By Martin Luther King
Not a method of cowardice, stagnant passivity or deadening complacency; Resists nonviolently – nonaggressive physically but strongly aggressive spiritually.
- Consequences of violence: bitterness, disintegration of the community; - Consequences of nonviolence: reconciliation and creation of community; - Seeks to attack the evil and dysfunctional system rather than individuals caught up in and supporting the system;
Does not seek to humiliate or defeat the opponent, but to win his friendship and understanding; Keeping love at the center of one’s life – ultimately can change people and circumstances;
Eros: aesthetic love, romantic love, self- oriented love; Philia: love of friends; Agape – understanding, creative, redemptive good will for all people;
Loving others not because they are likable or they do things that attract us, - but because God loves them. Loving the person who does the evil deed, while hating the deed that the person does.
- Something in the universe that supports justice; - It supports men and women all over the world who struggle against evil systems; - It supports people when they resist violence with wise restraint, love, proper discipline, dignity and calm reasonableness.
- Not to get used to; willingness not to fit into certain relationships and conditions; - King did not want to get used to: segregation, discrimination; mob/ crowd mentality; methods of physical violence, tragic militarism; - What do you want to be maladjusted to?