Are protests like prayers?

It struck me today that protest is like prayer.

Both involve supplication.

Both make you feel good.

Both are largely ineffective unless someone powerful is listening.

But only protests can become violent.  A violent prayer no longer counts as prayer.

To the extent that protests are like prayers, and to the extent that you believe that prayer is ineffectual (because God doesn’t exist), a better approach may be boring electoral politics, especially when the enemy controls the media and controls who’s listening.

A Gandhian form of non-violent protest may eventually shame or force the powers-that-be into doing something to rectify the wrongs.

Unfortunately, the current powers-that-be seem to have a high tolerance for shame  — as does God, if s/he exist.