I don't have any idea who is to blame for the London Riots. The Right "Honourable" Harriet Harman MP blames it all on government "cuts" - cuts that became necessary because of the waste and mismanagement of the spendthrift government. Some say it is in the nature of a depraved generation and stems from a breakdown in community values, or as the following blog calls it "criminal numb skulls"click here.
On an interview aired on the National Station recently, the 'nine till noon' programme interviewed an eye witness. When asked why the riots have happened, she replied that "although the shooting was the catalyst, there is a myriad of factors contributing to these riots." Listen here. I tend to agree, there is many factors, but I believe injustice is at the core. Sometimes enough is enough. When your backs against the wall what else can you do but fight. It doesn't make it right by any means, but sometimes people have had enough, rightly or wrongly. I believe many people in London are feeling hard done by and ripped off? I have felt like starting a riot sometimes...some days I want to stick it to 'The Man'. I get sick of seeing injustice and corruption in nearly every level of society. Sometimes I want to throw over a few tables and drive a few people out of the temple!! Don't you? I wonder if Jesus could have been arrested for breaking their stuff?
How should the Christian respond to these riots? Is it okay to join in if you believe in the cause? Is there room for destruction of property to bring about change? Or did these riots start with a frustrated good intention and end with purely criminal intent? It seemed like in the end it was just about getting a new TV and clothes? Not worth throwing over tables for something as petty as that.
Your thoughts?
Just wrote a comment and it failed to post. But will summarise what I wrote.
ReplyDeleteOften we associate Jesus as a pacifist and equate him to the likes of Gandhi. But his actions in the temple (as you mentioned) and his regular rebuking of the Pharisees, shows that he wasn't the embodiment of modern Western tolerance as he is often thought about. So great point there.
Although we do have to ask would these people have been more effective if they had acted out their protests in a peaceful manner (this is assuming that these people rioted in response to injustice)? Or would they have been ignored, since people are so used to seeing people expressing their concerns of corruption and injustice in the media? The actions of Adbusters (and their followers) currently in Manhattan, is a testament to how peaceful forms of protest can be prevented and/or ignored by enforcers of the law. In this day and age, you can protest till you're blue in the face, but you won't be heard. We are a culture, which is desensitised, who very rarely remember (or are impacted) by the News, who are too lazy to participate in protests and who would find it difficult relegate support or get their voice heard (due to how many people are using the media to express their own voice). But one thing is for sure, putting a band aid over these issues is not going to deal with the corruption of society.