[delnisfernan]

These people aren't being arrested because they are Christians but for secular, legal reasons, namely, trespassing on private property. If an atheist pro-abortion group had held a similar protest, they would meet the same result. They were probably given citations (like speeding tickets) and then let go. An hour or so of processing time in jail and then a little fine. This isn't to say that their actions don't demonstrate a certain willingness to suffer on behalf of others, but I don't think it's right to compare them to martyrs or even ascetics based on this action. Speaking of Alan Keyes specifically, he subscribes to a secular ideology of American "conservatism" (for which faith is just one of several components) and is acting on behalf of this ideology as much as any personal beliefs.

The difference between a democracy and an imperial style government is that in the former, there usually aren't so many opportunities for martyrdom. Refusing audience with an Emperor could carry serious personal risk. Refusing audience with the president would just earn one a big "whatever."