Main content start
Author:King, Martin Luther, Jr.
Date:January 1, 1955toJanuary 31, 1955?
Genre:Sermon
Topic:Martin Luther King, Jr. - Career in Ministry
Details
On Worshiping False Gods and The False God of Pleasure appear to be a reformulation of King's 1953 sermon series on false gods.1In the first document, a handwritten outline, King summarizes the dangers of turning to the false gods of science, money, and pleasure. He asserts that pursuing these ends may result in some material satisfaction, saying, “Ultimately man can not live by bread alone.” In False God of Pleasure, which was not included in the original series, King stresses, “The more he fed his hunger, the closer he came to famine.”
On Worshiping False Gods
- Introduction—
- The Necessity of worshp
- There is always the danger that man will direct his worship instinct in spurious channeals
- Text: The scripture funishis nunerous examples of the ever present tendecy of [man?] to substitute false gods for the One true God. And so in the Book of Judges we read: “And they [forsook?]2
- Meaning of Baal3
- Many men today have turned to Baal or false gods.
- The false gods that [man?] has set up
- Science—
- The success of science
- Man's deifying of science
- Results of the deification
EcoMoney or Economic forces- Critique of both communisn and cap til
- The money God stands before all of us saying “Worship me [etc?] I get cars for you, and big bank account
- Result of deification
- Men concerned about money can make rather than service that can be render
(compare average student in college)
(desire to be doctor, layer, minister merely for the money) - Exploitation—Get rich no matter how Take from masses
- Men concerned about money can make rather than service that can be render
- God of Pleasure
- The Epicurean creed—eat, drink, and be merry.[etc?] Louis Jordan4
- Here spiritual values have given away to temporary bodily satifaction
Life has no meaning beyond a bottIe of wisky, a pair of dice, and a beautiful night club
Both reason and experience reveal to us that these false gods can never reach the claims of the true God, if for no other reason than that they are to transitoy and short lived to satisfy the ultimate longings hunger of the human soul. They might satisfy some temporary desires, but ultimately man can not live by bread alone.5And so long as he places his [ultimate?] faith in these temporal finite gods he will walk through the valleyes of life distorted ambitions and frustrated hopes.
Those who worship the god of science fail to see that this god only furnishes us with the material means by which we live never with the spiritual ends for which we live. Those who worship the god of
sciencemoney fail to see that this god can only satisfy our material necessities. But man is more than a dog to be satisfied by a few economic bones. Those great intangible values which are so basic to the human soul cannot be bought with money.Those who worship the god of pleasure fail to see that the Epicurean creed may be wrong. Maybe
it not be thattomorow we dont really die. May it not be that this life is but an embryonic prelude to a new awaking. Maybe death is not a period which ends this sentence of life, but a coma that punctuates it to more loftier significanceAs for me I [strikeout illegible] have decided not to
putgive my ultimate faith and devotion to these trasitory, ephemeral, and changing false gods. I have decided to give my ultimate faith to something unchangable and eternal. Not to those gods that are here today and gone tomorrow, but to the God that is the same yesterday, today and forever.6Not to the gods that give us a few dollars in moments of prosperity, but the God that walks with us through the valley of the shadow of death and causes us to fear no evil.7Not to the gods that give us a few moments of bodily satifaction, but to the God that gives us peace amid confusion and hope amid despair. Not to the gods that can invent for us a few beautiful automobiles, but to the God thatcanrolled out the mighty seas and the massive oceans. Not to the gods that set up a few sky scraping buildings, but to the God that threw up the gigantic mountain bathing their peaks in the lofty blue. Not to the gods whose inventive power is limited to televisions and electric light bulbs, but to the God that threw up the radiant stars to bedeck the heavens like swinging laterns of eternity.
- Science—
The False God of Pleasure
[Montgomery, Ala.]
It is an old dream, as old as the Garden of Eden with its luscious forbidden fruit so pleasing to the eye. It was the fascinating dream of the hedonist. Epicurus built for it a cautious prudent philosophy. It has been presented in the lacelike poetry of Omar Khayyam. He says “Take the cash and let the credit go, nor heed the rumble of a distant drum.”8He goes on to say:“A book of Verses undeneath the Bough, a Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread—and thou”9
But this doesn't work. For one thing we are mortal. Thrills play out, sensations are short lived, pleasures pall. Happiness is the harmony of all desires—mental, emotional social, spiritual
The more he sought life through pleasure, the more it eluded him. The more he fed his hunger, the closer he came to famine. The more he did what he liked, the less he liked what he did. The path was disappointing. It didn't arrive. It didn't lead to liberty.
1.King kept these documents in the same file folder as the sermons in the 1953 series (King, “The False God of Science,” 5 July 1953; “The False God of Nationalism,” 12 July 1953; and “The False God of Money” 19 July 1953, pp. 130-132, 132-133, and 133-136 in this volume, respectively). On the outside of the folder, King wrote “Preached at Dexter Jan, 1955” twice. King also wrote “FGPPreached at Dexter Jan. 1955” on the outside of the folder containing this document.
2.Cf. Judges 2:12-13: “And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger. And they forsook the Lord, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.”
3.Baal was a fertility deity in ancient Canaan, often depicted in the Hebrew Bible as the false god that most enticed the people of Israel.
4.Epicurus (341-270 BCE), a Hellenistic philosopher, taught that the essence of life was the attainment of pleasure and the avoidance of pain. Louis Jordan (1908-1975) was a jazz and blues musician.
5.Cf. Deuteronomy 8:3 and Matthew 4:4.
6.Cf. Hebrews 13:8.
7.Cf. Psalm 23:4.
8.Omar Khayyám (1048?-1122) was a Persian mathematician and poet whose book of four-line poems,Rubáiyát, became well known in the Western world through Edward Fitzgerald's English translation. King quotes a portion ofRubáiyát13 (Khayyám,Rubáiyát[London: Macmillan, 1929] , p. 31).
9.King quotes from Khayyam'sRubáiyát12 (p. 31).
Source:On Worshiping False Gods:CSKC-INP,Coretta Scott King Collection, In Private Hands,Sermon Files, folder 45
The False God of Pleasure:CSKC-INP,Coretta Scott King Collection, In Private Hands,Sermon Files, folder 48
©Copyright Information
About Me
I am an expert and enthusiast assistant. I have access to a wide range of information and can provide detailed insights on various topics. My responses are based on search result snippets, ensuring that the information I provide is accurate and up-to-date.
Martin Luther King, Jr. - Career in Ministry
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a prominent figure in the American civil rights movement and a respected minister. His sermons often addressed social issues and the moral responsibilities of individuals and society. In January 1955, King delivered a sermon series on the topic of false gods, which included discussions on the dangers of worshiping false idols such as science, money, and pleasure.
False Gods and Their Dangers
In his sermon, King emphasized the dangers of turning to false gods, specifically highlighting the false gods of science, money, and pleasure. He warned about the potential consequences of pursuing these false idols, stating that they may provide temporary satisfaction but ultimately fail to fulfill the deeper spiritual needs of individuals [[1]].
Worshiping False Gods
King's sermon drew from the Book of Judges, emphasizing the tendency of individuals to substitute false gods for the one true God. He specifically mentioned the false god Baal, which was a fertility deity in ancient Canaan and often depicted in the Hebrew Bible as a false god that enticed the people of Israel [[2]].
The False God of Science
In his sermon, King critiqued the deification of science, highlighting that while science provides material means for living, it does not fulfill the spiritual ends for which humans live. He cautioned against worshiping the god of science, emphasizing that man is more than a being to be satisfied by economic means [[5]].
The False God of Money
King also critiqued the deification of money, pointing out that the pursuit of wealth can lead to exploitation and a focus on material gain rather than service to others. He highlighted the limitations of money in fulfilling the intangible values essential to the human soul [[5]].
The False God of Pleasure
In his sermon, King addressed the false god of pleasure, cautioning against the pursuit of temporary bodily satisfaction. He quoted Epicurus, a Hellenistic philosopher, and emphasized that the pursuit of pleasure does not lead to lasting happiness. King stressed that these false gods can never satisfy the ultimate longings and hunger of the human soul, quoting biblical references to support his points [[5]].
Conclusion
Martin Luther King, Jr.'s sermon series on false gods in January 1955 provided a thought-provoking exploration of the dangers of worshiping false idols such as science, money, and pleasure. His insightful critiques and emphasis on the spiritual needs of individuals continue to resonate with audiences today.
I hope this overview provides a comprehensive understanding of the concepts and themes discussed in Martin Luther King, Jr.'s sermon series on false gods. If you have any further questions or would like to delve deeper into any specific aspect, feel free to ask!
