Spirituality during the Civil Rights Movement
Read the excerpt from one of Dr. Martin Luther King's sermons:
King: The Almighty God himself is...not the God just standing out saying through Hosea, "I love you, Isreal." He's also the God that stands up before the nations and said: "Be still and know that I'm God."
Congregation: Yeah.
King: "That if you don't obey me I will break the backbone of your power."
Congregation: Yeah.
King: "And slap you out of the orbits of your international and national relationships."
Congregation: That's right...
King: If we are wrong, God almighty is wrong.
Congregation: That's right. [Applause]
King: If we are wrong, Jesus of Nazareth was merely a utopian dreamer that never came down to earth.
Congregation: Yes. [Applause]
King: If we are wrong, justice is a lie.
Congregation: Yes.
King: Love has no meaning. [Applause]
King: And we are determine here in Montgomery to work and fight until justice runs down like water.
Congregation: Yes. [Applause]
King: And righteousness like a mighty stream.
Congregation: Keep talking. [Applause]
King, the Papers, vol. 2, p. 73
Why was the Civil Rights movement as much a spiritual movement as a political movement?
King: The Almighty God himself is...not the God just standing out saying through Hosea, "I love you, Isreal." He's also the God that stands up before the nations and said: "Be still and know that I'm God."
Congregation: Yeah.
King: "That if you don't obey me I will break the backbone of your power."
Congregation: Yeah.
King: "And slap you out of the orbits of your international and national relationships."
Congregation: That's right...
King: If we are wrong, God almighty is wrong.
Congregation: That's right. [Applause]
King: If we are wrong, Jesus of Nazareth was merely a utopian dreamer that never came down to earth.
Congregation: Yes. [Applause]
King: If we are wrong, justice is a lie.
Congregation: Yes.
King: Love has no meaning. [Applause]
King: And we are determine here in Montgomery to work and fight until justice runs down like water.
Congregation: Yes. [Applause]
King: And righteousness like a mighty stream.
Congregation: Keep talking. [Applause]
King, the Papers, vol. 2, p. 73
Why was the Civil Rights movement as much a spiritual movement as a political movement?
posted by Mark Killian | 1:01 PM
16 Comments:
hi
First of all, the leader of the Civil Rights movement, Martin Luther King Jr., was a minister. This means he was trained to see the world in terms of spirituality in as many ways as possible. Second, his ability as a speaker and preacher came in part from his training as a minister. This means he could get across his political message through spiritual language, references to the Bible, and the life of Jesus Christ. These points, however, are only the background to the connection between the spiritual and political in the Civil Rights movement.
How God views man is a key part of the Civil Rights movement. King realized that the Civil Rights of the African Americans were closely connected to the religion of the African Americans. King also believed that God wanted and needed all of His people to be free so that they could best serve Him. As slaves, there was much that the African Americans could not accomplish in His name. Also, King recognized that only God should have the power of life and death over His people, not masters over slaves. In addition, King knew that the terrible injustices toward African Americans were displeasing to God. God wanted a just world in which people treated each other kindly and one race was not considered better than the other.
King believed deeply in the righteousness of the cause of Civil Rights. He felt spiritually guided by God in each action he took to bring about political, economic, and social rights for African-Americans. He prayed regularly for guidance in what he was doing and always felt the presence of God on his side. Looking at one of the most powerful statements in this sermon, it is obvious how forcefully King felt about what he was preaching to the congregation. King says, "If we are wrong, God almighty is wrong." Obviously, God can not be wrong, so that what King is preaching, also can not be wrong. The spiritual support King felt from God, and the people felt from King helped greatly to push forward the movement for Civil Rights in the 1960s.
I agree with what Katie said about how Mr. King was a minister and was very good at using scripture and politics together to make good speeches. Also how God disagrees with the violence that was happening during the civil rights movement, and the segregation. Not only was the civil rights movement political but it was spiritual because of how much the Africans believed that they should be equal and how much faith they had. We even saw how much faith the blacks had in the two songs that we listened to today in class. It showed that they would overcome there poverty no matter how long it took and that the Lord would help. It was a political movement because they wanted the laws against them changed and made fair for all people no matter what color of there skin.
Because its foundation is rooted in spiritual principles. King emphasizes that God is not only the God who says "I love you, Isreal" but the God who loves all men. Black or White, Jew or Non-Jew. The Bible teaches principles such as treat your brothers with respect, and do unto others as you would have them do unto you. The Civil rights leaders, at any point in time, could fall back on the Bible for re-enforcement of their cause. There was a spiritual inconsistancy during this time period. White men and Women (as well as many African Americans) were allowing themselves to be consumed by hatred and prejudice. They were committing personal harm against one another and were treating those around them without care or love. On the other hand, many were avid church-goers and spiritual leaders. With its goals set at the elimination of hatred and injustice, the Civil Rights movement was not only combatting a political dilema (seregation and prejudice), but was also combatting a spiritual hypocricy. In this way, it was a spiritual movement as well as a political one.
AMELIA Said...
I completely aggree with what Katie said. IT somewhat was a spiritual movement becuase Martin L.King was a misiter, so he put scripture into his speaches and talks. The African Americans believed that God would get them out of the hard time that they were going through. In the two songs that we listened to in class yesterday they both expressed hope for a better future. They sang the songs with passion and belief in their hearts.
The reason Civil Rights MOvement was political was becuse it had to do with prejudice and segregation. It also included laws that they wanted passed to change the way that blacks were being treated. I personaly think that the Civil Rights movement was more a political movement then it was a spiritual. Not everyone had the faith that some of the accused African Americans had during the time of persecution.
--from Amelia
Civil Rights was a spiritual and political movement. As we read the bible Jesus preaches about an equal society that is not based on religion or socio economic status. In the bible Jesus hung around with all types of people. But what is very unique about Jesus is that he hung with the people who were considered "unclean" the people who were not treated justly around the people who were accepted to make them feel like they have a place to go. This is what makes the Jesus look appealing because he accepts all types of people. As I read this excerpt I view MLK and the congregation as the people who are not given the cahnce to express how they feel but have to protest and do things out of the ordinary to be accepted into a world the is so judgemental and stereotypical about appearance. Civil Rights is a spiritual movement because it gives people a place to look to. When all is lost the Civil Rights movement looked to God for hope in the fact that everything will be alright. This gives them the hope and perserverance and strenght to keep on marching and protesting for the rights to a equal utopian world. As I was listening to the song yesterday "Turn me round" I thought of how people struggled to get the rights that I have today. It makes youw onder if America is the land of the free, why did it take us so long to get to this point? This movement is also a political movement because it made political changes within government. It allowed people to vote without having to take literacy tests, it eventually desegregated schools, and finally abolished segregation period. We have come a long way in terms of segregation and thanks to Martin Luther King Jr. and public officials there is no need to be afraid to step outside into a integrated society. I agree with Katie in terms that Martin Luther King Jr. based his steps off of what God would have him to do and this was important because when God is in the midst of things he makes the impossible possible.
A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.
Martin Luther King Jr.
From reading the others comments on this blog, it is clear that everyone understands the spirituality in what King was saying and the justice of the Civil Rights movement. Mostly, we recognized that God would support such a movement because He wants equal treatment for all of His people. Also, God would go along with the righteousness of this cause which most of the other bloggers saw.
I agree with the other comments posted. The civil rights movement was also a religious movement. Even though we are entitled to religious freedom in the United States, America was still founded on Christian principles and many of our laws and constitutinoal rights reflect this. Being able to relate the causes to the Bible and Christianity would be very helpful for the advancemnt of the Civil Rights movement. Dr. King was a pastor so not only was he fighting for equal rights for African Americans, but he was also fighting for his religious beliefs. Christianity teaches that no man is above another, so whether Dr. King had been black or white, the injustices which were occuring during this time period were wrong and conflicted with the teachings of the Bible. So even though the problem at hand was the mistreatment of African Americans and what Dr. King was directly fighting, he was also fighting against something that contradicted his religion.
I agree with Matin Buth when he says, "Civil Rights was a spiritual and political movement." When Dr. Martin Luther King spoke he brought a sense of spirituality to his speaking every time. But is that the right thing to do? Is it right to incorporate a spiritual aspect to a civil and political topic such as civil rights? I believe that it is correct that Jesus “hung out” with the poor, sick, and others of lower society. But what does that prove about civil rights? I believe it is better to go with the “everyone is created equal” topic. With civil rights it is a hard topic because it was so hard to overcome. Robert F. Kennedy said that how can we change the rights of African Americans when we are taught to hate our brothers of another skin color? When we are taught to discourage a man because of his believe in religion different than our own? When Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated the people turned to Bobby Kennedy, and when Kennedy was killed who were people to turn to? The answer is each other. Was it the death of these two men that united this country?
hi
The first thing that I envisioned when this question was asked in class today was the persecution of Christians during the middle ages. I didn't really have think about it, it just came to me. I was able to make strong connections between African Americans in America during the civil rights movement of the 1900s and those Christians who were persecuted so long ago. The Christians, like the African Americans, died for their faith, beliefs, and demands for freedom, justice, and acceptance. They did not back down or let anyone diminish their light the least bit. The songs that we listened to in class today (I forget what they were called because Mr. Killian collected them... But I think the first one was called "Keep Walkin'" or something) were so powerful and moving it had to take more than just any old song writer or singer to write/sing those songs. It was evident that those songs held spiritual and not just worldly meaning from the way they expressed their never ending, never-ceasing faith that only grows when others try to diminish it. The Christian Persecution age resulted in a massive spread of Christianity, while the Civil Rights movement, and all of the lynchings, riots, and beatings led to the outlawing of segregation and the acceptance of other cultures (for the most part).
The second comparison I made in class was between the African Americans in the Civil Rights movement and the writers of the Declaration of Independence. These two groups valued freedom and fought against all odds to rise against segregation and injustice. Their main foundation for their movements was based on the Christian faith. I thought that it was really neat how the American colonists seemed as if they didn't stand a chance against Great Britain, but they won the war anyway- many colonists saying it was because "God was on their side". African Americans during this time said that as well (like in the Martin Luther King quote this blog is based on) and they succeeded in their attempts to end segregation.
I like the point that Greg brought up about how Martin Luther King preached how God loves all people, not just one group of people. That is such an important point that many people in our world to this day don't understand. I think that the Civil Rights movement has come a long way, but I don't think it's over because there are still many people who don't agree with Martin Luther King on this issue. I agree with AJ and Katie; Martin Luther King had a very effective way of teaching by using scripture, politics, and culture together to add up to one main idea.
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I think there is more to it than the influence of Martin Luther King Jr being a minister, as Katie said. I think the ties for African Americans between culture and religion were strong at that time. African American's were (and perhaps still are) persecuted for more than just their color, although that was probably the rock of it all. It is their heritage, their culture, their economy, and sometimes their dependence on the Christian religion. I think the Civil Rights movement had to be a Christian movement at first, before it came to be a political movement. This is true for a number of reasons.
First of all the Christian religion helps ease the pain for all which they were being persecuted for. Jesus accepted the gentiles, why wouldn't he accept African Americans as willingly as whites. He didn't care about noble birth or riches then, why would he now. Christianity was a crutch for African American morale that wouldn't/couldn't be put down to focus on the political movement.
Second, African American's had no power to force white men or women to listen to them. Once African Americans realized the truth in the Christian sermon they could now call upon the name of God so that white people might listen. And it worked.
Once white people began sympathizing through religion, the civil rights movement became more than just a Christian re-awakening. It pushed into a political movement. Afrian Americans pushed for their equality on Earth as well as the equality rightfully given to them in Heaven.
I think the civil right movement began as a religious movement, morphed into a political movement. The religious movement was the bulk and strength of it, but was hidden by the success of the political movement.
I agree with katie that part of the reason the civil rights movement was spiritual as well as political is because Martin Luther king was a minister. but i also think that his speech skills and ability to get through to others has a lot to do with his sucess. another reason why the too are intertwined is because segregation was morally wrong as well as spiritually wrong. If a person called themselves a christian and then discriminates against someone then they aren't really spiritual and should not stand up and call themselves a christian, civil rights have a lot to do with the term civil which has to do with morality, and that involves spiritual morality which is why spirituality and the civil rights movement tie in together.
The Civil Rights Movement was just as much a spiritual movement because of God's opinion on it all. People supporting civil rights could always turn to God's Word for support and evidence. God says in the Bible that all men are created equal, therefore blacks should be treated the same as whites. This statement is what the Civil Rights Movement is mostly based on, blacks want their freedom because they believe they are no different than whites.
Also, as Katie brought up, the Civil Rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr, was a minister. His religious background became apparent throughout the Civil Rights Movement. He was able to give his political message while bringing up spiritual language and references to God's view on civil rights.
God would never want blacks to have been treated the way they were. They were slaves, they were lynched, and they were discriminated against. God created each and every person individually and loves us all the same. If God loves us all the same, we should love each other in the same way. King brought up arguments like these in his speeches, he says that if we are wrong then God is wrong, because we are wanting the same things.
The civil rights movement was a very spiritul movement mainly because of the leaders that lead the whole movement. Martin Luther king Jr. was a chrisitian man himself and though God he did his ministiry work and his work with the civil rights. He found that talking and understand the people of his nation and showing that God was working on their side would bring the freedom that they for so long needed. Malcom X was very religious as well. He was islamic but still brought that to show in his speeches and in his actions. Many times in almost any situation it is easier to believe the speaker if they have a source of information. King used the bible as his source and that makes his speeches all the more powerful to say that yes God said one day we were created equal and we will be ewual again. Kings quote about how " justice would be a lie," is a very powerful quote saying that there would be not hope for the Africa Americans. The hope that one day things would be better for the Africa American is what made they so strong in their fight for freedom.
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