Issues4Life

The Most Powerful Weapon

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., believed only nonviolence, had the power to break the cycle of retributive violence and create lasting peace through reconciliation. At the Issues4Life Foundation we too believe that organized nonviolent resistance is the most powerful weapon that oppressed people can use to break loose from the bondage of oppression. As such, we believe the most effective way to implement Dr. King's nonviolent philosophy is by way of example. Going further to clarify our position, we believe example is not the simply the main thing in influencing others. No, in our opinion, when it comes to influencing people, example is the only thing. In accordance with this belief and leading by example, our President and Founder, Walter B. Hoye II serves on the board of the Morning Center. The Morning Center is an organization founded to provide free full-service maternity care to women in urban and under-served areas where quality care is limited and scarce. ^Top

We Believe. We Care. We Are Committed To Life.

"There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, be he must take it because conscience tells him it is right." — Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

•  We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that salvation is a gift from God to humanity.

•  We believe and embrace the Christian doctrines of the Holy Spirit, Holy Baptism, tithing and giving, Holy Communion, faith, forgiveness and repentance (John 3:16).

•  We believe the child in the womb is a human being, created in the image of God (Acts 17:26), from the time of fertilization. ^Top

•  We believe children are essential and deserve protection, personhood, nurturing, and love, beginning in the womb and throughout childhood as it relates to their dependency on others.

•  We believe the elective disruption|abortion of human life at any time from fertilization onward constitutes the willful destruction of an innocent human being.

•  We believe the foundation of a stable and healthy society is rooted in the marriage of one man and one woman (Matthew 19:3-12).

•  We believe that a community ruled by Godly leaders is the visible expression of victorious life (Proverbs 29:2). ^Top

•  We believe the viability of a nation and its governance is dependent upon its value of human life and dignity and all stages of human existence (Matthew 25:21-36).

•  We believe that human and civil rights are innate and should co-exist for the purpose of nurturing nonviolent and peaceful procreative outcomes for all human beings (Romans 12:18).

•  We believe that faith in God, and the love for God and humanity should be integral components of successful human development (1st Corinthians 13).

•  We care about the well being of pregnant women and the child in the womb.

•  We are committed to informing, educating and activating Black American leaders, abortion-vulnerable patients, and the general public regarding both the moral and scientific truth surrounding abortion on demand. ^Top

•  We are deeply concerned about the profound, adverse effects that abortion on demand imposes, not just on the women but also on the entire involved family, and on our society at large.

Therefore, WE PLEDGE to use our time, talent and treasure to promote respect for life in all stages of development; and, thus, to enhance the well-being of our entire society.

Please note all of our events strongly adhere to and enforce the "Nonviolent" philosophy embraced by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Therefore, if you cannot remain nonviolent, please do not attend our events. ^Top

Let Us Never Forget Moving Forward

Civil rights leader Andrew Young (L) and others standing on balcony of Lorraine motel pointing in direction of assailant after assassination of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who is lying at their feet. Joseph Louw — The LIFE Images Collection|Getty Images. For more photographs, click here.

"The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. So it goes. Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."

— Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches ^Top

"Give Us The Ballot …"

Above, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. votes as his wife, Coretta Scott King, waits her turn.

“Give us the ballot and we shall no longer have to worry the Federal government about our basic rights.

“Give us the ballot and we will by the power of our vote write the laws on … the statute books of the southern states and bring to an end the dastardly acts of the hooded perpetrators of violence.

“Give us the ballot and we will fill our legislative halls with men of goodwill.

“Give us the ballot and we will place judges on the benches of the South who will do justly and have mercy.” ^Top