This coming Saturday, Aug. 28, will mark the 47th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where King delivered his famous "I Have a Dream Speech." Glenn Beck has chosen this day to deliver his own speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
On that same morning I will be speaking at the dedication ceremony of a work of public art that commemorates the words and legacy of King. It is not a protest. Rather, it is an opportunity to reflect on what this great American had to say and is still saying to our country today. Whenever we take the time to collectively consider what that dream was, we all benefit.
My picture has graced the Glenn Beck blackboard a number of times over the past year. I am quite sure that if the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. were alive today, he would have been on Glenn Beck's blackboard long before I would have ever been considered. That is because Martin Luther King Jr. was clearly a Social Justice Christian -- the term and people that Beck constantly derides. If the Christians of King's era had listened to Beck, they would have been forced to walk out on King's "I Have a Dream" speech. If they were to heed his advice to turn in social justice pastors to the church authorities, they all would have had to turn in Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
On December 18, 1963, at Western Michigan University, King gave a speech whose topic was "social justice and the emerging new age." If Beck had been there, I don't doubt that he would have gotten up and walked out as he has told his viewers to do if they hear "social justice" from their pastors. It might be foolish, but I hope that as Beck prepares for his rally on Saturday, he takes the time to read this speech and think about what it says. In it King explained why for justice to be just it can not only be individual, but must also be social:
All I'm saying is simply this, that all life is interrelated, that somehow we're caught in an inescapable network of mutuality tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. For some strange reason, I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. You can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality.
This is why in the Old Testament, God commands his people to be charitable but also to work for justice. The people of God are to give offerings of their own free will, but there are also laws that show the government has a legitimate role to play. As a Christian, I believe that Jesus changes people's hearts and lives, and that is something that government policy can never compete with. But, I also believe that personal charity does not do the work of justice. Here is how King put it in that same speech:
Now the other myth that gets around is the idea that legislation cannot really solve the problem and that it has no great role to play in this period of social change because you've got to change the heart and you can't change the heart through legislation. You can't legislate morals. The job must be done through education and religion. Well, there's half-truth involved here. Certainly, if the problem is to be solved then in the final sense, hearts must be changed. Religion and education must play a great role in changing the heart. But we must go on to say that while it may be true that morality cannot be legislated, behavior can be regulated. It may be true that the law cannot change the heart but it can restrain the heartless. It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me but it can keep him from lynching me and I think that is pretty important, also. So there is a need for executive orders. There is a need for judicial decrees. There is a need for civil rights legislation on the local scale within states and on the national scale from the federal government.
King recognized misunderstandings like this as obstacles to social justice. But, ultimately he was hopeful:
I think with all of these challenges being met and with all of the work, and determination going on, we will be able to go this additional distance and achieve the ideal, the goal of the new age, the age of social justice.
Yes, King named social justice as the goal of the new age. This is why so many Christians were willing to turn themselves in to Beck as Social Justice Christians. It was not difficult for them to choose between King's interpretation of the gospel and Beck's interpretation that I know some in his own Mormon church are not comfortable with.
Did King believe that the role of government was only to eliminate discrimination? No. As he wrote in "Showdown for Nonviolence" in 1968, it played a role in ending poverty too:
We will place the problems of the poor at the seat of government of the wealthiest nation in the history of mankind. If that power refuses to acknowledge its debt to the poor, it would have failed to live up to its promise to insure "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to its citizens. (From A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King Jr.)
Now, Beck and I do have one area of significant agreement. When he spoke about the civil rights movement in context of the debate around health care, he said, "Who were the civil rights marchers? They were people with profound belief in God." This is true. Both Beck and I would probably agree that the most powerful social movements are rooted in deep faith. But he finished that thought saying, "They were trying to set things right. They weren't crying for social justice, they were crying out for equal justice."
Beck's mistake is to somehow think that the two can be separated.
Beck has lied again and again about me and so many others; it saddens me to hear him now trying to rewrite the legacy of Martin Luther King. When you do the work of social justice there are always criticisms, detractors, and those who will slander and lie. But, in the words of Dr. King in 1961 to the AFL-CIO: "Yes, before the victory is won, some will be misunderstood. Some will be called Reds and Communists merely because they believe in economic justice and the brotherhood of man. But we shall overcome."
Beck has continually called me, Sojourners, and many others "communists, socialists, and Marxists" because we call for "economic and social justice." If he were an honest man, he would have to include Dr. King as well.
But King must have been thinking about the Becks of his time when he concluded his speech at Western Michigan University:
In spite of the difficulties of this hour, I am convinced that we have the resources to make the American Dream a reality. I am convinced of this because I believe Carlyle is right: "No lie can live forever." I am convinced of this because I believe William Cullen Bryant is right: "Truth pressed to earth will rise again." I am convinced of this because I think James Russell Lowell is right: "Truth forever on the scaffold, Wrong forever on the throne; Yet that scaffold sways the future, And behind the dim unknown, Standeth God within the shadow, Keeping watch above His own." Somehow with this faith, we will be able to adjourn the councils of despair and bring new life into the dark chambers of pessimism. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation to a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. This will be a great day. This will be the day when all of God's children, black [people] and white [people], Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, 'Free at last! Free at last! Thank God, Almighty, we are free at last!'"
Jim Wallis is the author of Rediscovering Values: On Wall Street, Main Street, and Your Street -- A Moral Compass for the New Economy, and CEO of Sojourners. He blogs at www.godspolitics.com.
Follow Jim Wallis on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jimwallis
Andrew Wilkes: Social Criticism: A Political and Religious Act
Conservative Christian Democrats became the religious right-wing of the GOP that Glenn Beck, a Mormon whose faith their mainline Christian churches view as a cult, manipulates with his rewriting of history and rallies like this. He's trying to claim for them, and his secular conservative viewers, that which they rejected, but has become the fabric of everyday life they cannot deny. (Dr. King's legacy is certainly more enviable than the GOP's scandal-ridden Moral Majority/Christian Coalition movements they'd like us to forget.)
The Civil Rights movement caused the migration of conservative southern Democrats to the GOP because of a shared ideology of fear and exclusion. They'd later bring that ideology to bear on the Women's and Gay rights social justice movements as well. Today's target is Muslims.
Beck's true-believers write on this thread that Lincoln freed the slaves, MLK was a Republican, Dems fought civil rights. This is the superficial, revisionist, spoon-fed understanding of history Beck peddles and they're eager to buy. MLK & Lincoln, were they alive, would not be members of the party of Gingrich, Palin,Taitz and Beck.
",,,It was Abraham Lincoln who was the first President to flagrantly and deliberately violate his oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. His disregard and contempt for the Constitution cannot be overstated..."
http://www.newswithviews.com/baldwin/baldwin492.htm
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your forefathers! You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?"
Glenn Beck's scheme is to appropriate the symbolism and aura of the Civil Rights movement to bestow upon the 20%ers of the GOP who would have been as opposed to that movement (with fire hoses, clubs and guns) as their forebears in the 50s, 60s and 70s. The religious right has always been on the wrong side of Civil Rights and social justice movements.
Beck's envy of the real and lasting Civil Rights and social justice secured by Progressives in the last half of the 20th century against the vicious opposition from his ideological brethren is pitiful. But when you compare these victories for all Americans against the rotten fruit from conservative Christianity's bankrupt and rejected Moral Majority/Christian Coalition -- a proscriptive agenda driven by fear and riven with scandalous hypocrisies -- you see why he's so eager to associate himself with Dr. King's legacy.
"Love God. Love your neighbor as yourself."
The one thing we can find solace in is that, historically, these types of people only flourish during periods of economic crisis. Eventually, they will fade away, again.
I fanned you already, but thanks for your post.
Some of us are wondering how long the newly-tolerant Christian social movement Beck's trying to resurrect will tolerate his Mormonism, which the traditional religious right views as a "cult." This could get interesting.
I am a 63 year old Black American. As a child, I attened both Sunday school and Church service and activities. Alrhough I don't consider myself a "member" of the tea Party" there are thing about i't message I do understand and agree with. I am not sure if anyone here can say, or know what they think the Tea Party actually is, but I can tell you what it ins't... Racist.
That is a tag that some of those on the left . Yes, I have been a life long Democrat, but I would say without hesitation, that in the Day of Dr King, he and the Black American community in that time, were much more alinged with what we would call the Republican Part today.
While Dr King knew and often preached that it would be the Federal Government who could stop much of what was going on, in no way did he give creedance or power to the Federal Government, nor did he expect it to solve all the problems. Many of Dr Kings sermons were on the personal responsiblity in dealing with the frustration, and the anger, that many felt in those days.
I have an issue with one of your statements. "Martin Luther King lived the life and understood the injustices suffered by those whom he led on the road to equal justice. It was not just his words which were eloquent, "
Contin-
To continue . Social Justice was not a phrase he used. Equal Justice was what he said. He meant opportunity, and what his movement did, along with John Lewis, Hoseas Williams, Andy Young and others , was to seek equal just, meaning Equal opportunity. Kids or youn adults, couldn't attend schools. Can they now? Yes. The couldn't sit at lunch counters, or use water Fountains. Can they now ? Yes . many things, and there were a lot of them, Black Americans ( his words not African Americans ) are free to have the same opportunity as others, which is what he sought. It is what he taught. You are totally discounting the Personal responsiblity aspect that was at the core of his teaching.
Quite the Contrary, he did have an ego, and "induldengences. He is a man after all, and NO MAN is/was perfect. You know one of his greatest fears was the young people to see him smoking cigarettes?
So Having walked the walk, and being somewhat in line with the tea party, and TOTALLY agreeing with the 2 wonderful events I attended ( 270 Clergy, men and women of ALL faiths) together on a stage at the KC , in tears of joy , even with the long road ahead to get to togetherness was one of the greatest things this man has ever seen. Cont. -
"Under social justice I get fined, I have to pay my taxes, I have to pay the fine, and I can't do I can't use campaign finances. Under social justice Charlie Rangel can because he's too important, he's had a tough childhood, he's somehow one way or another different than me. That's social justice."
http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/39635/
All I'm saying is simply this, that all life is interrelated, that somehow we're caught in an inescapable network of mutuality tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. For some strange reason, I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. You can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality.
These are the words of a man who had the courage to be a global moral leader. His words come down the years into our hearts. And we look around. What have we done?
Thank you for reminding us.
"i want my country back"----from what???
"bring back honor"---by dividing with hate??
"obama's a muslim"---the new N--word------------------
enough already, we get it
Conservative Christian Democrats became the religious right-wing of the GOP that Glenn Beck, a Mormon whose faith their mainline Christian churches view as apostate at best and a cult at the least, manipulates with his rewriting of history and rallies like this. He is trying to claim for them, and his secular conservative viewers, that which they rejected, but has become the fabric of everyday life they cannot deny.
What I wrote wasn't about party, Dem or Rep, but ideology. The ideology of fear and exclusion the GOP religious and secular right brought to bear on the Women's and Gay rights social justice movements as well. Today's target is Muslims.
Your (scrubbed) post illustrates your superficial, spoon-fed understanding of history and scripture comes from a lack of reading comprehension skills and an aversion to the truth. Lincoln, were he alive, would not be a member of the party of Gingrich, Palin, Taitz and Beck.
We have to remember that it's not easy to be perfect as a human being, and King was speaking of a Utopia. You have to hold yourself back at times, and you have to fight your way through the crud at others. Unfortunately, sometimes crud has a really big budget and first class crew, so it can be tough.
Keep your head up, keep fighting the good fight.
Social justice = TAKE from those that WORK HARD and give to those who don't work at all or don't push to achieve themselves. I get so tired of hearing about the inequality there supposedly is in America. Everyone has the same opportunities IF they desire them - there are ways for everyone to achieve goals if they apply themselves. Gee, who would have thought - you actually have to work for what you want in life!
If you take from my pocket and give it to an underachiever, that is really going to make me want to work harder. Eventually, your constant taking from those that have, will drive them out of this country - then what will this place be? A collective of sorry-ass underachievers.
Charity is about GIVING not TAKING - when will the "lame ducks" in society realize this? As long as there are humans on this earth there will always be inequality of some sort - always has and always will - get over it.
so your basic premise about education is that some can't afford it and some can? So, should we take from those that can and use that to education those that can't - that is what social justice would imply.
Do you ever wonder how those parents are able to give their kids cars and credit cards? Is it perhaps 'cause they worked hard for it?
Also, there these things called student loans - they are very easy to get and just about anyone can get one - except for illegal aliens (even then I am sure there is a way though). Personally, that was the ONLY way I was able to get through college - I was almost thirty before I entered college. Now I am saddled with debt but it is an INVESTMENT in the future. The amount of public assistance available to those who can't afford it is ASTOUNDING - especially if you happen to be a minority. So, don't tell me the opportunity doesn't exist - it does.
Who built this "system" that you say denies certain people? What I would like to know is whatever happened to PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY? It's sorely lacking in this country.
If a "true Christian" has the means but doesn't want to share - that is between them or their God. Who are you - or anyone else - to tell people what they can do with their personal
Aren't all you liberals upset about that?
Conversely, Jewish culture promoted the opposite because the Judaic civilization was always rather small and weak compared to the empires that surrounded it (i.e. Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, etc..). In order for the Jews to justify that they were the "chosen people", they had to come up with a way of explaining why it was that they were not the dominant civilization, and so "the meek shall inherit the earth" came about. This idea, however, was not based in fact, but rather in fantasy.
Throughout history, it was brutality and conquest that fueled Golden Ages, and mercy that led to decline. Dominance is good, and weakness is bad, and history bears that out.
Wow
No wonder we have the world we have
Hope you never ever become President
" We know that power does come from the barrell of a gun"
Never in a million years would I have guessed this guy would become one of the most dangerous men in the history of this country...and he IS, folks. We can laugh at his antics all we wants, but MILLIONS of people think he's the Second Coming, and his toxic ideology is spreading in a virulent fashion.
This is a very frightening time for our country.
What toxic ideology might that be?
No worker protections, no safety net for the poor, children, or the elderly, no civil rights legislation, etc.
I'm sure that sound great to white-hair old guy like you...life must have been AWESOME under President William McKinley...if you were a robber baron, that is.
No worker protections, no safety net for the poor, children, or the elderly, no civil rights legislation, etc.
I'm sure that sounds great to white-haired old guy like you...life must have been AWESOME under President William McKinley...if you were a robber baron, that is.
Is the far left , FAR LEFT being muted by his presence? Is he a pea under the matress?
He's worked the far right up into a hateful frenzy with his Fox News show over the pasty two years, and then Saturday, with the eyes of the world on him, he decided to go for a kinder, gentler, kumbaya exposition.
The whole charade was a joke. He IS dangerous, and won't be happy until someone gets killed.