NON-VIOLENCE

Non-violence is the article of faith.

Mahatma Gandhi

In my opinion non-violence is not passivity in any shape or form. Non-violence as I understand it is the most active force in the world.

Mahatma Gandhi

Violence as a way of achieving racial justice is both impractical and immoral. It is impractical because it is a descending spiral ending in destruction for all. The old law of an eye for an eye leaves everyone blind. It is immoral because it seeks to humiliate the opponent rather than win his understanding; it seeks to annihilate rather than convert. Violence is immoral because it thrives on hatred rather than love. It destroys community and makes brotherhood impossible. It leaves society in monologue rather than dialogue. Violence ends by defeating itself. It creates bitterness in the survivors and brutality in the destroyers.

Martin Luther King, Jr

Preach and pray, but do not fight.

Martin Luther, advising those reformers who might have become revolutionaries

This house will in no circumstances fight for its King and country.

Motion passed at the Oxford Union, Oxford University, 9 February 1933

The Spirit of Christ, which leads us into all Truth, will never move us to fight and war against any man with outward weapons, neither for the kingdom of Christ, nor for the kingdoms of this world.

Quaker Declaration, 1660