Just today the House of Delegates in the State of Virginia passed a resolution expressing regret in its part in slavery. I would have laughed really hard had I not been so shocked and disgusted. Slavery, while it was unfortunate, has a unique place in our history and was no less than necessary. Truth be told, there was no obligation compelling the States or the federal government to abolish slavery, and nothing essentially unconstitutional about owning slaves. It was, in fact, written seamlessly into the constitution to allow for the progress and financial growth of the new nation.
As a Christian, I believe slavery is unacceptable, as we are told in Galatians 3:28 that all are equal in the kingdom of God, however, Paul instructed a great man of God and a leader in the Church named Onesimus to treat his slave as a brother in Christ. As we are told in 1 Corinthians 6:12 that all things under Christ are lawful, but not all things are profitable.
Having said that, I don’t feel it necessary to offer an apology for slavery, especially since there are none alive today that were at any time slaves. This is as ridiculous as the reparations given to Japanese-Americans where were interned during WWII. Frankly, such measures were necessary to the war effort. Will we now give reparations to the descendants of slaves? We are literally 7 generations removed from the likes of a situation over which none of us alive today had any control.
Instead of seeking retroactive compensation for an evil of miniscule proportions, it would serve the black community better if they would seek to reinvent themselves and find it within there own frame to better their state, as Mr. Cosby pointed out in his address to the Graduates of Berkley in 2005. It is time to cease the endless cry for public assistance, and the time has risen for blacks – not a hyphenated nationality known as African-Americans – to support themselves.
Slavery is no more a mere memory than was the Louisiana Purchase, however, its effects are not nearly as long lasting, as the territories have given rise to great centers of industry and progress. Slavery is dead.
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"Slavery, while it was unfortunate, has a unique place in our history and was no less than necessary."
I highly doubt that
"Truth be told, there was no obligation compelling the States or the federal government to abolish slavery, and nothing essentially unconstitutional about owning slaves."
Maybe not in the constitution but in the Declaration of Independence, there was this line: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness".
"As a Christian, I believe slavery is unacceptable..."
So would you feel differently if you weren't? I think it's unacceptable as a person, as a human being, not because some religion told me it was bad. It shouldn't matter if you are Christian or not.
"Slavery is no more a mere memory than was the Louisiana Purchase, however, its effects are not nearly as long lasting, as the territories have given rise to great centers of industry and progress."
But people are still facing the effects of that ie: racism, prejudice,etc.
"Slavery is dead"
Well, duh :)
~Peace, Life, and Love~
Okay, yes the US participated in slavery, but how about the Africans that traded each other in to the Euopeans for goods? How about the Europeans who made all of the money from the slave trade? Why should one state apologize for something SO many participated in?
I think that they should have a right to an apology and the fact that it takes this long for the government to admit that what it did was wrong is sad.
The apology should have been made long ago. Blacks are still paying the price for slavery. Not only is it worthy of an apology but much more. The only thing unfortunate is that your fail to realize that.
So the Portuguese government should issue an apology too then, they did the most slave trading. And the tribes of Africa should apologize too since they often sold each other into the practice. Brazil had a slave based plantation economy when it was first founded, so they should apologize too. How about England, they owned colonies based on slave labor... The Egyptians held the Jews as slaves, they should apologize for what they did....
Do you guys really think this is going to happen? In theory, it's a good idea, but it's not practical. And, if you want to make it right, than make the whole thing right. As I said before, why should one state apologize when so many others participated too? You can't go halfway, everyone has to apologize or no one does.
Very true, I think all should apologize, but it's called being the bigger man or...er country or whatever.
~Peace, Life, and Love~
You are a Christian and you are disgusted by the apology, something dont smell right about that.
To whom shall we apologize? To the Great-great-great-great-great-grandchildren of slaves? Shall we make apologies for every unfortunate event in history? How about Ghengis Khan's Regimes and conquests through eastern asia? I'm sure he should have much about which to make amends. Or how about The British House of Lords who, after having promised the Governor of Jerusalem in 1919 to create Palestinian homeland gave that same land to the newly emergent Zionists? I think Tony Blair should, on national television apologize to my family in particular, a family displaced because of the building of the Wall in Israel. Doesn't that seem only right? Or is it because blacks think they can weasle some more public assistance and unearned benefits out of this whole fiasco.
In an age of rehab and closedmindedness (mainly that of the leftists who refuse to believe that morality has any place in public), I am not going to hush the simple truths which have built this country. Gays are going to hell, Dick Clark is old as hell, and reparations--as well as APOLOGIES-are rediculous. There is no one to whom an apology can be made. Blacks don't suffer because of slavery, they suffer from apathy and slothfulness.
"I am not going to hush the simple truths which have built this country."
All I can really say is that there is an ongoing argument regarding the foundations of this country being secular, not religious, so I guess it would depend on what you mean by "built".
"Gays are going to hell,"
Well, this doesn't qualify as a truth; this is an opinion most likely formed from moral beliefs based on religion (which in itself cannot even be proven to be true). I don't mean this to in any way belittle your own beliefs; only that you can't really claim them to be true in all situations regarding all people.
"Dick Clark is old as hell,"
Yes, but I highly doubt our country was built on him and his age :)
"and reparations--as well as APOLOGIES-are rediculous."
Reparations I agree with you on, but a general apology for taking part in something, I don't see as a big problem; Now if they were trying to make personable apologies to each and every individual who's ancesters suffered from slavery in Virginia - that would be going a bit overboard.
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"Dream as though you'll live forever, but live as though there's no tomorrow" --James Dean
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/fanaile-essence
"As a Christian, I believe slavery is unacceptable" - I'm sorry, but I really hate it when people use this line of reasoning; since it's obvious that I as a non Christian seem to remember these passages much more accurately...
A lot of the Bible condones slavery - although it does state specifically that no *Jew* may be held as a slave...
But it does, basically, state that anyone else can - additionally, it even says you can beat the slave without fear of punishment so long as the slave heals within a couple of days:
Exodus 21:20
"Anyone who beats their male or female slave with a rod must be punished if the slave dies as a direct result,
Exodus 21:21
but they are not to be punished if the slave recovers after a day or two, since the slave is their property.
Exodus 21:26
"An owner who hits a male or female slave in the eye and destroys it must let the slave go free to compensate for the eye.
Exodus 21:27
And an owner who knocks out the tooth of a male or female slave must let the slave go free to compensate for the tooth.
Exodus 21:32
If the bull gores a male or female slave, the owner must pay thirty shekels of silver to the master of the slave, and the bull is to be stoned to death.
So, obviously, if you're against slavery or find it unacceptable - it has nothing to do with the fact that you're Christian; it would have to do with the fact that you're a compassionate human being.
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"Dream as though you'll live forever, but live as though there's no tomorrow" --James Dean
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/fanaile-essence
The Mosaic Law was, as was our constitution, prolific and detailed in its description of the relationship between masters and slaves. the New Testament, however, repeats itself in its affirmation of the equality of life and our individual value to Christ. Two different things. Two different laws. Jews were not allowed to use different cuts of fabric in the same garment, something that has also been abolished under Christ.
Unfortunately, with respect to the bible most of it is coming from you.
(1) The New Testament NEVER condemns slavery. It is true that Paul says that slaves and masters are equal in the sight of God (Galatians 3:28). But that is quite different from saying that slavery is a bad thing.
Paul also says it is the will of God for slaves to obey their earthly masters (Ephesians 6:5-6 & repeated in Colossans 3:22). The direct implication of this is that God condones slavery.
(2) With regard to Onesimus, Onesimus was not a slave-holder ... he was the slave. The slave holder was Philemon (the story is in Paul's epistle to Philemon). Onesimus had run away from Philemon. He had come to Paul and evidently helped him out while Paul was in prison. Paul was sending Onesimus back to Philemon with a plea that Philemon be nice to him.
But again this is not a rejection of slavery.
(3) 1 Corinthians 6:12 has absolutely nothing to do with slavery.
(4) Concerning Mosaic Law vs Jesus's covenant. There are places in the Gospels where Jesus does appear to be contradicting the Torah (or as the New Testament refers to it, the Law). But also in Matthew 5:17-18 Jesus supposedly says that no a single letter of the law has been changed. In other words, everything is still in effect.
Paul certainly had problems with the Law. He was in the business of converting Pagans. He found the requirement for circumcision and proscriptions on what could and could not be eaten to be big obstacles in his success. So he advocated the Law be overturned. This got him in trouble with the Jewish Apostles (like James and Peter) and caused a lot of friction.
But that was Paul, not Jesus. It is debateable about how much of Jesus's teachings Paul actually knew. Although he does refer to Jesus, he never refers to anything that Jesus specifically taught.
Regards,
Darwin's Beagle
In Acts 15 Paul and several other apostles and bishops in the church in Jerusalem met to discuss the issue of the old law and its reaches and sway over gentile converts. Only four principles from the old law remained: "that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell."
This does not contrast Jesus, as Jesus came to complete the law, not to change it. His self sacrifice was the fulfillment of the law (Matthew 5:17). The NT does not specifically denounce slavery, but it is clear by the descriptions given of the integral relationships of human beings and of christians that--at least in the church--there is no room for slavery. However, It is possible for A christian to have slaves and still be obedient, as was the case of Philemon. As well, A man may be married to more than woman if he so chooses, and also still be obedient to the word of God (a woman, however, cannot remarry after a divorce unless it is lawful and broken by her husband). This is not, however, how God intended things. He desires equality, as is expressed with the parable of the publican and the pauline letters.
"Slavery is no more a mere memory than was the Louisiana Purchase, however, its effects are not nearly as long lasting, as the territories have given rise to great centers of industry and progress. Slavery is dead."
First, memories can still be as painful as the experience.
Secondly, slavery is not dead. Men, women, and children are being bought and sold for less money now than any time in history. The only difference is today, we do not see it directly. They are not working on plantations anymore, but in brothels and in private homes.
I agree with the fact that white people today do not need to feel sorry for slavery because it is a thing of the PAST. As a young African American, I don't think to myself after seeing every white person that "your ancestors may have been slave owners" NO that's not logical. The only thing we can do now is try to remove racism from our lives. Racism is the only thing that has come out of slavery which is the problem we are facing today. The only thing people have to be sorry for is still being ignorant and racist. Like you said, people should not have to be sorry for slavery.
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"Is it true, said Candide, that people in Paris are always laughing?"
-Voltaire