Galatians 5:1
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Slavery takes many forms but I want to concentrate on the following definition:
Submission to a dominating influence
As with any controversial subject, the discussion revolves around the defining terms. In our case “submission” and “dominating influence” are the terms. Let’s discuss submission in terms of our founding fathers’ viewpoint. Everyone is familiar with “No Taxation without Representation”. In George Washington’s mind, this was the essence of why he fought. It was not about paying taxes: it was about slavery. If you have no representation in government but are taxed to support it, the government is taking a portion of the fruits of your labor and you are receiving nothing in return. This was simple: any portion of your time (labor) that is confiscated is time that you are enslaved. Any portion of your life that is enslaved means that you are bound in slavery: freedom is an absolute condition. Since Christ set us free, no man or government has the right to infringe upon it.
First, let me state that slavery in any form is evil and must be fought in our country and condemned in other countries. So how did a Christian nation initially justify slavery? How did our forefathers justify slavery if Christ set us free? They argued that any person living in the colonies who was not born here and was not Christian in their original country was a heathen. This “qualification” meant that they could never become an English citizen and had no rights which became the justification for slavery.
At that time, race played no role in who was a slave. This is easily proven since the first court case justifying “indefinite indentured service” or slavery was Johnson v. Parker in Virginia. Mr. Johnson won the case and John Casor became the first slave in the colonies in 1655. Both Mr. Johnson and Mr. Casor were “Negros” originally from Africa.
The “Christians” at this time practiced religious freedom only in the sense that Protestant religions were acceptable. Anti-Catholic sentiment was the norm throughout the colonies. The point being twofold:
- Slavery was justified by whether a person was originally a Christian.
- Religious freedom was only extended to Protestants at that time.
Today, Christians practice what the Bible teaches: anyone can accept Jesus Christ as their savior. No limitations are put on who can receive the gift salvation from God. Therefore, Christians can never justify or accept slavery. It also shows that our nation never intended religious freedom for all religions as our “government” forces us to accept through laws. Our founders would never have accepted a representative sworn into office using the Koran.
So what can justify slavery today? To a Christian, nothing can justify slavery: freedom is a natural law granted to us by God. So only those who attack natural law (God) are supporting slavery. The federal government uses the labels “domestic terrorist” and “sovereign citizen” to vilify those who believe in natural law. Why? To keep us enslaved through excessive taxation, laws and regulations. To marginalize our Christian faith by transferring it to submission to their dominating influence.
None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
There is no doubt that a tax rate of over 50% on half of the people is slavery. So who are our masters? The other 50% who receive the fruits of our labor. An example recently given to me proves this point. The average family receiving government aid in California is $37,160 – compared to pre-taxed wages. The average savings account interest rate as of August 16, 2013 is 0.21%. This average family in Californian is receiving the equivalent interest paid on a bank account of $17,695,238.10. In North Carolina, this would be equivalent to $12,266,666.67.
When will America break its chains of slavery? When we acknowledge that our God given right to freedom is a natural right that our “government” has denied us. When we acknowledge that the political process is broken and will not be fixed at the ballot box. When we stop submitting to a dominating influence: the federal government. Sometimes it takes someone looking from the outside to tell us the truth:
The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public’s money.
Alexis de Tocqueville
The day that de Tocqueville warned us is here. There is only one way to regain our freedom and that path starts with recognizing that freedom comes from God:
And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
That truth is simple but the path will be hard.
David DeGerolamo
“Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;” Ephesians 6:5
“And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.” Ephesians 6:9
Never did Jesus Christ call for the jews to throw off oppressive Roman rule, or rebel in any way, nor for slaves to rebel against masters. Resisting unGodly acts by government is one thing, but we know from Romans 13 that all authority has been established by God, which can be construed to mean, “you get the government you deserve”.
For a more nuanced look at slavery from a Christian perspective, you can read this series:
http://faithandheritage.com/2012/04/slavery-its-morality-history-and-implications-for-race-relations-in-america-part-1/
As I expected. Which is why this is only Part 1. Do you not think that our forefathers struggled with the same dilemma? And yet, not only did they decide to fight evil, they won a war that no one thought they would.
What was their biblical argument for revolution?
Why do you think I called this Part 1? You can buy “Sacred Scripture, Sacred War” also.