Martin Luther King Jr, a Baptist pastor, led the civil rights movement in the 1960s in a way that made the world pause and listen.  Based on Christian principles of biblical justice, he led a non-violent protest against the segregation laws in the United States of America that were truly laws promoting “systemic” injustice.

In his most famous and moving speech at the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., he claimed that he had a dream.  In his dream, he envisioned a nation in which his children could grow up where a man would be judged “by the content of his character, not the colour of his skin;”[1] he dreamed Americans would be united in brotherhood in a land flowing with freedom and justice for all from sea to shining sea; where white and black would work together, struggle together, and unite together as brothers and sisters side by side; where all God’s children, Jews and Gentiles, black and white, Protestants and Catholics, could sing together across every high mountain and low valley throughout the nation—“Free at last!”[2]

Though a bullet stopped MLK Jr. from seeing the completion of this vision, death could not stop the momentum that he had gained.  Segregation laws were revoked, discrimination policies were reformed across the United States, and his passing would only inspire the next generation to begin to heal and change.  But I wonder if MLK Jr. were alive today, would he agree with the current shape of social justice that is sweeping our world today?

Today’s social justice movement is quite different than the one MLK Jr. had in mind.  Underscored by “Critical Theory (CT),” this social justice movement is not based on Christian principles of biblical justice, but are based upon atheistic Marxist principles of a political socialist movement conceived by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in the mid 19th century.  Only when comparing the two movements side by side can we clearly see the stark opposite differences:

Unique individual value vs. Mass group identity. 

MLK Jr. saw value and dignity in the soul of every man, uniquely and equally made in the image of God, without hierarchy or gradation.  Oppositely, CT dichotomizes people into one of two categories—oppressor or the oppressed victim.  CT sees people not as individuals of unique value, but simply as one in a mass group of people, whose identity comes from the assigned group.  In this system, a man’s value is not derived from being an image bearer created by God; rather, his value or lack of value comes from the group in which he is automatically placed.

Judged by internal character vs. Judged by external markers.

MLK Jr. dreamed of a day when one could be judged not on their outer skin color, but on their inner character and depth of person that lives beneath the skin.  He believed mankind could change their attitudes, ways of thinking, ways of relating to one another, and ways of treating one another, strengthening the character within.  However, CT only judges people based on their externals (race, gender, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, minority/majority status, etc), of which mankind often lacks any ability to control, and places people in one of two groups based on these externals—the perceived oppressive group or the perceived oppressed victim group.  Personal character has no consideration in the placement of which group one is assigned, and much like the Indian caste system, there is nothing one can do that can change one’s status­­––for you are either a perpetual oppressor or a perpetual victim.

Erasing of divisions vs. Highlighting of divisions. 

MLK Jr. dreamed of one day experiencing the reality for which Christ died for—the erasure of manmade divisions, by which we divide and categorize people, and to rather view all as one, equally freed from the bondage of sin.  “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”[3]  But CT seeks to stoke the manmade divisions, digging the trenches between mankind even deeper, never allowing the divisions to go away, but constantly holding them up as a mirror for all to see.

Equals in brotherhood vs. Foes pitted against one another.

MLK Jr.’s vision was one of brotherhood, equals, with mankind standing shoulder to shoulder next to one another as brothers and sisters.  CT’s vision is not one of brotherhood, unity or equality, but rather a reversal of power roles—where the oppressed will become the new power holders and the oppressor will lose their historical hold on power.

Non-violent means vs. Violent means. 

MLK Jr. deliberately chose a non-violent approach in his attempts to accomplish social justice, based on the Christian ethic of love, breaking from communism which justified the use of violence to forcibly upend society to create a classless system.  King argued that destructive means can never bring about constructive ends.[4]  Oppositely, following Marxist principles, CT similarly justifies the use of violence as the main means to bring about the revolution it seeks.

I also have a dream.  I also dream of an Africa that will imbibe a more just society for all but let us pause and reflect before simply adopting the world’s social justice system that is currently being promoted.  Let us not assume that the world’s agenda of CT, based on Marxist political principles and not on Christian principles, is going to accomplish the vision of biblical justice that we hope for.  As we dream, we must come down to reality and carefully examine the foundations of CT that underscore the current social justice movement to know what it is that we are adopting or rejecting.  In laying the two movements side by side, I believe if MLK Jr. were alive today, he would still hold firmly to his vision of biblical justice proclaimed 60 years ago­­––a vision based on Christian principles of individual dignity and value, personal character, erasure of divisions, and a brotherhood of equals as a non-violent means of accomplishing a more just society.

[1] Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “I Have a Dream Speech by Martin Luther King Jr.,” Rare Facts, n.p. [cited 6 Aug 2024]. Online:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP4iY1TtS3s.

[2] Ibid., n.p.

[3] Gal 3:28 NIV.

[4] Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “‘The American Dream’ July 4th Speech Transcript—Martin Luther King Jr.,” Rev, n.p. [cited 6 Aug 2024]. Online: https://www.rev.com/blog/transcripts/the-american-dream-july-4th-speech-transcript-martin-luther-king-jr.