Was MLK Jr. a Christian?

Yes, I used the word "lied". But that is what you describe MLK of doing to get a good grade.

Point is MLK did not shy away from speaking what he believed was true.

He voiced his beliefs knowing he would be beaten and jailed for doing so.

Yet you expect us to believe he would pretend to believe something in several writings just to get a good grade?????

MLK had more character, was more of a man, than you give him credit. He just held beliefs that excluded him from our faith.

 

No. I do not believe his letters and sermons were doublespeak. I believe he used what we call doublespeak.

He explained this in his autobiography, with Jones mentoring him to reconcile the teachings at Crozer with Christianity. The resurrection occurred, it just wasn't a bodily resurrection, Jesus was not literally divine, but shared the divine consciousness, etc.


Your logic is flawed. His academic papers explain what is mentioned in his sermons. The sermons are left, I believe intentionally (as MLK indicated doctrines such as the resurrection are up for interpretation - noting Paul rejected the idea Chriat physically rose from the dead) up to interpretation.

 

Because we are still talking about sources that have already been provided.

 

You are confused.

Nobody is attacking MLK (with the exception, perhaps, of you attacking his character as a young seminary student).

Thomas Jefferson should be acknowledged for his accomplishments. Acknowledging that he was not a Christian (although he said "Christian things") is not attacking Jefferson.

Same with MLK.

The problem is not MLK but Christians who cheapen the gospel by maintaining that belief in Christ's bodily resurrection, His virgin birth, or His actual divinity is optional.

 

No. The sources were MLK's thesis degending his position in seminary, a letter, and his autobiography.

You have provided no source that he used terms in a way other than he explained those terms.

 

No, it is not attacking you personally. I don't know you and am giving you the benefit of the doubt.

I do not care about the godless left. Not sure why you even bring them up. MLK was a leftist in terms of his theology (he rejected the virgin birth, the bodily resurrection, and was a part of starting a progressive Baptist denomination). But that is not, IMH, the "godless left".

In terms of his politics, MLK was not very vocal (other than social justice issues and being skeptical of Capitalism). So I guess you could say he was a leftist. But he did not formally endorse a political party.

I would characterize you as a liberal in terms of Christianity, but I think that is obvious to most on this board. If you support MLK's skepticism of Capitalism, then perhaps you are a political leftist as well. I don't have enough information to know. But I don't think you are "godless".

Point is the leftist liberals (political and religious leftists) are the ones who consider MLK "Christian". The denomination MLK helped start is uniquely leftist and Democrat.

I guess that is another good point. MLK's complaint against the NBC was that they preached personal salvation rather than political social activism.

 

I am saying that you need to provide evidence that MLK was lying when he explained that he believes that Christ's resurrection was not bodily but spiritual as that God consciousness did not die with Jesus but lives on in true believers and that MLK was lying when he claimed to have arrived at that belief through the mentorship of Jones as a reconciliation of Crozer's teachings with Christianity.

 

I understand that is what you may think.

I was not speaking about wokers. You are just throwing trash against the wall to see if anything sticks.

I noted that MLK was skeptical of Captialism because you brought up leftist.

Now, concerning wokeness, that did not exist during MLK's day. Unless you ate talking about starting a Baptist denomination based on social justice and race, then I suppose you could call MLK "woke". But that's pushing it. He was working within a context that demanded a racial focus.

I agree with MLK that men should be judged by their character. This is a reason MLK praised Gandhi as having the "spirit of God". But where we differ is you are basing Chriatianity on character rather than Christ.

That is where you are wrong. Christianity focuses on Christ and His gospel - urging men to be reconciled to God. NOT as MLK (and you, I think) believe - focusing on political social activism.

The way Chriatians change the world is through Christ. We cannot do this if we, as you imply, redefine Christianity to exclude Him.

 

You are saying MLK lied in his papers at Crozer and Boston University as well as the writings published in his autobiography.

You are saying MLK lacked the character it would take to honestly defend his faith for fear of recieving a bad grade.

But do I deny what? MLK's sermons? Of course not.

He said in his autobiography that Jones mentorship helped to reconcile the teachings of Crozer with Christianity.

Today we call it "double speak".

Do you deny that MLK - AFTER Crozer - explained that Paul taught that the resurrection was not physical but spiritual, as opposed to the teachings of the original Disciples - and that, therefore, either view is fine????