Malcom X Quote

[Hagoth]

Hence I have no mercy or compassion in me for a society that will crush people, and then penalize them for not being able to stand up under the weight.

[alas]

Hence I have no mercy or compassion in me for a society that will crush people, and then penalize them for not being able to stand up under the weight.

Good quote and so very true of our society and our church.

[RubinHighlander]

It seems the upper crust of societies keep coming up with more creative and subtle ways to keep crushing people, mostly mentally in these latter days. Like all other chances for life to evolve then become instinct on this planet, ours will play out as just one more failure or success, depending on how our cosmic dice roll. It would be a shame not to continue our progress toward a grand cosmic self discovery and consciousness, but the pattern of creation via destruction will continue.

Is crushing people in our societal constructs akin to the constant crushing and fusing and blowing apart of matter across this universe? Not within the perceived moral constructs of sapiens, but within that realm I agree with Malcom. Beyond our personal meat bags of mostly water and this tiny speck of moist rock we live on, in the grander scale of the great cosmo, there appears to be zero Fs to give. It's an amusing and mind blowing journey to be able to let my mind wander back and forth between these extreme edges of this reality. Ramblings and musings such as this always bring me back to my starting point: I don't know $hit about F. Happy Monday!

[Linked]

The position of the Church regarding the Negro may be understood when another doctrine of the Church is kept in mind, namely, that the conduct of spirits in the premortal existence has some determining effect upon the conditions and circumstances under which these spirits take on mortality and that while the details of this principle have not been made known, the mortality is a privilege that is given to those who maintain their first estate; and that the worth of the privilege is so great that spirits are willing to come to earth and take on bodies no matter what the handicap may be as to the kind of bodies they are to secure; and that among the handicaps, failure of the right to enjoy in mortality the blessings of the priesthood is a handicap which spirits are willing to assume in order that they might come to earth. Under this principle there is no injustice whatsoever involved in this deprivation as to the holding of the priesthood by the Negroes.

"Our made-up premortal views say we can crush you because you had it coming." It's so messed up.

[moksha]

It has been about 50 years since I read the Autobiography of Malcolm X. For those of you who have not read it, you can find it in most public libraries or on Amazon.

[Hagoth]

...Under this principle there is no injustice whatsoever involved in this deprivation as to the holding of the priesthood by the Negroes.

"Our made-up premortal views say we can crush you because you had it coming." It's so messed up.

But sadly typical of institutions using God as the bad guy to justify maintaining the status quo when it's obvious what they're doing is morally reprehensible unless they can pull some sort of angel-with-a-drawn-sword out of their magic hat. A lesson well learned from their founder.

I recently heard a comment from Carol Lynn Pearson that reminds me of the Malcom X quote. Some defender of the church was justifying discrimination of LGBTQ people because they appear to be more sexually promiscuous than straight people. Her response was something like, "how can you throw people in the gutter and then blame them if they get dirty?"

[deacon blues]

I have a lot of thoughts. Let me share a couple. Oppression in any form is wrong. Malcolm X saw his father murdered and his mother driven insane by the brutality of white on black oppression. Understandably hate was a big motivator for him, though he later experienced a born-again like transformation by the brotherhood and love he experienced on his trip to Mecca, or Hajj.
Martin Luther King was somewhat more sheltered than Malcolm X. He used the example of Jesus to try nonviolence, driven by the idea that only Love can conquer hate.
Each was both vilified and revered.
Ultimately they were both martyred. Martyrs are often remembered, ironically, both for good and evil.
I believe Malcolm X and MLK respected each other.
My temperament leads me to try to follow the nonviolent Way so far in my life, but like MLK I have been largely sheltered. I can't judge those who take a different path.
As Reuben expresses in his post ,I have a lot of other thoughts, too many to express clearly.
Thanks again NOMies for challenging, transcendent discussions.