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> In his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, Martin Luther King Jr. wished that “one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed.” The

> In his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, Martin Luther King Jr. wished that “one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed.” The very idea that a nation might have a creed—a word associated primarily with religion—illustrates the uniqueness of American identity as well as its predicament. That was a quote from the _Reverend_ Martin Luther King Jr, no less, so it's fair to say he knew the connotations and chose that term deliberately. Honestly, it still bothers me when I notice how often leftists will quote King, while never acknowledging the role that Christianity played in his work. He was an extremely well-trained Baptist Minister, with a doctorate in systematic theology. For whatever reason, I don't really see the modern Social Justice types taking many cues from Baptist Theology these days.

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angrais 5y ago
You've confused me. Are you saying that "leftists" cannot quote king because he was Christian? Why's that matter? Also, quotes can be used for many purposes outside of their origin, e.g., love thy neighbour, etc.
- sudosteph 5y ago
  No, I'm saying that I know actual leftists (not sure what your quotes are for) who will only post King quotes when the topic is "White liberals are unhelpful" and "anti-capitalism", typically only posting quotes which don't include religious terms. Then, they will unironically claim that his legacy is being erased by the folks who only ever quote him from "I have a dream". To which I say: yes - his legacy is being erased when you intentionally ignore important parts of his character and works. But erasing his Christianity is especially egregious, given how fundamental that aspect is to his entire philosophy and life. His theology is inseparable from his philosophy, and a massive influence for both his anti-capitalism/pro-poor people campaigns and for his racial reconciliation work.
  - angrais 5y ago
    My quotes are because it can mean something very different from where I am from; for me it's quite an American term. Unsurprising given the forum we're on of course. It's always left me a bit uneasy when people speak of "legacy being erased" as it's often untrue. In this way, I disagree with both yourself and those individuals you quoted. For me, leaving out details is commonplace in all aspects of life. That doesn't entail erasure. I doubt that people consider the complete background of authors when sharing inspirational quotes. The "I had a dream" speech and quote is powerful and meaningful to the individual because of what it reads, not necessarily who wrote it. That's why you'll see people quote people who are arguably did good ... but also a lot of bad, e.g., Winston Churchill.

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angrais 5y ago

You've confused me. Are you saying that "leftists" cannot quote king because he was Christian? Why's that matter? Also, quotes can be used for many purposes outside of their origin, e.g., love thy neighbour, etc.

sudosteph 5y ago
No, I'm saying that I know actual leftists (not sure what your quotes are for) who will only post King quotes when the topic is "White liberals are unhelpful" and "anti-capitalism", typically only posting quotes which don't include religious terms. Then, they will unironically claim that his legacy is being erased by the folks who only ever quote him from "I have a dream". To which I say: yes - his legacy is being erased when you intentionally ignore important parts of his character and works. But erasing his Christianity is especially egregious, given how fundamental that aspect is to his entire philosophy and life. His theology is inseparable from his philosophy, and a massive influence for both his anti-capitalism/pro-poor people campaigns and for his racial reconciliation work.
- angrais 5y ago
  My quotes are because it can mean something very different from where I am from; for me it's quite an American term. Unsurprising given the forum we're on of course. It's always left me a bit uneasy when people speak of "legacy being erased" as it's often untrue. In this way, I disagree with both yourself and those individuals you quoted. For me, leaving out details is commonplace in all aspects of life. That doesn't entail erasure. I doubt that people consider the complete background of authors when sharing inspirational quotes. The "I had a dream" speech and quote is powerful and meaningful to the individual because of what it reads, not necessarily who wrote it. That's why you'll see people quote people who are arguably did good ... but also a lot of bad, e.g., Winston Churchill.