MLK quote that applies to fundamentalism

[WanderingTraveler]

(01-16-2012 02:29 PM)pastors wife Wrote:  I'm still shedding the fundamentalist view of "MLK was bad - a communist, an adulterer, an ecumenical, a liberal - so let's ignore him, who he was (deeper than our labels), and what he said." I still feel like I have a very superficial understanding of who he was and what he wrote and said. I was at a service yesterday afternoon where several children and teens quoted from "Letters from a Birmingham Jail". I also have several nice children's books to share with my own kids about Martin Luther King Jr.

Pastor's Wife, I am struggling with this very thing, but my struggle was brought on by one lecture in my historiography class. At first, it all made sense to me, but as I got out of Fundy U. (funny how only 4 years in fundamentalism can mess you up.), I realized that what was said was based on very little evidence, and that, as a historian, to form my whole opinion on something that was presented to me with very little to back it up is very foolish. Not why I got a degree in history for at all.
MLK Jr. was a great man. He did great things and he had a good heart. And of course, he made mistakes, like all humans. To say that the good things that we know he did do not matter because of the bad things, specifics of with we have very little evidence of, does a great disservice not just to him, but the people he inspired and was inspired by.
To me, those arguments to discredit him seem to come out of people who wish the whole Civil Rights Movement had never happened at all.

[WanderingTraveler]

(01-16-2012 09:55 PM)Chad Williams Wrote:  He supported the goverment starting more social welfare programs that created even more goverment bureaucracy. Go down to those welfare offices and see if the War on Poverty worked out okay. He may have started to end segragation, but his movement was hijacked by radical leftist that used him to further an agenda that has done nothing but harm to this country. In my part of the country(Appalachia), the Feds have thrown money and programs around like candy and all it has done is create a culture of dependence on goverment handouts and easy access to drugs. So please excuse me if I don't celebrate this day.

But...the programs getting hijacked and the corruption of other people wasn't his fault.

[Chad Williams]

(01-18-2012 10:31 AM)WanderingTraveler Wrote:  

(01-16-2012 02:29 PM)pastors wife Wrote:  I'm still shedding the fundamentalist view of "MLK was bad - a communist, an adulterer, an ecumenical, a liberal - so let's ignore him, who he was (deeper than our labels), and what he said." I still feel like I have a very superficial understanding of who he was and what he wrote and said. I was at a service yesterday afternoon where several children and teens quoted from "Letters from a Birmingham Jail". I also have several nice children's books to share with my own kids about Martin Luther King Jr.

Pastor's Wife, I am struggling with this very thing, but my struggle was brought on by one lecture in my historiography class. At first, it all made sense to me, but as I got out of Fundy U. (funny how only 4 years in fundamentalism can mess you up.), I realized that what was said was based on very little evidence, and that, as a historian, to form my whole opinion on something that was presented to me with very little to back it up is very foolish. Not why I got a degree in history for at all.
MLK Jr. was a great man. He did great things and he had a good heart. And of course, he made mistakes, like all humans. To say that the good things that we know he did do not matter because of the bad things, specifics of with we have very little evidence of, does a great disservice not just to him, but the people he inspired and was inspired by.
To me, those arguments to discredit him seem to come out of people who wish the whole Civil Rights Movement had never happened at all.

So in order to criticize MLK you have to be a left wing liberal? That sounds like the people on here that believe the only preacher that can preach against sin in a skinny malnourished woman. SHEESH!!!!!!!!!

[redbeardiam]

(01-18-2012 02:54 PM)Chad Williams Wrote:  

(01-18-2012 10:31 AM)WanderingTraveler Wrote:  Pastor's Wife, I am struggling with this very thing, but my struggle was brought on by one lecture in my historiography class. At first, it all made sense to me, but as I got out of Fundy U. (funny how only 4 years in fundamentalism can mess you up.), I realized that what was said was based on very little evidence, and that, as a historian, to form my whole opinion on something that was presented to me with very little to back it up is very foolish. Not why I got a degree in history for at all.
MLK Jr. was a great man. He did great things and he had a good heart. And of course, he made mistakes, like all humans. To say that the good things that we know he did do not matter because of the bad things, specifics of with we have very little evidence of, does a great disservice not just to him, but the people he inspired and was inspired by.
To me, those arguments to discredit him seem to come out of people who wish the whole Civil Rights Movement had never happened at all.

So in order to criticize MLK you have to be a left wing liberal? That sound like the people on here that believe the only preacher that can preach against sin in a skinny malnourished woman. SHEESH!!!!!!!!!

Well, what with your talk about how those rabble should have just been patient instead of fighting for basic human rights, one could certainly draw the conclusion that you wish the Civil Right movement had never happened. I don't assume that's your position, but it wouldn't be hard from your comments.

This conversation is clearly not going anywhere. I'm done after this post. I'll just reiterate my point - it is it morally repugnant to suggest that black Americans should have just been content with their place and things would have eventually changed. You compound that when you conflate King's consistent, unwavering stand for nonviolent disobedience with the actions of others who had less patience than he did.

[WanderingTraveler]

Sorry, I should have been more clear. The arguments I heard at school and from others in the South (where I live) seemed to be from people who are racists.