I liked the King readings. They showed how nonviolence really can win. I really like that he gave the three different types of love in the Greek language. More people need to understand these and more people need to love with agape love. Agape love "is an overflowing love which seeks nothing in return. And when you come to love on this level you begin to love men not because they are likeable, not because they do things that attract us, but because God loves then and here we love the person who does the evil deed while hating the deed that the person does." If everyone loved like agape love that would be great. Love we be more than just romantic and love between personal friendship. Eveyone could love each other.
I also like that he says, "I think every person who believes in nonviolent resistance believes somehow that the universe in some form is on the side of justice." If we faught for justice like God wants us too many more people could realize that the universe is on the side of justice because with God there is no need for violence to get to a good end.
I think that many people are too well adjusted to in life. Many people are adjusted to violence injustice, etc. We need to keep being maladjusted to injustice to change it. King said, "God grant that we will be so maladjusted that we will be able to go out and change our world and our civilization."
King wanted people to realize that nonviolent resistance is not a method of cowardice and that it does resist. It does not seek to humiliate or defeat the opponent but to win his friendship and understanding. If more people wanted this end instead of defeat of the opposing side the end result of resistance would be better and there would be more and more nonviolent resistance.
I think that many people need to realize what King says, "The end of violence or the aftermath of violence is bitterness. The aftermath of nonviolence is reconciliation and the creation of a beloved community." If violence is used there usually is bitterness, there is not reconciliation with violence as there is with nonviolence. This was one of my favorite points that he made.
I thought it was interesting to read Martin Luther King, Jr.'s writing as we finished reading about the just war theory and pacifism. If anyone had an excuse or a reason to use violence, I feel like it would have been Dr. King and his followers. They were put in such difficult situations where it would have been very easy for them to use violence as defense or protection, but they didn't. They used exactly what Jesus taught; they used peace. They turned the other cheek and did unto others what they would want in return. I think this is so admirable, and it is nice to have a sturdy example of the impact non-violence can have.
ReplyDeleteI really liked the part where King talks about being maladjusted. Like we talked about in class one day, even as kids we were brought up on violence, like it is such a normal and accepted thing, whether it be Power Rangers or video games. I think we are all so used to violence in our world today that we aren't as motivated to do anything to change it.
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