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Welcome to Varied Expressions of Worship

Welcome to Varied Expressions of Worship

This blog will be written from an orthodox Christian point of view. There may be some topic that is out of bounds, but at present I don't know what it will be. Politics is a part of life. Theology and philosophy are disciplines that we all participate in even if we don't think so. The Bible has a lot to say about economics. How about self defense? Is war ethical? Think of all the things that someone tells you we should not touch and let's give it a try. Everything that is a part of life should be an expression of worship.

Keep it courteous and be kind to those less blessed than you, but by all means don't worry about agreeing. We learn more when we get backed into a corner.

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Opus 2014-13: Founders: The Legacy of Slavery, part 4 of 6

Slavery has a destructive effect on the owners of slaves.  Mason continues,
“They produce the most pernicious effect on manners. Every master of slaves is born a petty tyrant.”
There is something about having absolute control over another human being that brings out the worst in some people.  Slaves were treated in ways that free labor would never tolerate.

One reason that slavery died out in Christian Europe and was the teaching of the Bible.  Nowhere is slavery condemned in Christianity or any other major world religion but the conditions put on it were such that you could not maintain the relationship.  We see this in the letter of Paul to Philemon.  Paul had come across an escaped slave name Onesimus who had become a Christian.  He and Paul worked together in Rome but then Paul realized that he needed to return to his master, who was also a Christian.  When Paul sends him back he includes the letter we have.  In it he says to Philemon,
(Phm 1:15-18 NAS77)  For perhaps he was for this reason parted from you for a while, that you should have him back forever, no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.  If then you regard me a partner, accept him as you would me.  But if he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account;
He was sent back as a slave but was to be treated as a brother.  This kind of attitude makes it pretty hard to maintain slaves.

Slavery allows the sinful nature of all human beings free reign.  It gives us the idea we are superior and have the right to inflict pain on others.  It gives us the idea that others exist for our pleasure and exploitation. 

This is an attitude that Americans have rejected just as we led the way in rejecting slavery.

To be continued...

homo unius libri

2 comments:

  1. Sadly, we are returning slowly to that mentality.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And so many people seem to thrive when treated this way. If liberty really that scary to people.

      Grace and peace.

      Delete

Comments are welcome. Feel free to agree or disagree but keep it clean, courteous and short. I heard some shorthand on a podcast: TLDR, Too long, didn't read.