Question for Atheist/Non-Believers?

Question

Hey Guys! Thanks for any response. I've read in here for quite a while and I'm very impressed with much of the debate that goes on. I have a question I'd like to ask from your point of view.

I have noticed much of the criticism & critique (if you will) of Christians from the athesit view point is that they don't open their minds up, they are afraid of science & the facts related to science. That Christians by in large aren't open minded enough to look deeper etc.

with me so far.....okay

Question is this: How do you explain Martin Luther King Jr who said in 1964: Jesus Christ was the foundation of the civil rights movement...is guiding light was the written word of God. King said in his acceptance speech of the Noble Prize...that he would accept this award on behave of Jesus Christ.

Was King in your thinking...dillusional or simply mistaken in his faith & belief.

(I hope you don't mind me playing the devil advocate...but from a debate point of view I was just wondering)

Answer 1

That was Kings point of view. I can respect the man and share his desires and goals for our society without coming from the same place spiritually.

And please, there is no single "atheists" point of view. What I've said and what you've read in other atheists are the points of view of some atheists. When someone tries to lump all atheists together (or Muslims or Christians or Jews or democrats or republicans) it really gets under my skin. It suggests that the person (not necessarily you) is too closed minded to try and appreciate multiple points of view.

Answer 2

Well, that depends, many of his allies were in fact non-theists.

However, he is largely correct in saying that Jesus Christ was the foundation of the civil rights movement. That does not mean Jesus is really a God, it just means that the concept of Jesus grounded the Christian component of the movement. I suspect Malcolm X would have not agreed, nor the socialists nor the communists, nor the humanists.

I believe he is mistaken in his belief system, but it doesn't really matter, he is dead after all. It doesn't matter that Julius Caesar was a pagan either, he is also dead at this point.

Answer 3

You are asking people what they thought of an acceptance speech from the REVEREND Martin Luther King, Jr. For him to have left Jesus out of it would have been like asking an atheist to leave science out of an argument.

King was a good man. He did good works. If I don't agree with all of his beliefs, it doesn't mean he deserved to be gunned down on a hotel balcony.

Answer 4

I'm not Athesit (I'm also not Christian) but I don't know what the question has to do with accepting science. At any rate, Dr. King believed in the peaceful principles taught by Jesus. If more Christians could emulate that, the world would be a much better place.

Answer 5

Dr. King was entitled to his opinion about a god. That still does not make any of those beliefs true. The one thing you never did see Dr King do and that was trying to impose his religious views on anyone. Nor did he try to dictate his religion onto the political changes he was attempting. His religion seemed to be a very personal thing for him, as religion should stay.

Answer 6

Martin Luther King Jr. was an inciter of riots.

Answer 7

Just because someone was brought up to believe in God, doesn't mean that the rest of their work is not valuable.

King was a political figure, he had problems just like the rest of them, but ultimately was a figurehead for good thought. His reliance on God and religion, probably kept him safe for as long as it did. After all, a Christian man was the one who finally killed him, in the name of white Christians. See the Life of James Earl Ray, he was a Christian.

There have been many wise Christian, Muslim, Hindu men throughout history, that have benefited society, just because someone is delusioned about religion doesn't mean they are dolts.

Answer 8

I don't explain such obviously divisive trite. I dismiss it, summarily, as theatrical hyperbole that was necessary for a black man to get the attention of the religion soaked mobs who would, otherwise, ignore any and everything he might say, then wait for a statement of substance. Martin Luther King's cause had substance.

Answer 9

Actually, the web site is supposed to achieve advantage approximately faith and spirituality through asking questions and receiving solutions from men and women with various faiths. We ALL have the proper to put up our critiques right here. Christians have the proper to talk about how Jesus generally is a satisfactory aid in instances of main issue, and atheists have the proper to be pissed off through it. I have no idea if the man or woman who requested the query you referenced to intended that they did not like receiving the ones sorts of solutions in truly existence or in this discussion board ... however I do suppose that in case you put up a query in R&S, be all set to listen to recommendation from every body. If you do not believe the recommendation, you do not have got to take it -- considering absolutely every body is not going to believe every body right here! Edit -- I appeared on the query once more, and the asker did especially say "on right here".

Answer 10

Be honest, especially those times, but even today: if someone would make an important speech, but says, he doesn't believe in a god, would people in the US support him? Or even listen?
I personally think, Martin Luther King Jr. really believed, what he said, even though many people also used the Bible for judging racism, remember? But please think about this: would they listen otherwise? :)