In Martin Luther King’s famous Letter from Birmingham Jail, King details his problems with the white moderate and the many churches in his time that refused to take a stand for the injustice that was happening to their fellow African American brothers and sisters. He writes to fellow clergymen who criticized King’s and the Southern Leadership Conference’s methods of nonviolent methods to defeat racism. King paints a picture of how many churches in his time stood on the sidelines and sung their songs without caring about injustice. Now, King does commend some church leaders for standing up to racism and injustice, but still wishes for more leaders to rise up and actively oppose segregation and racism. Is King’s portrayal of the church not caring …show more content…
In my perspective, King’s portrayal of the church still applies to many churches today that do not stand up for the current injustices in our modern world. To begin with, King boldly writes that though he hoped for the city of Birmingham’s religious leaders to stand up for injustice, he sadly states that they did not. He writes that he “came to Birmingham with the hope that the white religious leadership of [the] community would see the justice of our cause and, with deep moral concern, serve as the channel through which our grievances could get to the power structure” (King 485). Instead of serving as this channel though, King details that “in the midst of blatant injustices inflicted upon the Negro, I have watched white churches stand on the sideline and merely mouth pious irrelevancies and sanctimonious trivialities” (King 485). King wishes the church would stop standing on the sidelines and step into the fight against racism. Being a minister himself, and as King himself states in his letter that he “loves the church” and was “nurtured in its bosom”, his call to the …show more content…
While we have made some progress, issues like racism and prejudice still exist and are very prevalent in our modern culture. While these issues are still around and growing everyday, many churches are scared to speak up, due to not wanting to offend popular culture. If churches are going to truly follow the teachings of the Bible though, they need to realize that they should fear the Lord and follow his commands instead of fearing man, and care for their brothers and sisters in Christ, no matter the color of their skin. For the church in heaven is going to be full of many different cultures and ethnic groups all worshipping the Lord. Revelation 7:9 paints this beautiful picture of the future scene in heaven and states that “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb” Student Study Bible, Revelation 7.9). Therefore, churches should have no problem addressing issues such as racism and prejudice, because, as the Word of God states, heaven will be full of people from every nation, tribe, and language. Why then are our churches not full of people from every nation and tribe then? As Martin Luther King Jr. sadly stated in 1963, “It is appalling that the most segregated hour of Christian America is 11 o’clock on Sunday morning.” What is even more sad
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. writes the letter to Birmingham jail to address the biggest issue in Birmingham and the United States at the time. The letter describes the injustices happening in the black community of Birmingham. Martin Luther King Jr. uses appeals to emotion, ethical appeals, and logical appeals to justify his desire for racial equality. Rachel Carson wrote “ The Obligation to Endure “ to enlighten humanity on the atrocities being granted upon earths biological systems, and the harmful mutating chemicals that will potentially effect the future generations and their health. Carson addresses these understandable concerns using logical, emotional, and ethical appeal.
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. strategically orchestrated a written response to the eight white clergymen that criticized his presence and actions in Birnmingham, Alabama. Dr. King’s main intention in constructing the letter was to correct any misunderstandings alleged by the clergymen and to justify the despairing need for a nonviolent action towards racial equality and justice for all humans. Dr. King’s illustrated his point of the letter by addressing the emotional, logical, and ethical side of mankind. Early in Dr. King’s letter uses an ethical appeal when he addresses the letter as, “My Dear Fellow Clergymen.”
In Martin Luther King Jr’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” King responds to the criticisms written by a group of clergymen about the work that he and his followers (the oppressed black people, members of the SCLC, and a select few of white supporters) are pursuing in Birmingham. Although King directly addresses his fellow clergymen, he expresses deep disappointment in the white churches and moderates of the south as well. Throughout the letter the audience can read how the actions committed against black people by religious and nonreligious white moderates alike causes for injustice to take place in falsely depicted ‘just’ ways. King explains the flaw of how those who fight against him are not solely fighting against their own brothers and
immediately addresses his credibility and directly responds to one of the main points that the clergymen state about outsiders. King states “ I think I should indicate why I am here in Birmingham, since you have been influenced by the view which argues against “outsiders coming in(444)” King goes on to describes how he is a member of several different organizations that are fighting for equal Civil Rights most importantly how he is the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and he states how “ I was invited here. I am here because I have organizational ties here.(444)” King also demonstrates his credibility to the Clergyman as a minister and a brother of the church by quoting the Paul from the gospels and also early Christians who would rather be eaten by the lions than obey unjust laws(447).
This will help set the tone for the rest of the paper. King additionally displays his credibility by mentioning that “I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference” (King 1). This signals to the clergymen that King’s profession is similar to theirs and they logically should have similar ethical standards. King further drives this idea home at the end of the letter by voicing that he hopes to meet each of the eight clergymen, “not as an integrationist or a civil rights leader but as a fellow clergyman and a Christian brother” (King
Assignment 3.08 I.King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" is a prime example of how to construct an effective edict. II. The precise construction of King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" had the intended effect of awakening his fellow clergy to become responsive to the plight of African Americans. Instead of alienating them at the beginning of the letter. A. King responds to his fellow clergy in the first paragraph of his letter with a pacifying tone, (Paraphrase) When he expresses they are also sincere in their beliefs and critiques of his protests, so he will honor them with a justifiable debate.
He makes an especially compelling appeal when he compares the contemporary Southern church to the church of the early Christians. Dr. King says, “There was a time when the church was very powerful. It was during that period that the early Christians rejoiced when they were deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed... Wherever the early Christians entered a town, the power structure got disturbed and immediately sought to convict them for being ‘disturbers of the peace’ and ‘outside agitators.’” Here, Dr. King paints an image of early Christians that shows them to be passionate challengers of the status quo, placing greater importance on morality and their message than on the stability of society.
On April 16, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. wrote the “Letter from Birmingham City Jail.” This letter was intended to be a response to the eight clergymen of Alabama, who wrote a response concerning King, and the racial issues going on in Birmingham. The response of the eight clergymen was a way to criticize King and the Negro community for basically taking action. Referring to King’s efforts as “unwise and untimely.” Meaning, that it was not a convenient time to start protesting around town and getting attention.
He explained why the protesters were civilly infringing racist laws and city ordinances; why the protesters had truth and justice; and how he was thwarted with the clergyman and white moderates in the South who said they supported his cause. In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, Dr. King incorporates biblical and historical allusions to give him credibility with his target audience, the clergymen. Additionally, Dr. King subtly asks rhetorical questions and makes logical conclusions to force his audience to consider his strategy of nonviolent resistance to cease racism and oppression. Throughout his piece, Dr. King uses many strong connections to biblical theologians and philosophers that strengthen his appeal and credibility.
I do not say that as one of those negative critics who can always find something wrong with the church. I say it as a minister of the gospel who loves the church, who was nurtured in its bosom, who has been sustained by its Spiritual blessings, and who will remain true to it as long as the cord of life shall strengthen.” (King 5) King calls out the Christian churches of the south for not advocating for the black community who were predominantly Christian. He exclaims that many Christian leaders are his outright opponents and some are just too fearful to understand or support the freedom movement.
In 1863, Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, a document that granted African American slaves their freedom, but after one hundred years, they still were not given the freedom that was promised in the Declaration of Independence. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. uses his “I Have a Dream” speech and “Letter From Birmingham Jail” to compel people to make a change in the way African Americans are treated. Dr. King makes use of the persuasive language of logical and emotional appeal in his writings to defend African Americans’ freedom as well as to embetter the treatment of them. In Dr. King’s speech “I Have a Dream,” the rhetorical devices of logical appeal, otherwise known as logos, and emotional appeal, known as pathos, are utilized
Dr. King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”: Just and Unjust Laws Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is a letter to eight white clergymen while he’s sitting in a jail cell, the result of a protest in Birmingham, Alabama that King, a Georgian, traveled to attend. Due to the criticisms of the clergymen, he commences his letter by explaining why he needed to come to Birmingham. King states that he was there for a multitude of reasons, the first being that he had organizational ties to Birmingham, the second being that he was there because there was injustice in Birmingham. He states that as a citizen of America, injustice in Birmingham is not removed from justice anywhere else because everything is interrelated, and that injustice
MLK’s ultimate claim is that the church is to blame for these happenings and “the judgement of God is upon the Church as never before”(276). King stated how even the people who were in the church trying to fight for justice had been looked down upon and some had been kicked out of their own churches. King’s claims were passionately presented. He relentlessly provided evidence to prove his position on the issue of injustice and also showed ample amounts of examples to solve these problems.
In paragraphs 33 to 44 of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s response to “A Call for Unity,” a declaration by eight clergymen, “Letter from Birmingham Jail” (1963), he expresses that despite his love for the church, he is disappointed with its lack of action regarding the Civil Rights Movement. Through powerful, emotionally-loaded diction, syntax, and figurative language, King adopts a disheartened tone later shifts into a determined tone in order to express and reflect on his disappointment with the church’s inaction and his goals for the future. King begins this section by bluntly stating that he is “greatly disappointed” (33) with the church, though he “will remain true to it as long as the cord of life shall lengthen” (33). By appealing to ethos and informing the audience of his history with the church, he indicates that he is not criticizing the church for his own sake, but for the good of the church.
“Letter from Birmingham Jail” Analyzing Paragraphs 15 - 22 African-Americans’ rights and liberties were suppressed heavily at the time Dr. King wrote this letter and he played an essential part in facilitating equality and the riddance of unjust laws. Through various speeches, demonstrations, letters, and gatherings he managed to peacefully stand for what he believed what was to be morally right. Throughout Dr. King’s letter from jail, he uses many rhetorical devices in order to highlight the moral duty he and his constituents have to act against injustice. Dr. King employs various logos arguments, rhetorical questions, , and a carefully constructed tone to create his peaceful argument to the clergymen and show them that he actually need