He had a dream. It was a Kingdom Dream.
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No, it was a dream of secular society where racism and systemic equality didn’t exist. We don’t honor MLK because he was a Christian, or a pastor. The nation was 98% Christian then. We honor MLK because he worked for social justice under secular law.
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Yup. Sounds like the Kingdom if God 
There is nothing secular about the Reverand Martin Luther King Jr. His entire life was a work of God, inspired by God, for God, based on biblical writing…he was a Christian leader that preached peaceful protest. You can’t make any part of his life a secular concept. Read the speech, then read the bible and you will see the connection.
It had nothing to do with Christianity. Both sides were Christians. There were white Christians and Black Christians. The US then and now was majority Christian.
It’s kind of both. He was Christian, distinctly, in the secular square.
Well, I see direct scripture reference in almost every detail of the speech, with the closing statement very close ties to Romans and Revelation. It may have touched the lives of non-Christians in a secular format, but the speech was inspired by a lifetime of following Jesus and knowing the Word of God.
I see that you are being diplomatic, but his vision of peace, unity and freedom are clearly tied to scripture and revelation, not just good secular morals.
Have you read this yet? @Mark10.45 there is a secular component to his message.
That’s his brilliance actually. He was speaking to the Church and society at the same time. He connected both with you and with @patrick.
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Agreed.
Great article, thanks. Interesting the comment, “they look around and find nobody today who comes near the stature of the Mahatma.” I think that could also be said today for MLK. He had a talent for speaking into the hearts of everyone on every side. I’ll have to study how to do that better. Good stuff.
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I think we should fight about it. 
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While great oratory still exists in our society today, it seems to have receded from center stage. We no longer expect (nor find) much soaring rhetorical skill among our political leaders.
I’m not just referring to rousing speeches and the kinds of public addresses which students memorize many decades later (e.g. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.) For example, Franklin Roosevelt’s calming fireside chats represented yet another type of persuasive speaking which grabbed people emotionally and gave them hope and perseverance.
When President Eisenhower addressed the nation from the White House, you couldn’t help but think about his enormous role in leading the Allies to victory in WWII. Likewise, MLK words were under-girded by a moral authority won through his personal sacrifice and relentless courage under dangerous conditions. Great speakers earn their authority long before they step to the podium. I struggle to think of similar examples from our leaders in recent decades.
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