Pilgrimage to Nonviolence

I never realized how little I knew about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and there are several topics in this reading that I would like to discuss. First of all, I thought that it was interesting that he had studied Gandhi. He said, “My study of Gandhi convinced me that true pacifism is not nonresistance to evil, but nonviolent resistance to evil.” Addams, Stone, Gandhi, King, and many other pacifists and nonviolent activists seem to agree on that idea. In order to fight violence, there must be nonviolent action.

King’s view of Gandhi fascinated me. He at one point described him as being Jesus like in his social effect. I feel that Gandhi was a great man, but never before had I considered him to be savior-like as King implied. He did seem to possess qualities of kindness, compassion, and altruism that were ever present in his quest for human civility.

“A religion that ends with the individual, ends.” I was intrigued by that quote because it is rather contrary to what is often taught in the Christian church, and yet fundamental to King’s teachings. You can see that traditional denominations within the Christian church are crumbling because there is a lack of outreach. I grew up going to a traditional Methodist church, which at the time was a flourishing church in the Huntingdon area. Now, it is dwindling down to its last few members. There is little missionary work, very little youth involvement, and therefore, a very bleak future. I now attend a church that is flourishing and will probably do so in the future because of the involvement with the youth and outreach programs. King used this quote when describing that religion was clearly meant to be understood in physical terms, as well as metaphysical. For King, the gospel was more than just an instruction manual to get into heaven, it was concerned with the whole individual; mind, body, and soul. I agree that if you do not in some way profess your beliefs, then those beliefs will die with you. Because of his willingness and persistence in professing his beliefs, even though King has long passed, his beliefs and are ever present, shaping our society.