Refer to Explorations in Literature for a complete version of the text.

Read this sentence from "A Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King Jr.:

We will win our freedom because the sacred heritage of our nation and the eternal will of God are embodied in our echoing demands.

Which statement best explains how the word sacred affects the meaning of the speech?

It explains King's reasons for addressing his letter to the leaders of several churches in Birmingham rather than the city's political officials.
It conveys King's belief that the goals of the Civil Rights Movement are pure and just in the same way that America's founding ideals are pure and just.
It expresses King's position that America's original sin of slavery must be absolved before progress can occur.
It suggests King's view that the goals of the Civil Rights Movement can only be achieved with the help of religious or spiritual leaders like himself.