--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A religion true to its nature must also…" description: "\"A religion true to its nature must also be concerned about man's social conditions…A ny religion that professes to be concerned with the souls of men a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/974/martin-luther-king-jr-127_concerned_a-religion-true-to-its-nature-must-also_1930714.png" --- # A religion true to its nature must also be concerned about… ![“A religion true to its nature must also be concerned about man's social conditions…A ny religion that professes to be concerned with the souls of men and is not concerned with the slums that damn them, the economic conditions that strangle them, and the social conditions that cripple them is a…” quote by Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/974/martin-luther-king-jr-127_concerned_a-religion-true-to-its-nature-must-also_1930714.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/974/martin-luther-king-jr-127_concerned_a-religion-true-to-its-nature-must-also_1930714.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/974/martin-luther-king-jr-127_concerned_a-religion-true-to-its-nature-must-also_1930714.png) > “A religion true to its nature must also be concerned about man's social conditions…A ny religion that professes to be concerned with the souls of men and is not concerned with the slums that damn them, the economic conditions that strangle them, and the social conditions that cripple them is a dry-as-dust religion.” [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Religion must address both spiritual and material suffering; neglecting social injustice makes faith hollow. **In simple terms:** Faith must care for people's lives. Key Takeaway Integrate social justice into belief. Themes faith social justice human dignity Mood hopeful challenging Type ethical inspirational When to use this quote - community organizing - policy advocacy - church programs - education reform Key Concepts theology ethics activism Questions to Reflect On - How can faith inspire concrete change? - What responsibilities do believers have to the poor? A Different Perspective Religious institutions may resist political involvement. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Deep thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deep-thought/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Slums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slums/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Social conditions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-conditions/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) ## Related quotes > [Any religion that professes to be concerned about the souls of men and is not concerned about the slums that damn them, the economic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/any-religion-that-professes-to-be-concerned-about-the-souls-of-men/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [“Now, religion professes a special role in the protection and instruction of children. "Woe to him," says the Grand Inquisitor in Dostoyevsky's The Brothers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/now-religion-professes-a-special-role-in-the-protection-and/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [If religion is only human, and its form is man's form, it follows that everything in religion is true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-chartier/if-religion-is-only-human-and-its-form-is-man-s-form-it-follows-that/) [Emile Chartier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-chartier/) > [There's something in every atheist, itching to believe, and something in every believer, itching to doubt. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Second Neurotic's Notebook, 1966 Religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/there-s-something-in-every-atheist-itching-to-believe-and-something/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [I'm a king without a crown, a scream without a sound, a master of disaster, and the sin to all religion... Always be true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-timbre/i-m-a-king-without-a-crown-a-scream-without-a-sound-a-master-of/) [Jamie Timbre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-timbre/) > [Whether religion be true or false, it must be necessarily granted to be the only wise principle and safe hypothesis for a man to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tillotson/whether-religion-be-true-or-false-it-must-be-necessarily-granted-to/) [John Tillotson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tillotson/) > [“HAN Ha, ha! Thy errant systems of belief— Thy weapons ancient, all thy mysteries, Thy robes and meditations o’er the air, Thy superstitions, e’en…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-doescher/han-ha-ha-thy-errant-systems-of-belief-thy-weapons-ancient-all-thy/) [Ian Doescher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-doescher/) > [“In every religion; a true love is the love for the God, in mine it is for you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/in-every-religion-a-true-love-is-the-love-for-the-god-in-mine-it-is/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [“I look upon the redmen to be quite as human as we are ourselves, Hurry. They have their gifts, and their religion, it's true;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenimore-cooper/i-look-upon-the-redmen-to-be-quite-as-human-as-we-are-ourselves-hurry/) [James Fenimore Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenimore-cooper/) > [To be mistaken in believing that the Christian religion is true is no great loss to anyone; but how dreadful to be mistaken in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/to-be-mistaken-in-believing-that-the-christian-religion-is-true-is-no/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [Religion, it is true, still possesses the huge if cumbersome and unwieldy advantage of having come first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/religion-it-is-true-still-possesses-the-huge-if-cumbersome-and/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Religion is not about accepting twenty impossible propositions before breakfast, but about doing things that change you. It is a moral aesthetic, an ethical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/religion-is-not-about-accepting-twenty-impossible-propositions-before/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [“Why is it that, for one religion to be true, all other religions have to be false!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/why-is-it-that-for-one-religion-to-be-true-all-other-religions-have/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [True to my religion, true everything Im too different. So when I die, bury me next to 2 bitches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/2-chainz/true-to-my-religion-true-everything-im-too-different-so-when-i-die/) [2 Chainz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/2-chainz/) > [It is not the legitimate province of the Legislature to determine which religion is true, or what false. Our government is a civil, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-mentor-johnson/it-is-not-the-legitimate-province-of-the-legislature-to-determine/) [Richard Mentor Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-mentor-johnson/) ## More by Martin Luther King, Jr > [The strong man holds in a living blend strongly marked opposites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-strong-man-holds-in-a-living-blend-strongly-marked-opposites/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Our nation was born in genocide when it embraced the doctrine that the original American, the Indian, was an inferior race. ... We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/our-nation-was-born-in-genocide-when-it-embraced-the-doctrine-that/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Somewhere somebody must have some sense. Men must see that force begets force, hate begets hate, toughness begets toughness. And it is all a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/somewhere-somebody-must-have-some-sense-men-must-see-that-force/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Every genuine expression of love grows out of a consistent and total surrender to God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/every-genuine-expression-of-love-grows-out-of-a-consistent-and-total/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character--that is the goal of true education. The complete education gives one not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/we-must-remember-that-intelligence-is-not-enough-intelligence-plus/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [I’ve been to the Mountaintop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/i-ve-been-to-the-mountaintop/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The supreme task is to organize and unite people so that their anger becomes a transforming force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-supreme-task-is-to-organize-and-unite-people-so-that-their-anger/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The great issue of life is to harness the drum major instinct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-great-issue-of-life-is-to-harness-the-drum-major-instinct/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Somebody must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate and the chain of evil in the universe. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/somebody-must-have-sense-enough-and-morality-enough-to-cut-off-the/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Darkness is only driven out with light, not more darkness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/darkness-is-only-driven-out-with-light-not-more-darkness/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [What seems so necessary today may not even be desirable tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/what-seems-so-necessary-today-may-not-even-be-desirable-tomorrow/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The Negro cannot win the respect of his oppressor by acquiescing; he merely increases the oppressor's arrogance and contempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-negro-cannot-win-the-respect-of-his-oppressor-by-acquiescing-he/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The majority of the Negroes who took part in the year-long boycott of Montgomery's buses were poor and untutored; but they understood the essence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-majority-of-the-negroes-who-took-part-in-the-year-long-boycott-of/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Whenever you are engaged in work that serves humanity and is for the building of humanity, it has dignity and it has worth,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/whenever-you-are-engaged-in-work-that-serves-humanity-and-is-for-the/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/i-have-a-dream-that-one-day-even-the-state-of-mississippi-a-desert/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) [Explore all 1,210 Martin Luther King, Jr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) ## More Concerned quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [Right now we're concerned about budget. Right now we're concerned about the prospect of interest rate rise. We're concerned about government corruption, government handing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/right-now-we-re-concerned-about-budget-right-now-we-re-concerned/) [Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/) > [As far as Im concerned, I didnt dream - ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-sturgeon/as-far-as-im-concerned-i-didnt-dream-ever/) [Theodore Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-sturgeon/) > [I am not the avant-garde. I am the artist who comes after the advancing guard. I am more concerned with continuity of ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-oliveira/i-am-not-the-avant-garde-i-am-the-artist-who-comes-after-the/) [Nathan Oliveira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-oliveira/) > [What I was concerned about when I wrote the 'Downward Spiral' record was being a self-centred destructive force. The point was tearing down everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-reznor/what-i-was-concerned-about-when-i-wrote-the-downward-spiral-record/) [Trent Reznor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-reznor/) > [Listening is a very active awareness of the coming together of at least two lives. Listening, as far as I'm concerned, is certainly a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/listening-is-a-very-active-awareness-of-the-coming-together-of-at/) [Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/) > [I am no different from a lot of people. I am concerned for the future of my children and concerned for the future of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barnes/i-am-no-different-from-a-lot-of-people-i-am-concerned-for-the-future/) [John Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barnes/) > [As far as Japan is concerned, I want to help all of our allies, but we are losing billions and billions of dollars. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/as-far-as-japan-is-concerned-i-want-to-help-all-of-our-allies-but-we/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [The time has come when the whole world must be concerned about me. From now on, American Christianity must follow me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-myung-moon/the-time-has-come-when-the-whole-world-must-be-concerned-about-me/) [Sun Myung Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-myung-moon/) > [If you read 'Lord of the Rings' and dismiss it as a lie because it has orcs and elves, you're missing the whole point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/if-you-read-lord-of-the-rings-and-dismiss-it-as-a-lie-because-it-has/) [Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/) > [Ideal for the child and society in the best of times, Rudolf Steiner's brilliant process of education is critically needed and profoundly relevant now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-chilton-pearce/ideal-for-the-child-and-society-in-the-best-of-times-rudolf-steiner-s/) [Joseph Chilton Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-chilton-pearce/) > [I feel like I won the Lotto, as far as that show's concerned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-gallagher/i-feel-like-i-won-the-lotto-as-far-as-that-show-s-concerned/) [Peter Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-gallagher/) > [I was strictly after hits when it came down to the Jackson 5. That's all I was concerned with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deke-richards/i-was-strictly-after-hits-when-it-came-down-to-the-jackson-5-that-s/) Deke Richards > [“Is something bothering you, Sam?” Nixon asked with a deep furrow between his concerned chocolate eyes. “You mean besides the dead body lying in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-t-dyllin/is-something-bothering-you-sam-nixon-asked-with-a-deep-furrow-between/) [D.T. Dyllin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-t-dyllin/) > [When I was in my teens I had a series of intensely religious experiences. They deepened my sense of God as the creator of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-linzey/when-i-was-in-my-teens-i-had-a-series-of-intensely-religious/) [Andrew Linzey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-linzey/) Browse all 3,551 Concerned quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A religion true to its nature must also be concerned about man's social conditions…A ny religion that professes to be concerned with the souls of men and is not concerned with the slums that damn them, the economic conditions that strangle them, and the social conditions that cripple them is a dry-as-dust religion.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Martin Luther King, Jr" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/a-religion-true-to-its-nature-must-also-be-concerned-about-man-s/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Concerned" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/a-religion-true-to-its-nature-must-also-be-concerned-about-man-s/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/974/martin-luther-king-jr-127_concerned_a-religion-true-to-its-nature-must-also_1930714.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/974/martin-luther-king-jr-127_concerned_a-religion-true-to-its-nature-must-also_1930714.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/974/martin-luther-king-jr-127_concerned_a-religion-true-to-its-nature-must-also_1930714.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A religion true to its nature must also be concerned about man's social conditions…A ny religion that…” — Martin Luther King, Jr", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Martin Luther King, Jr", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A religion true to its nature...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/a-religion-true-to-its-nature-must-also-be-concerned-about-man-s/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/a-religion-true-to-its-nature-must-also-be-concerned-about-man-s/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```