[Tanada]

Dr. King formulated the following Pledge and required all of his marcher's to sign it before they could join him on the many protests he lead.

Would anyone have the guts to require such a pledge in Today's America?
Would you sign it if they did?

Just wondering what kind of folks I am talking to on PO.com .

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'P')ledge of Nonviolence

1. As you prepare to march meditate on the life and teachings of Jesus

2. Remember the nonviolent movement seeks justice and reconciliation - not victory.

3. Walk and talk in the manner of love; for God is love.

4. Pray daily to be used by God that all men and women might be free.

5. Sacrifice personal wishes that all might be free.

6. Observe with friend and foes the ordinary rules of courtesy.

7. Perform regular service for others and the world.

8. Refrain from violence of fist, tongue and heart.

9. Strive to be in good spiritual and bodily health.

10. Follow the directions of the movement leaders and of the captains on demonstrations.


The Five Principles of Nonviolence

1. Non-violent resistance is not a method for cowards. It does resist. The nonviolent resister is just as strongly opposed to the evil against which he protests, as is the person who uses violence. His method is passive or nonaggressive in the sense that he is not physically aggressive toward his opponent, but his mind and emotions are always active, constantly seeking to persuade the opponent that he is mistaken. This method is passive physically but strongly active spiritually; it is nonaggressive physically but dynamically aggressive spiritually.

2. Nonviolent resistance does not seek to defeat or humiliate the opponent, but to win his friendship and understanding. The nonviolent resister must often express his protest through noncooperation but he realizes that noncooperation is not the ends itself; it is merely means to awaken a sense of moral shame in the opponent.

3. The attack is directed against forces of evil rather than against persons who are caught in those forces. It is a struggle between justice and injustice, between the forces of light and the forces of darkness.

4. Nonviolent resistance avoids not only external physical violence, but also internal violence of spirit. At the center of non-violence stands the principle of love.

5. Nonviolence is based on the conviction that the universe is on the side of justice. It is the deep faith in the future that allows a nonviolent resister to accept suffering without retaliation. The nonviolent resister knows that in his struggle for justice, he has a cosmic companionship.

[Ludi]

Looks good. But I don't believe in "God." And I don't think it's appropriate to require anyone to believe in Him in "Today's America."


So no, I wouldn't sign it.


I appreciate that it's often hard to be passionate about issues, and not feel violence in one's heart. Certainly I often do!

[Tanada]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', 'L')ooks good. But I don't believe in "God." And I don't think it's appropriate to require anyone to believe in Him in "Today's America."


So no, I wouldn't sign it.


I appreciate that it's often hard to be passionate about issues, and not feel violence in one's heart. Certainly I often do!

[Maddog78]

Good thing there is nothing in there about being a womanizer.
I don't really care about that anyway, if he wanted to get some on the side that's up to him, he seemed like a good guy.

I wouldn't sign it. Too much god stuff in there for me.

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Tanada', '
')I think Atheists would be able to qualify if they pledged to the non-violence part and meditated on the things he asked his followers to pray about, but given that he isn't here to ask we can not know for certain.