I could never again raise my voice against the violence of the oppressed, without having first spoken clearly to the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today – my own government. Martin Luther King, Jr. More Quotes by Martin Luther King, Jr. More Quotes From Martin Luther King, Jr. He (Jesus) knew that the old eye-for-eye philosophy would leave everyone blind. He did not seek to overcome evil with evil. He overcame evil with good. Although crucified by hate, he responded with aggressive love. Martin Luther King, Jr. hate philosophy jesus Don't ever let anyone pull you so low as to hate them. We must use the weapon of love. We must have the compassion and understanding for those who hate us. We must realize so many people are taught to hate us that they are not totally responsible for their hate. But we stand in life at midnight; we are always on the threshold of a new dawn. Martin Luther King, Jr. hate compassion people We have genuflected before the god of science only to find that it has given us the atomic bomb, producing fears and anxieties that science can never mitigate. Martin Luther King, Jr. god fear science He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it. Martin Luther King, Jr. historical acceptance evil I choose to give my life for those who have been left out of the sunlight of opportunity Martin Luther King, Jr. sunlight opportunity giving All men are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality. Martin Luther King, Jr. caught men Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Martin Luther King, Jr. ill-will kings people The labor movement was the principal force that transformed misery and despair into hope and progress. Out of its bold struggles, economic and social reform gave birth to unemployment insurance, old age pensions, government relief for the destitute, and, above all, new wage levels that meant not mere survival but a tolerable life. Martin Luther King, Jr. survival government struggle An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law. Martin Luther King, Jr. respect kings motivational Quietly endure, silently suffer and patiently wait. Martin Luther King, Jr. struggle waiting inspirational Let us be those creative dissenters who will call our beloved nation to a higher destiny. To a new plateau of compassion, to a more noble expression of humanness. Martin Luther King, Jr. humanness-is destiny compassion Will we be extremists for hate, or will we be extremists for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice, or will we be extremists for the cause of justice? Martin Luther King, Jr. hate justice inspirational Make a career of humanity. Commit yourself to the noble struggle for equal rights. You will make a greater person of yourself, a greater nation of your country, and a finer world to live in. Martin Luther King, Jr. spring men country We can dream of an America, and a world, in which love and not money are civilization's bottom line. Martin Luther King, Jr. dream peace civilization I am what I am because of who we all are. Martin Luther King, Jr. i-am-what-i-am I never intend to adjust myself to the madness of militarism. Martin Luther King, Jr. militarism madness politics We aren't going to have peace on Earth until we recognize the basic fact of the interrelated structure of all reality. Martin Luther King, Jr. eating-breakfast earth reality Agape is disinterested love. . . . Agape does not begin by discriminating between worthy and unworthy people, or any qualities people possess. It begins by loving others for their sakes. . . . Therefore, agape makes no distinction between friend and enemy; it is directed toward both. Martin Luther King, Jr. faith people enemy Mass civil disobedience can use rage as a constructive and creative force. Martin Luther King, Jr. rage creative use Science keeps religion from sinking into the valley of crippling irrationalism and paralyzing obscurantism. Religion prevents science from falling into the marsh of obsolete materialism and moral nihilism. Martin Luther King, Jr. valleys nihilism fall
