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In this Oct. 19, 2011 photo, Occupy Boston resident Khepe-Ra Maat-Het-Heru, of New Bedford, Mass., reads at right, while Ben Lewis of Sydney, Australia, prays in the faith and worship tent in downtown Boston. Organizers of protests here and in other citie Elise Amendola, Associated Press
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In this Oct. 21, 2011 photo, Bilal Moran, standing, prays with others during Jummah at the Occupy Wall Street encampment in Zuccotti Park, in New York. The Council on American Islamic Relations New York Chapter and the Islamic Leadership Council of Metrop Mary Altaffer, Associated Press
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In this Oct. 14, 2011 photo, Rev. Michael Ellick, center, of Judson Memorial Church, speaks to various religious leaders who have come together to pledge their support to the Occupy Wall Street protests at Judson Memorial Church in New York. Organizers of Andrew Burton, Associated Press
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In this Oct. 21, 2011 photo, Ayman El-Sawa, who is originally from Egypt and now lives in Highlands, N.J., prays during Jummah at the Occupy Wall Street encampment in Zuccotti Park, in New York. The Council on American Islamic Relations New York Chapter a Mary Altaffer, Associated Press
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In this Oct. 19, 2011 photo, Occupy Boston resident Jonathan Marciano shakes out a wet tarp in front of the faith and worship tent on a rainy evening in downtown Boston. Organizers of protests here and in other cities have taken pains to include a religi Elise Amendola, Associated Press
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In this Oct. 14, 2011 photo, Rev. Dr. Herbert Daughtry speaks to various religious leaders who have come together to pledge their support to the Occupy Wall Street protests at Judson Memorial Church in New York. Organizers of protests in cities across the Andrew Burton, Associated Press
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In this Oct. 14, 2011 photo, Rev. Michael Ellick, center, of Judson Memorial Church, introduces "protest chaplains" to various religious leaders who have come together to pledge their support to the Occupy Wall Street protests at Judson Memorial Church in Andrew Burton, Associated Press
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In this Oct. 14, 2011 photo, Michael Kink, executive director for The Strong Economy for All coalition, speaks to various religious leaders who have come together to pledge their support to the Occupy Wall Street protests at Judson Memorial Church in New Andrew Burton, Associated Press
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In this Oct. 19, 2011 photo, Occupy Boston resident Ben Lewis of Sydney, Australia, reads in the faith and worship tent in downtown Boston. Organizers of protests here and in other cities have taken pains to include a religious component because they say Elise Amendola, Associated Press
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In this Oct. 19, 2011 photo, items from various religions share space in the faith and worship tent at Occupy Boston in downtown Boston. Organizers of protests here and in other cities have taken pains to include a religious component because they say cul Elise Amendola, Associated Press
By Associated Press

BOSTON — Protesters at the Occupy Wall Street movements have taken pains to include religious components, from a "golden calf" paraded around Wall Street to Boston's "Sacred Space" tent where people can meditate and pray.

Organizers say religious elements are needed to foster calm and unity. Plus, they say every successful movement for social change has relied on major contributions from people of faith.

Still, Occupy Wall Street is not a religious movement, and signs of faith and spiritually aren't evident at all protest sites.

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Clergy emphasize they want to be seen as participants in the movement, not people trying to co-opt it. And in a movement that purports to represent the "99 percent" in society, the prominent religious groups are — so far — overwhelmingly liberal.

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