Given the topic, and with a nod to Mapplethorpe (sp?), I think you mean bullwhips.
But there's a difference; churches have a long history of being used by worshippers, for worshippers; people have an expectation of going there to worship with like-minded folks. The streets are meant for EVERYBODY, so if one group protests, then they invite counter-protest, right?
I would rather we not turn our streets into protest/counter-protest shouting matches. If a group cannot be respectful of another's speech, then they are no more than thugs, and obviously don't have much faith that their position is going to be able to sway people more than what they shout down.