Yesterday evening someone posted this quote on a friend’s Facebook wall, and I, like so many others, liked it. It has taken off like wildfire…and it’s a fake!
“I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, 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.”
–Martin Luther King, Jr.
It does sound like something MLK would have said…and here is a sermon he delivered about loving one’s enemies, which is probably its inspiration. But leave it to some joker to develop a fake quote and, like a virus, see how quickly it will spread on the internet.