24 Oct Occupy Wall Street?

While many discuss the issue of the occupation of Wall Street as some new movement, which it is in some ways, it really isn’t that different from other movements. Of course they would argue otherwise, but that is fairly normal.  Most people will argue their way as different than another’s because it is their perspective and they believe they are right.  In this case the protesters are unhappy with the way other people are impacting their lives, because of greed and corruption, and like a lot of us, they want it all to stop.  One way to get actively involved is is to retaliate against it.  This is typically normal for the way change occurs.

My question is however, what are they really protesting by their occupation of Wall Street?  Although I don’t like the greed and corruption either, we live in a capitalistic nation.  People have the right to be greedy and corrupt if they choose to.  When they do something illegal, the law should catch them.  If we know they are doing something illegal, we can turn them in, and then our legal system takes over.  But that is how a democracy works, even when it has its own flaws.  So, my question is, do the protestors want to run the companies to solve these issues?  But who are they to do so and which companies do they want to run?  Furthermore, many of those companies have shareholders – do they want the folks from the occupation movement to help?   I doubt it.  And of course they couldn’t.  Protesting is much easier than actually doing something constructive by “being the change you want to protest in the world.”  Or are they protesting big government?  But that isn’t fair.  Most of them really want the Government to fix all of their problems so they can continue to have the right to occupy Wall Street.  Another one of those, “but they probably don’t know that” thoughts goes through my mind.  Like most people, they just want what they want without any accountability to anything except their way.

While greed and corruption are the issues many occupying Wall Street are upset over, what do they really want to accomplish by their “occupation”?  Do you know? I have heard a plethora of answers but none that really suggest anything concrete.  They just don’t like things the way they are.  Their lives are not working out according to their plans and they are not happy about it.  But this is where I disagree with them.  In this writers opinion, they might as well be another politician running for office.  They are just blaming people for not doing what they want, as if they know what is best (and even if they have some good points).  I guarantee if this movement takes root, they will become as corrupt as those they currently have their fingers pointed at.

The solution?  We, as a nation, and they, as a movement, need to open up the Bible and start reading it as a book written by God to His people rather than as a good story to tell your kids when the time is right.  We might argue, fuss, and fight, about religion but the United States was founded upon the Bible and the farther we leave that book behind, the worse it is going to get.  And this is not about some random choice about religion, this is about truth.  Just because there are thousands of world religions doesn’t mean Christianity is wrong or equal to the others.  Jesus claimed to be God and according to the Bible, He was and is.  Until and unless we are unified by something greater than our selfish desires, we will remain divided.

I say that because the occupiers are diverse people – who have become unified over their dissatisfaction with wealth distribution in America.  But even if they got what they wanted (which still is unclear), they would fight amongst themselves over something else – that is the way it works when people are in charge.   Furthermore, nobody is in charge of this movement.  And no movement is going to stay focused without leadership.  It will ultimately spiral out of control or implode.

Until someone takes charge and spells out what they want and then learns how to deal with their wants in a democracy, they are simply wasting time protesting when they should be praying to God for help and seeking employment from the very companies they are protesting.  But as I said, it is far easier to protest something than to actually be the kind of person you want to see from others.

Having said that, without a standard greater than man, our society is doomed to incredible hypocrisy and deterioration.  You and I cannot have a burger king life (have it our way), period.  Without God, a person has to take control or there is none.  But, if we all trust THE God with our lives and understand that biblically, He is in control, and that He offers us salvation through Jesus Christ, we can live in peace because we pray for our enemies and we submit to authority, trusting God to get us out of the mess we are in.  Anything else is just one more opinion trying to explain to everyone else how theirs is right, under the camouflage of something that is meaningless, although it might have tints of progress.

Try believing in the Bible.  It is worth protesting for and it comes with a solution – God.