--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As a young man, Dr. King had aspired to…" description: "\"“As a young man, Dr. King had aspired to be a physician, and when I myself was choosing my path, it was King’s conviction, articulated in his 1963 book..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/869/willie-parker-13118_books_as-a-young-man-dr-king-had-aspired-to-be_3114393.jpg" --- # As a young man, Dr. King had aspired to be a physician… ![“As a young man, Dr. King had aspired to be a physician, and when I myself was choosing my path, it was King’s conviction, articulated in his 1963 book Strength to Love, that persuaded me that a life devoted to science posed no contradiction to my strong Christian faith. “Science gives man…” quote by Willie Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/869/willie-parker-13118_books_as-a-young-man-dr-king-had-aspired-to-be_3114393.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/869/willie-parker-13118_books_as-a-young-man-dr-king-had-aspired-to-be_3114393.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/869/willie-parker-13118_books_as-a-young-man-dr-king-had-aspired-to-be_3114393.jpg) > ““As a young man, Dr. King had aspired to be a physician, and when I myself was choosing my path, it was King’s conviction, articulated in his 1963 book Strength to Love, that persuaded me that a life devoted to science posed no contradiction to my strong Christian faith. “Science gives man knowledge, which is power,” he wrote. “Religion gives man wisdom, which is control. The two are not enemies.”” [Willie Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-parker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Science and religion can coexist, each offering different gifts: knowledge and power versus wisdom and control. **In simple terms:** Science gives power; religion gives wisdom. Key Takeaway Seek balance between empirical knowledge and spiritual insight. Themes faith science integration ethics purpose Mood contemplative inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career decision - personal belief - public discourse - education policy Key Concepts epistemology theology human flourishing Questions to Reflect On - Can scientific inquiry be fully aligned with religious belief? - What tensions arise when power and wisdom clash? A Different Perspective The quote mixes paraphrase and misattribution, potentially altering original intent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Christian faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-faith/) [Dr King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dr-king/) [Faith Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith-science/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Man Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-knowledge/) [Man Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-wisdom/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [Young man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-man/) ## Related quotes > [Science gives man knowledge which is power; religion gives man wisdom which is control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/science-gives-man-knowledge-which-is-power-religion-gives-man-wisdom/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [“He wants to dream like a young man with the wisdom of a old man, he wants his home and securities, he wants to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-seger/he-wants-to-dream-like-a-young-man-with-the-wisdom-of-a-old-man-he/) [Bob Seger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-seger/) > [Since I was an atheist for many years and came to believe in God through my studies in science, it frustrated me to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-clayton/since-i-was-an-atheist-for-many-years-and-came-to-believe-in-god/) [John Clayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-clayton/) > [I have said that science is impossible without faith. ... Inductive logic, the logic of Bacon, is rather something on which we can act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norbert-wiener/i-have-said-that-science-is-impossible-without-faith-inductive-logic/) [Norbert Wiener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norbert-wiener/) > [“It's a most peculiar psychology—this business of 'Science is based on faith too, so there!' Typically this is said by people who claim that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/it-s-a-most-peculiar-psychology-this-business-of-science-is-based-on/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [I do not find my Faith in others, in science, the stars, the heavens; I find it, within myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nickel/i-do-not-find-my-faith-in-others-in-science-the-stars-the-heavens-i/) [Eric Nickel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nickel/) > [Americans in particular are oddly innocent in their faith that science holds explanations for everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/americans-in-particular-are-oddly-innocent-in-their-faith-that/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [I've lost my faith in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bette-davis/i-ve-lost-my-faith-in-science/) [Bette Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bette-davis/) > [“My Faith in science is the belief of all that is …"noticeable" ...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesham-nebr/my-faith-in-science-is-the-belief-of-all-that-is-noticeable/) [Hesham Nebr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesham-nebr/) > [“Anarchy Evolution: Faith, Science and Bad Religion in a World Without God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-graffin/anarchy-evolution-faith-science-and-bad-religion-in-a-world-without/) [Greg Graffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-graffin/) > [Those whose thinking is disciplined by science, like all others, need a basis for the good life, for aspiration, for courage to do great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-compton/those-whose-thinking-is-disciplined-by-science-like-all-others-need-a/) [Arthur Compton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-compton/) > [Why do any of us act the way we do? Is it our beliefs or our biology that shapes us? Lauren Grodstein considers this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-lavalle/why-do-any-of-us-act-the-way-we-do-is-it-our-beliefs-or-our-biology/) [Victor LaValle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-lavalle/) > [“To me faith, science, poetry, all same, many lanes to lift our one humankind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/to-me-faith-science-poetry-all-same-many-lanes-to-lift-our-one/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [I have faith that science is a good thing. Seriously, I'd say that I am very much in awe of nature. In fact, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-m-church/i-have-faith-that-science-is-a-good-thing-seriously-i-d-say-that-i-am/) [George M. Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-m-church/) > [“Faith and science thus find themselves reconciled, not in the way of the scholastic, who claims to prove the reality of his dogmatic propositions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-benoist/faith-and-science-thus-find-themselves-reconciled-not-in-the-way-of/) [Alain de Benoist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-benoist/) ## More by Willie Parker > [“The best advocacy is always storytelling.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-parker/the-best-advocacy-is-always-storytelling/) [Willie Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-parker/) > [“To the point: A woman who wants to terminate her pregnancy has to make her decision in the context of a culture that shames…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-parker/to-the-point-a-woman-who-wants-to-terminate-her-pregnancy-has-to-make/) [Willie Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-parker/) > [ We can take that as a notion that we don't know exactly what \[Trump\] is going to do, but we can't afford to take… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-parker/we-can-take-that-as-a-notion-that-we-don-t-know-exactly-what-trump-is/) [Willie Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-parker/) > [“Now I see the Bible as it was written: the inspired word of God, but also a historical document preserving the ancient hegemony of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-parker/now-i-see-the-bible-as-it-was-written-the-inspired-word-of-god-but/) [Willie Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-parker/) > [“The political conversation about abortion has obliterated truth and crushed any nuanced understanding of what it means to live a human life. Abortion talk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-parker/the-political-conversation-about-abortion-has-obliterated-truth-and/) [Willie Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-parker/) > [“All that has happened to me fuels the compassion I need to do my work, for in my interactions with the women I treat,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-parker/all-that-has-happened-to-me-fuels-the-compassion-i-need-to-do-my-work/) [Willie Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-parker/) > [“I see no reason why a woman should feel herself deserving of a separation from God because of a decision she has to make.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-parker/i-see-no-reason-why-a-woman-should-feel-herself-deserving-of-a/) [Willie Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-parker/) > [“If a woman is not in control of her fertility, she is not in control of her life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-parker/if-a-woman-is-not-in-control-of-her-fertility-she-is-not-in-control/) [Willie Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-parker/) > [“It bears repeating: one in three American women have had abortions in their lifetime. I have probably done more than ten thousand abortions in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-parker/it-bears-repeating-one-in-three-american-women-have-had-abortions-in/) [Willie Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-parker/) > [“The way I see it, the attack on abortion rights is nothing less than an effort to put all women back in their place.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-parker/the-way-i-see-it-the-attack-on-abortion-rights-is-nothing-less-than/) [Willie Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-parker/) > [If you're making abortion illegal and undermining the various things that will allow the prevention of that need, it can only be a situation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-parker/if-you-re-making-abortion-illegal-and-undermining-the-various-things/) [Willie Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-parker/) > [There's also really no way of knowing what Donald Trump is going to do - he's been sufficiently vague in his policy positions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-parker/there-s-also-really-no-way-of-knowing-what-donald-trump-is-going-to/) [Willie Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-parker/) > [“It is my personal belief that the abhorrence of abortion expressed by the men who place themselves at the barricades in front of abortion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-parker/it-is-my-personal-belief-that-the-abhorrence-of-abortion-expressed-by/) [Willie Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-parker/) > [“The women who are matter-of-fact, or stoic, as they undergo this procedure far outnumber those who are anxious or tearful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-parker/the-women-who-are-matter-of-fact-or-stoic-as-they-undergo-this/) [Willie Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-parker/) > [“vow: I refuse to give in to fear. The truth is that I am more afraid of living a life of cowardice, of allowing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-parker/vow-i-refuse-to-give-in-to-fear-the-truth-is-that-i-am-more-afraid-of/) [Willie Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-parker/) [Explore all 51 Willie Parker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-parker/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) [Christopher K. Krebs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-k-krebs/) > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) [Markus Herz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-herz/) > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“As a young man, Dr. King had aspired to be a physician, and when I myself was choosing my path, it was King’s conviction, articulated in his 1963 book Strength to Love, that persuaded me that a life devoted to science posed no contradiction to my strong Christian faith. “Science gives man knowledge, which is power,” he wrote. “Religion gives man wisdom, which is control. The two are not enemies.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Willie Parker" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-parker/as-a-young-man-dr-king-had-aspired-to-be-a-physician-and-when-i/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-parker/as-a-young-man-dr-king-had-aspired-to-be-a-physician-and-when-i/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/869/willie-parker-13118_books_as-a-young-man-dr-king-had-aspired-to-be_3114393.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/869/willie-parker-13118_books_as-a-young-man-dr-king-had-aspired-to-be_3114393.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/869/willie-parker-13118_books_as-a-young-man-dr-king-had-aspired-to-be_3114393.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As a young man, Dr. King had aspired to be a physician, and when I myself was choosing my path, it was…” — Willie Parker", "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": "Willie Parker", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-parker/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“As a young man, Dr. King...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-parker/as-a-young-man-dr-king-had-aspired-to-be-a-physician-and-when-i/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-parker/as-a-young-man-dr-king-had-aspired-to-be-a-physician-and-when-i/#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 } } ] } ```