Why was Martin Luther King disappointed in the white churches?
King was disappointed in the white churches because of the lack of support received from them. He wanted change in Birmingham and he thought that the church would be the place that would be his foundation of support. He was very surprised when he found out they wouldn’t speak up in his defense. “I had hoped that the white moderate would understand that law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and that when they fail in this purpose they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress.”(King 181). It is apparent that king had hope for establishing a solid justice system. King was eager to endure any punishment for his views as long as he supported the just side of laws. As he was in jail writing his letter, he mentioned the church, “I hope the church as a whole will meet the challenge of this decisive hour. But even if the church does not come to the aid of justice, I have no despair about the future. I have no fear about the outcome of our struggle in Birmingham….” (187) this sentence stuck out to me because king had hope for the church but he also doesn’t show any loss of hope for the out come of Birmingham. King had great faith in the church, because the church was supposed to show Christianity and justice, but they let him down. “I had hoped that each of you would understand. But again I have been disappointed.” (186).
Works Cited
King, Martin Luther Jr. "Letter from Birmingham Jail." A World of Ideas: Essential Readings for College Writers. Ed. Lee A. Jacobus. Trans. Stephen Mitchell. 7th ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martins, 2006. pp171-192.
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2 comments:
I agree with you. As a man of the church, Dr. King believed that he would have the full support of his Christian brothers. However that was not the case and this greatly disappointed Dr. King.
This is great info to know.
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