Let me just start this out with first saying, that MLK did some great things in his lifetime. He drew attention to injustices leveled against minorities in a time that was less then flattering for our nation. I have no problems giving him kudos for that. HOWEVER, I DO have a big problem flaunting him as a "saint" or a man that I want to emulate. He was the largest proponent of a social gospel in his time. By his own admission, he didn't believe in the inerrant, infallible, literal word of God; the virgin birth of Christ; His death and Ressurrection. He viewed the Gospel as just another belief alongside the Greeks and other "myths." How then can you be a Christian, a follower of Christ and deny these fundamental truths?? I contend, you cannot.
In his paper titled "What Experiences of Christians Living in the Early Christian Century Led to the Christian Doctrines of the Divine Sonship of Jesus, the Virgin Birth, and the Bodily Resurrection" he writes:
But if we delve into the deeper meaning of these doctrines, and somehow strip them of their literal interpretation, we will find that they are based on a profound foundation. Although we may be able to argue with all degrees of logic that these doctrines are historically and philolophically untenable, yet we can never undermind the foundation on which they are based.
A more adequate explanation for the rise of this doctrine is found in the experience which the early christians had with Jesus. The people saw within Jesus such a uniqueness of quality and spirit that to explain him in terms of ordinary background was to them quite inadequate. For his early followers this spiritual uniqueness could only by accounted for in terms of biological uniqueness. They were not unscientific in their approach because they had no knowledge of the scientific. They could only express themselves in terms of the pre-scientific thought patterns of their day.
The last doctrine in our discussion deals with the resurrection story. This doctrine, upon which the Easter Faith rests, symbolizes the ultimate Christian conviction: that Christ conquered death. From a literary, historical, and philosophical point of view this doctrine raises many questions. In fact the external evidence for the authenticity of this doctrine is found wanting. But here again the external evidence is not the most important thing, for it in itself fails to tell us precisely the thing we most want to know: What experiences of early Christians lead to the formulation of the doctrine?
The root of our inquiry is found in the fact that the early Christians had lived with Jesus. They had been captivated by the magnetic power of his personality. This basic experience led to the faith that he could never die. And so in the pre-scientific thought pattern of the first century, this inner faith took outward form.
Now, I don't set myself up as judge and jury of MLK...I am not God and don't claim to know his heart. However, if he held to such thoughts on the very fundamentals of the Gospel...I find that troubling. He did some great things for racial equality, but as a Christian man he was misguided at best. I DO believe in the inerrant literal word of God, the virgin birth of Christ who came to die on a cross and rise again for my sins...because He loved me so much. I also believe as the Bible teaches there is ONE way to Christ, not many...not whatever religion you want to seek in your own way. Our society has become too "accepting" and "politically correct" to see TRUTH anymore. It's saddening :(
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