Tag: slavery

HELLO FREE THINKERS

INTRODUCTION:

Welcome! You are about to embark on a journey that will free your mind from the toxicity of a one-sided environment.

We will give you thought-provoking opinions, viewpoints, comments, insights, and perspectives from various walks of life and ages.

Our aim is not only to show different viewpoints but also to spark curiosity. We strive to inspire deeper discussions that can enrich your understanding of the topics at hand in hopes that it will encourage critical thinking.

Thank you for joining the journey and freeing your mind.

Now, let’s get into it.

Topic: Slavery Through the Ages (continued).

Slavery, it would seem, goes back to the beginning of time. As much as I do not want to bring religion into this, I surely must. Because the Bible includes extensive references to slavery. Slavery was a common practice in Ancient times, yet, it would seem, it still is. We will get into that later.

The Bible outlines the legal status of slaves. It describes their economic roles and the types of slavery. Debt slavery, was prevalent in ancient Israel, as was Hebrew indentured servitude. The Old Testament gives specific instructions on the treatment of slaves. These instructions are in Exodus 21:2-11 and Leviticus 25:39-42.

The Bible explicitly allows for the ownership of slaves from other nations. This is seen in Leviticus 25:44-46. It states that Israelite’s can purchase slaves from neighboring nations. They could treat them as property that can be passed down to their children.

Now the New Testament does not explicitly condemn slavery. It instead focuses on the moral conduct of both slaves and slave owners. Some passages instruct slaves to obey their masters. These include Ephesians 6:5-9, Colossians 3:22-4:1, 1 Timothy 6:1-2, Titus 2:9-10, and 1 Peter 2:18-20. These passages emphasize the importance of mutual respect and fair treatment.

The Bible certainly acknowledges slavery. It really does not explicitly condemn it. There are still ongoing discussions about its moral implications that are brought into modern society.

Yes, I know, I have regressed. But to move forward, one must look back to the past. This reflection shows that slavery has a beginning and is ever-enduring.

Did you know the Bible contained and condoned slavery? Many Theologians knew the Bible contained slavery. Did they or others use it to their advantage or did they try to prevent it? What other thoughts come to mind about slavery in the Bible?

Time to think for yourself.

More on this topic to come.

HELLO FREE THINKERS

The current image has no alternative text. The file name is: pexels-photo-207489.jpeg

INTRODUCTION:

Welcome! You are about to embark on a journey that will free your mind from the toxicity of a one-sided environment.

We will give you thought-provoking opinions, viewpoints, comments, insights, and perspectives from various walks of life and ages.

Our aim is not only to show different viewpoints but also to spark curiosity. We strive to inspire deeper discussions that can enrich your understanding of the topics at hand in hopes that it will encourage critical thinking

Thank you for joining the journey and freeing your mind.

Now, let’s get into it.

Topic: Slavery through the ages.

There have been many talks through the years about slavery, mostly focusing on African Americans. But, what is not mentioned is the slavery of Native Americans and White children.

With this country’s beginnings, many good things occurred and many bad things as well. Christopher Columbus completed his journey across the Atlantic Ocean on October 12, 1492. He thought he landed in the “New World.” It was actually an island he named San Salvador. This island is now part of the Bahamas.

But now, immense controversy has arisen over the Columbus holiday. There are discussions about the Age of Exploration, the transformations that occurred, and the injustices done to Native Americans/Indigenous people.

Many countries across the world celebrate Columbus Day. It is typically a celebration of Italian/Italian-American cultural heritage. But, it goes beyond this. “The origins of Columbus Day are closely tied to the lynching of Italian Americans in New Orleans in 1891.” (snippets from an AI-generated question).

On March 14, 1891, as a mob of thousands stormed the Orleans Parish Prison, they murdered 11 Italian immigrants. These individuals were either acquitted or falsely implicated in the murder of New Orleans Police Chief David Hennessy. This event triggered intense anti-Italian sentiment and a diplomatic crisis between the U.S. and Italy. To ease tensions, President Benjamin Harrison took action. He wanted to gain favor with Italian Americans. He declared Columbus Day as a one-day national celebration. (snippets generated from an AI question then rearranged for clarity by me, the narrator).

Today many states are changing Columbus Day to Indigenous People’s Day or Native American Day. But why step on one culture to favor another? Why not have a separate day for the Indigenous people’s culture?

But what exactly happened? What did Columbus do back in the 1400s to the Natives? Has anyone thought of this? Or have you just listened to what has been taught through the years? We do know that the Native people were met with violence, brutality, forced labor, and sold to Spain as slaves. So what did the Natives do? Why, they revolted, of course. Then all hell broke loose and sadly, Columbus killed many Natives in response.

Many people think that diseases originated in this country. They did not. Native Americans were of the nomad type. They moved from place to place to not take more than they needed then moved along again. They were clean people and bathed often. They knew of no diseases until the arrival of Europeans who brought with them, smallpox, measles, and influenza.

With all of this said, did you know about the Italians and the lynching? What about Columbus? Did you know how diseases got started in this country? What are your thoughts now about Columbus Day? Do you think that Columbus Day should be taken away in favor of Indigenous people? Or should they have their own separate day?

Time to think for yourself.

More on this topic to come.