General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Occupy Denver Posts Terrible Message [View all]Summer Hathaway
(2,770 posts)I have found that OWSers are becoming increasingly like Fundies. They believe that no one can find salvation without accepting OWS as their lord and savior.
It has quickly become a faith-based movement, in that adherents are expected to embrace whatever they are told without question. If an OWSer does something worthwhile, "He's with us." If an OWSer does something people find abhorrent, "He's NOT with us." There is no proof offered either way. You just have to believe whatever you are being told by those who claim to be in-the-know.
The other problem is the persecution complex. If you say you are indifferent to the Occupy movement, that means you don't care about your fellow citizens, bank fraud, mortgage fraud, etc.! If you say Occupy is irrelevant to you, that means you want them to fail! It always reminds me of people who say that wishing someone Happy Holidays equals the persecution of Christians. Same kind of disconnect and total lack of logic.
That's because their faith is the only true religion. You're either with them or against them - there is no middle ground. There is no acknowledgement that people can go about moving towards positive change unless they kiss the OWS ring.
To say that people who are not OWS adherents don't care about those who are victims of poverty, unemployment, home foreclosures, etc. is no different, IMHO, than saying that people who are non-Christians or atheists are incapable of moral behavior or concern for others.
It's their way or the highway. And amazingly enough, these are the same people who decry lock-stepping - unless it's their step you are supposed to follow without question, in which case it becomes, "Yeah, but this is different."
Sadly, it's not any different at all.