King White Church

In paragraphs 12-14 of “Letter From Birmingham Jail”, Dr. King begins addressing the clergymen’s belief that the peaceful demonstrations conducted by him and his associates were untimely. King starts answering questions frequently heard by opposing or moderate forces, as well as essentially denouncing the resistance to desegregation. King then introduced the relationship between the oppressor and the oppressed; concluding that the oppressor is not inclined to act on things that do not directly affect them. Therefore, providing a platform of his argument as to why blacks could no longer wait to be given their basic human rights. Action needed to take place because fair treatment was no longer a hope to be given, it had to be taken.

In Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” King responds to the eight clergymen, who just so happened to all be Caucasian, that wrote to him disagreeing with his views and actions referring to the very much long awaited issue of equality amongst the people. The clergymen understood, or so they claimed in their letter, that the people of color were tired of their dreams of equality not being reached, but they called their nonviolent actions “unwise and untimely.” They would have much rather have had these issues debated whilst in front of a judge rather than the way they were handled on the streets stirring everybody up about the issue. King replies by saying that they tried to make the undeviating action at a time convenient

In King's Letter from Birmingham Jail, he states he was lead to ponder on the question "All Christians know that the colored people will receive equal rights eventually, but is it possible that you are in too great of a religious hurry?" Support in obtaining equal rights for the cause of peace and brotherhood is the role King believes the church should play regarding social justice issues due to the essence of time. I agree with King’s perspective.

In Dr. Martin Luther King’s essay, “Letter from Birmingham Jail” he refutes the statements made by the eight clergymen who denounce the demonstration taking place in Birmingham. His letter which he directs to middle class citizens, otherwise known as “white moderates,” is very compelling because King is very in tune to his audience, making them imagine themselves under specific circumstances. King explains that the intent of their “direct-action” is to cause a tension powerful enough to force a response, to direct change. Although the clergymen placed blame on timing of the demonstration, calling it “unwise and untimely,” King, declares they have waited long enough to be further delayed. Throughout his letter, King uses many biblical references to make his readers see the inequality of their society, and what it would continue to be like without change.

In Dr. King’s narrative “Kings Letter from A Birmingham Jail”, he focuses on the argument of the clergy in terms of their word choice, accusations, misunderstandings; and contradicts them using data, facts, pathos, ethos of Christian authorities, and the words of scholars to secure his argument against racial injustice. A powerful example of these tools is exemplified on page 9-10 of King’s letter which directly questions the word of the Church and further gives comparison as to why

In, “A Letter from a Birmingham Jail”, King writes about the criticisms placed on him by the Clergy and to all the white Americans who believe they are superior and do not wrong. For example when King writes, “freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed” (King 3), King is speaking to the clergy who dislike his motives and actions. King is stating his innocence and that he is doing nothing wrong and that action needs to be taken in order to initiate a change. The purpose of King’s letter is not all to inspire a change in America and just address the criticism towards him and his actions but it is also a call to action. King takes on the time of a courageous, righteous, and disciplined man who

In “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr extensively establishes his ethos and proves his authority on the matter of racial injustice. “I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. We have some eighty-five affiliated organizations across the South, and one of them is the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights” (King 1). King was the focal point of the Civil Rights movement and continues to symbolize the equality of all races to this very day. His authority to advocate on the

As an African American growing up in a multi-generational household I appreciated the stories my grandparents told about Martin Luther King fight for civil rights for human being; regardless of the color of your color. He is known for many speeches but one of his most profound letter called “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” was written while he was sitting in solitary confinement jail cell. The foundation for the letter is to address statements made by eight white Alabama clergymen against King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) during their protesting in Birmingham. The clergymen agreed that that social injustice existed and should be handled in the judicial system rather than the streets. King took the time to address

In April 16, 1963 Martin Luther King wrote a letter from Birmingham jail that was addressed to the eight leaders of the white Church of the South, the “white moderates”. Dr. King’s letter talks about how unfair the white Americans were towards the black community, and how true civil rights could never be achieved.

Martin Luther King created an archive that might start the defining moment of the Civil Rights development furthermore provides of the battle for genetic equity. King’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail,” aims to defend those who are frantic for peaceful immediate action, the outright shamelessness for unfair laws is very disgraceful and it needed to be exposed for what it really was. Also the expanding likelihood of falling back on amazing confusion and fighting, the utter frustration for those who lie within the chapel who, in King's opinion, required not to live up to their obligations as individuals for the lord. Those activities of the African-American race needed aid and support as the lord required demonstrated in King's Letter. Likewise, King explains, “past promises have been broken by the politicians and merchants of Birmingham and now is the time to fulfill the natural right of all people to be treated equal”. Secondly, King's solution for those clergymen's declarations that separating the law may not be the path to accomplish the effects the African-American is searching for. King feels that the chapel has bypassed its responsibilities to the African-American people, concealing behind “anesthetizing security of stained-glass windows”. King sums up his letter by making a side point that he trusts that the chapel will view its duty and intend as Concerning illustration individuals of the lord and comprehend to have immediate action, those who support unfair/one sided laws and the looming risk of the African-American climbing dependent upon Previously, savagery if they would not listen. King does this all in a diplomatic, ardent

While surrounded by a place made for dangerous criminals Martin Luther King Jr.’s letter preaches for the mental elevation of our society from a separations mindset like that of the White Moderates. Who when described by Dr King in the” Letter From Birmingham...” are worse than the Ku Klux Klan because they ride the fence on their indifferences, and are more devoted to peace and order than morality. Drawing upon the moral laws of religion, and the ethical laws of our founding fathers, Dr King goes on to explain how with we should not be exclusive in our belief of these laws, and apply them in certain parameters, but together as a nation uphold higher standards for those in society. Closing the letter in a somewhat contemptuous apology for its length, and the statement that had it been written from a desk, it would have gotten straight to the point. Dr. King links himself to his fellow clergyman in the commonalty that they are also Christian brothers, and are similar in knowing that all men are made equal with a sprit to distinguish what is right or unjust y. In Letter from Birmingham Jail, Dr King relates several moral arguments, which he considers is at the root of his cause, while literarily depicting the respectable qualities and values desired by all humans.

Martin Luther King Jr. wrote the “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” after an unjust proposal made by eight white clergymen. Their claims were to be that no Negro “outsider” should be allowed to establish or lead any protest and should leave them to their local neighborhoods. King replied directly to the clergymen, but used religious ties to also have his voice heard in the public. In his counter argument, King strategically used logical evidence, emotional aspects and good motives to present his perspective to the clergymen.

On April 16, 1963, from a jail in Birmingham, Alabama, Martin Luther King Jr. composed an extensive letter to eight clergymen who condemned the timing of the civil rights movement. Although the letter was addressed to these eight clergymen, the Letter from Birmingham Jail speaks to a national audience, especially King’s “Christian and Jewish brothers”(King, 29). His peaceful but firm letter serves as a remarkably persuasive voice to an immensely chaotic mess, and is seen as a major turning point in the civil rights movement. King believes that without direct action, the full rights for African Americans could never be achieved. He defends the impatience of people in the civil rights movement, upholding that without forceful

King begs for a civil and peaceful resolution to the unjust laws and unfair treatment of African Americans. But, as history shows, the clergymen were not going to have anything to do with that. King says that he is trying to do this in the best way possible but it will not seem that way, “In no sense do I advocate evading or defying the law… One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty.”(par. 12)

Martin Luther King tells us in his work, Agape Love, that"...when you come to love on this level you begin to love men not because they are likable, not because they do things that attract us, but because God loves them and here we love the person who does the evil deed while hating the deed that the person does” (32). Martin Luther King lived during a time of great turmoil in the United States. He lived during a time where a very large group of segregationists main goal was to keep their synthetic sense of superiority over the African American race. Of course, Martin Luther King did not stand for this contorted representation of his people and he decided to do something about it. Martin Luther King grew up in a family of pastors and he too became a pastor. I mention this to give background to King’s use of christianity’s teachings throughout his various speeches. Being a religious man, King abstained from violence wherever possible, which was one of his main strategies against violent segregationists because he believed that no one, no matter how violent they are, can keep attacking a group of people who refuse to fight back and at some point have to realize that African Americans aren’t a threat to them. King’s goal in his speeches is to gain equality for every man, woman, and child no matter the color of their skin. He knew that he had to bring every race together in order to achieve true equality, and he could not do so by using violence as a means to an end. Otherwise,