MARTIN LUTHER AND MARTIN LUTHER KING

Martin Luther's break from the Catholic Church in the early 1500s is viewed by many as the catalyst for the Reformation Movement and the growth of Protestant religions.  As a monk, priest, and scholar, he became incensed that the Catholic Church would sell indulgences (freedom from God's punishment for sin) to raise money to support the Church.

Luther also felt that the Bible needed to be translated into German so that ordinary people could read and understand the Bible themselves.  He accomplished this feat along with others doing the same in English.  He was excommunicated for his beliefs, but that didn't stop him from forming his own vast group of believers while writing volumes related to his interpretation of the Bible. Of course, as with anyone, his beliefs went through his own filters of biases and personal experiences.

Luther's teachings resulted in a violent peasant uprising.  They wanted wealth redistributed, as many of them were starving. Luther spoke out against the violence and denounced the redistribution of wealth to calm the masses.  They were defeated and felt betrayed by Luther.

He was anti-Muslim and anti-Jew.  He proclaimed them as being anti-Christ and evil in various books and writings.  Like many people entrenched in their beliefs, he felt his religious belief was the only true religion and the only way to eternal life and, therefore, to God.  It's this kind of thinking, no matter what religion one identifies with, that is the root of most conflicts in the world.

Martin Luther King, Sr was born Michael King.  He and his oldest son, Martin Luther King, Jr, journeyed to Germany and spent time entrenched in the teachings of Martin Luther.  Even though Martin Luther King Sr. was already the minister of a large church in Atlanta, Luther's life and writings had a profound effect on him and his son.  Michael King changed his name to Martin Luther King, Sr and his son's name to Martin Luther King, Jr.  He significantly influenced his son's activism, having experienced discrimination his entire life.  His son also became his co-pastor at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.

It's well known that Martin Luther King, Jr. was influenced by Gandhi's belief that change can occur through non-violent civil disobedience.  Gandhi was a Hindu but also believed in religious pluralism.  When he advocated that the Muslim majority in Pakistan, created by Muslims fleeing India, received monetary compensation, he was assassinated by a Hindu Nationalist.  Martin Luther King, Jr. always knew what might be in store for him, whether by white supremacists or other groups not approving of his methods to bring about change.

Martin Luther King, Jr., having studied the works of Martin Luther and now carrying his name, also knew that uprisings by oppressed people would not always mean they would be peaceful.  He advocated for non-violence, but he knew that demonstrations could turn deadly, with his own people getting killed or badly hurt by people not wanting change.  He also knew there would be those advocating violence, especially when patience wore thin with the peaceful civil disobedience approach.

While the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964 to end legal segregation, Blacks were harassed and had to go through many hurdles to vote...all in an attempt by whites to ensure they did NOT vote. A friend of mine, Richard, spent a couple of years working in Mississippi in the civil rights movement and assisting African-Americans in registering to vote. In 1965, Richard joined a fellow white college student while attending the University of Washington.  He was a driver for Martin Luther King, Jr.  It was felt that white drivers were less likely to be interfered with.  One day, he was driving Martin Luther King, Jr. from Atlanta to Alabama along with other members of King's group. Lyndon Johnson was in close communication with King and felt that King was integral to getting the Voting Rights Act passed, which would eliminate discriminatory local laws.  They had been warned that if they took to the streets, they would be met with violence from the police and white counter-protestors.  A group of leaders in Selma was already in place at a house when Martin Luther King, Jr. arrived.  He listened for two days as they discussed the pros and cons of demonstrating.  He just listened without comment.  Finally, after those two long days passed, they pleaded with him for guidance.  He simply stated, "You know what you need to do."

There were three marches that year in Selma.  One of which was called "Bloody Sunday."  On that particular Sunday, police, and whites used billy clubs on the peaceful marchers.  A group of whites murdered an activist/minister from Boston the night after one of the marches. Eventually, after much bloodshed, the Voting Rights Act was finally passed.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in 1968 by James Earl Ray, a man born in poverty with an intense hatred for African-Americans.  He had worked on George Wallace's (the infamous segregationalist Governor of Alabama) presidential campaign.  At the time of his death, he was a strong advocate for lifting people out of poverty and was also an advocate for the U.S. to get out of Vietnam.

He was a courageous man influenced spiritually by his father and Martin Luther while simultaneously inspired by Gandhi.  His legacy lives on.  It seems we're again far away from what he envisioned when he gave the speech, "I Have a Dream."  White people again rally against African-American athletes who are peacefully 'taking a knee' during the National Anthem.  Those taking a knee are protesting racial profiling by police and the rise of White Supremacy in our country.  As Americans, we have every right to peacefully protest and rise up against injustice.  When protests conflict with our beliefs, we disagree...forgetting that it's a right guaranteed under our constitution.  Protests and demonstrations resulted in women having the right to vote.  Protests and demonstrations led to the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act.  Protests and demonstrations led to the Vietnam War ending.  And protests and demonstrations will eventually upend the current President and many members of Congress, who are all in the pockets of the very wealthy.  The average American, along with many who are still asleep, will eventually rise up.  It's the American way.

I have a dream.