
  2. ^ Jefferson, Thomas (1970). Jefferson Himself: The Personal Narrative of a Many-Sided American. University of Virginia Press. p. 50. ISBN 9780813903101. Jefferson is quoted by Derek H. Davis in Religion and the Continental Congress, 1774–1789, page 84.
  3. ^ Taylor, Cynthia (2005). A. Philip Randolph: The Religious Journey of an African American Labor Leader. NYU Press. ISBN 978-0-8147-8287-3. Archived from the original on 2012-03-29. Retrieved 2016-10-30.
  4. ^ Gene Sharp "The Politics of Nonviolent Action" 1973
  5. ^ Brian McLaren "A Prayer for Your Local Grocery Store" 2011