Do you think he was a good person, uneducated, blind, religious, etc.? Do you believe it made him better?
Weird poll. Dr. Martin Luther King was a Baptist preacher who believed in Jesus and the Holy Trinity. He studied at Harvard, Boston University, Morehouse and had a doctorate in Theology. He led freedom marches, protests and fought for civil rights and equality for all people. He also preached some pretty good sermons. Would you care to explain this poll? Martin Luther King, Jr.'s belief in God is what it is. "There is a little tree planted on a little hill and on that tree hangs the most influential character that ever came in this world. But never feel that that tree is a meaningless drama that took place on the stages of history. Oh no, it is a telescope through which we look out into the long vista of eternity, and see the love of God breaking forth into time. It is an eternal reminder to a power-drunk generation that love is the only way. It is an eternal reminder to a generation depending on nuclear and atomic energy, a generation depending on physical violence, that love is the only creative, redemptive, transforming power in the universe." "I know a man—and I just want to talk about him a minute, and maybe you will discover who I'm talking about as I go down the way (Yeah) because he was a great one. And he just went about serving. He was born in an obscure village, (Yes, sir) the child of a poor peasant woman. And then he grew up in still another obscure village, where he worked as a carpenter until he was thirty years old. (Amen) Then for three years, he just got on his feet, and he was an itinerant preacher. And he went about doing some things. He didn't have much. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family. (Yes) He never owned a house. He never went to college. He never visited a big city. He never went two hundred miles from where he was born. He did none of the usual things that the world would associate with greatness. He had no credentials but himself. He was only thirty-three when the tide of public opinion turned against him. They called him a rabble-rouser. They called him a troublemaker. They said he was an agitator. (Glory to God) He practiced civil disobedience; he broke injunctions. And so he was turned over to his enemies and went through the mockery of a trial. And the irony of it all is that his friends turned him over to them. (Amen) One of his closest friends denied him. Another of his friends turned him over to his enemies. And while he was dying, the people who killed him gambled for his clothing, the only possession that he had in the world. (Lord help him) When he was dead he was buried in a borrowed tomb, through the pity of a friend. Nineteen centuries have come and gone and today he stands as the most influential figure that ever entered human history. All of the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned put together (Yes) have not affected the life of man on this earth (Amen) as much as that one solitary life. His name may be a familiar one. (Jesus) But today I can hear them talking about him. Every now and then somebody says, "He's King of Kings." (Yes) And again I can hear somebody saying, "He's Lord of Lords." Somewhere else I can hear somebody saying, "In Christ there is no East nor West." (Yes) And then they go on and talk about, "In Him there's no North and South, but one great Fellowship of Love throughout the whole wide world." He didn't have anything. (Amen) He just went around serving and doing good. This morning, you can be on his right hand and his left hand if you serve. (Amen) It's the only way in. Every now and then I guess we all think realistically (Yes, sir) about that day when we will be victimized with what is life's final common denominator—that something that we call death. We all think about it. And every now and then I think about my own death and I think about my own funeral. And I don't think of it in a morbid sense. And every now and then I ask myself, "What is it that I would want said?" And I leave the word to you this morning. If any of you are around when I have to meet my day, I don’t want a long funeral. And if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy, tell them not to talk too long. (Yes) And every now and then I wonder what I want them to say. Tell them not to mention that I have a Nobel Peace Prize—that isn’t important. Tell them not to mention that I have three or four hundred other awards—that’s not important. Tell them not to mention where I went to school. (Yes) I'd like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to give his life serving others. (Yes) I'd like for somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to love somebody. I want you to say that day that I tried to be right on the war question. (Amen) I want you to be able to say that day that I did try to feed the hungry. (Yes) And I want you to be able to say that day that I did try in my life to clothe those who were naked. (Yes) I want you to say on that day that I did try in my life to visit those who were in prison. (Lord) I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity. (Yes) Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. (Amen) Say that I was a drum major for peace. (Yes) I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. (Yes) I won't have any money to leave behind. I won't have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind. (Amen) And that's all I want to say. If I can help somebody as I pass along, If I can cheer somebody with a word or song, If I can show somebody he's traveling wrong, Then my living will not be in vain. If I can do my duty as a Christian ought, If I can bring salvation to a world once wrought, If I can spread the message as the master taught, Then my living will not be in vain. Yes, Jesus, I want to be on your right or your left side, (Yes) not for any selfish reason. I want to be on your right or your left side, not in terms of some political kingdom or ambition. But I just want to be there in love and in justice and in truth and in commitment to others, so that we can make of this old world a new world."
i don't know (or really care) what he believed about god. it's much more important what he believed about his fellow americans. i count myself as fortunate that he was one of us.
I am an atheist, and from my understanding Martin Luther King Jr. had a very reasonable belief in God based on the time and culture in which he lived. Here's an article that is a must-read regarding this topic: http://www.tikkun.org/article.php/nov_dec_09_scofield It seems he didn't accept the Bible literally, didn't accept Jesus as his savior, didn't believe in an afterlife, thought it ridiculous for one to only consider Christianity and not other religions, and seemed to view "god" as justice, trust, love, mercy, and altruism... something that we should certainly all strive for. To me, MLK had a very reasonable belief in "god", one that would be of benefit to humanity if applied universally.
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Quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Thought it was relevant. Have no explanation why I did not indicate it was from Dr. King. Thought it would be infered.
Ethiopia was a Christian nation long before Europe came through the Dark Ages. And what color was Jesus anyway? He wasn't Irish.
Head Janitor? Says here in the Chronicle there are more protestants in Nigeria than in Germany and more Catholics in Brazil than in Italy.
His belief in God had nothing to do with his convictions about racial equality. If he was atheist, he'd have exactly the same thoughts. Religion just helped get the point across to the very religious population he was preaching to; whether he believed it or not is irrelevant.
So Hightop asks a troll/racist question in a poll and you come in here to ask why someone provided a genuine response without direct reference? Even hell froze over and basso responded with something "normal".
If that was what he believed, it doesn't sound 'reasonable' at all. It sounds ridiculous to call yourself a Christian if you don't believe Christ is the savior. I think the wording you might be looking for is 'toothless' or 'palatable to an atheist.'
