Comments on: Secularism http://heissailing.edublogs.org/2007/04/26/secularism/ someday, there may be a theme to all this Wed, 17 Jun 2009 01:32:24 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: heissailing http://heissailing.edublogs.org/2007/04/26/secularism/comment-page-2/#comment-1021 heissailing Thu, 10 May 2007 03:37:14 +0000 http://heissailing.edublogs.org/2007/04/26/secularism/#comment-1021 Thanks for the kind thoughts everyone. I am humbled that I have attracted a regular readership! I just needed a few weeks off to work out my beliefs on my own. I have just read *EVERY SINGLE REPLY* to this article! Just for the record, here are my 2 cents: The Bible unquestionably endorses slavery. The Bible never repeals slavery. Many many humans have used The Bible to justify the ownership of other humans. And many of them thought it was doing the poor Negro good, since the belief was that they were not smart enough to fend for themselves. Ever read 'Uncle Tom's Cabin'? Jesus also unquestionably taught us that the two greatest commandments were to Love God and Love our fellow humans. I really doubt Jesus, if asked, would have endorsed slavery, but to my knowledge, he never brought up the issue. The Radical Reformers of the 19th century picked up on that actively opposed slavery. I am talking here about Christian groups like The Quakers, the Amish, etc. So we have two competing moral values here. I end it there. I just see it that the human being, Christian or not, will interpret the Bible any way they wish to fit their own personal morality, even if the issue is slavery. The modern Christian who finds slavery abhorant, but faced with equally abhorant passages int he Old Testament will bend over backwards to harmonize those two competing values. Thanks for the kind thoughts everyone. I am humbled that I have attracted a regular readership! I just needed a few weeks off to work out my beliefs on my own.

I have just read *EVERY SINGLE REPLY* to this article! Just for the record, here are my 2 cents:

The Bible unquestionably endorses slavery. The Bible never repeals slavery. Many many humans have used The Bible to justify the ownership of other humans. And many of them thought it was doing the poor Negro good, since the belief was that they were not smart enough to fend for themselves. Ever read ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’?

Jesus also unquestionably taught us that the two greatest commandments were to Love God and Love our fellow humans. I really doubt Jesus, if asked, would have endorsed slavery, but to my knowledge, he never brought up the issue. The Radical Reformers of the 19th century picked up on that actively opposed slavery. I am talking here about Christian groups like The Quakers, the Amish, etc.

So we have two competing moral values here.

I end it there. I just see it that the human being, Christian or not, will interpret the Bible any way they wish to fit their own personal morality, even if the issue is slavery. The modern Christian who finds slavery abhorant, but faced with equally abhorant passages int he Old Testament will bend over backwards to harmonize those two competing values.

]]> By: societyvs http://heissailing.edublogs.org/2007/04/26/secularism/comment-page-2/#comment-1020 societyvs Thu, 10 May 2007 01:15:35 +0000 http://heissailing.edublogs.org/2007/04/26/secularism/#comment-1020 HIS, we love ya bro - I know you want the 100 comments (heck we all do) - but here's to thinking about ya! HIS, we love ya bro – I know you want the 100 comments (heck we all do) – but here’s to thinking about ya!

]]> By: Jim Jordan http://heissailing.edublogs.org/2007/04/26/secularism/comment-page-2/#comment-1016 Jim Jordan Wed, 09 May 2007 17:48:08 +0000 http://heissailing.edublogs.org/2007/04/26/secularism/#comment-1016 HIS - HeIsSleeping Hope to hear from you soon. :) HIS – HeIsSleeping
Hope to hear from you soon. :)

]]> By: JumpingFromConclusions http://heissailing.edublogs.org/2007/04/26/secularism/comment-page-2/#comment-1015 JumpingFromConclusions Wed, 09 May 2007 17:20:04 +0000 http://heissailing.edublogs.org/2007/04/26/secularism/#comment-1015 HIS, It's been a while. I hope you're doing alright! HIS,

It’s been a while. I hope you’re doing alright!

]]> By: societyvs http://heissailing.edublogs.org/2007/04/26/secularism/comment-page-2/#comment-1014 societyvs Wed, 09 May 2007 15:24:16 +0000 http://heissailing.edublogs.org/2007/04/26/secularism/#comment-1014 Does this mean that we 'the bad evil nieve slave defenders' actually win the right not to be considered that at all? Cause I think Christians are getting bad rap on this one. Does this mean that we ‘the bad evil nieve slave defenders’ actually win the right not to be considered that at all? Cause I think Christians are getting bad rap on this one.

]]> By: societyvs http://heissailing.edublogs.org/2007/04/26/secularism/comment-page-2/#comment-1013 societyvs Wed, 09 May 2007 15:21:54 +0000 http://heissailing.edublogs.org/2007/04/26/secularism/#comment-1013 One might also migth want to check Pslam 81. One might also migth want to check Pslam 81.

]]> By: jennypo http://heissailing.edublogs.org/2007/04/26/secularism/comment-page-2/#comment-1009 jennypo Wed, 09 May 2007 06:42:03 +0000 http://heissailing.edublogs.org/2007/04/26/secularism/#comment-1009 "Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people their rebellion and to the house of Jacob their sins. For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. they ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them. 'Why have we fasted,' they say, 'and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?' Yet on the day of yur fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers, Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for man to humble himself? Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed and for lying on sackloth and ? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord? Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter - when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? (Isaiah 58:1-7) “Shout it aloud, do not hold back.
Raise your voice like a trumpet.
Declare to my people their rebellion
and to the house of Jacob their sins.
For day after day they seek me out;
they seem eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that does what is right
and has not forsaken the commands of its God.
they ask me for just decisions
and seem eager for God to come near them.
‘Why have we fasted,’ they say,
‘and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves,
and you have not noticed?’

Yet on the day of yur fasting, you do as you please
and exploit all your workers,
Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and expect your voice to be heard on high.
Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for man to humble himself?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed
and for lying on sackloth and ?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the Lord?

Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter –
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

(Isaiah 58:1-7)

]]> By: Jim Jordan http://heissailing.edublogs.org/2007/04/26/secularism/comment-page-2/#comment-1007 Jim Jordan Wed, 09 May 2007 03:07:11 +0000 http://heissailing.edublogs.org/2007/04/26/secularism/#comment-1007 Good work, society As I was reading that I thought of how so-called Christian support for slavery has always been politically and economically motivated. Thanks particularly for the James 5:4 reference which directly forbids Christian participation in using unpaid labor. It should also be noted that the aboltion movement arose from evangelical Christianity with the likes of the Quaker preacher Thomas Clarkson and William Wilberforce. Good work, society
As I was reading that I thought of how so-called Christian support for slavery has always been politically and economically motivated. Thanks particularly for the James 5:4 reference which directly forbids Christian participation in using unpaid labor. It should also be noted that the aboltion movement arose from evangelical Christianity with the likes of the Quaker preacher Thomas Clarkson and William Wilberforce.

]]> By: Jennifer http://heissailing.edublogs.org/2007/04/26/secularism/comment-page-2/#comment-1005 Jennifer Wed, 09 May 2007 01:54:48 +0000 http://heissailing.edublogs.org/2007/04/26/secularism/#comment-1005 Um, that was me! Um, that was me!

]]> By: Anonymous http://heissailing.edublogs.org/2007/04/26/secularism/comment-page-2/#comment-1004 Anonymous Wed, 09 May 2007 01:53:33 +0000 http://heissailing.edublogs.org/2007/04/26/secularism/#comment-1004 WHOA!!!! 79 comments? Last time I was here this was a brand spanking new blog with like 5 readers. I bow to your excellency! :D LOL Seriously.....great job here. I love this definition of Secularism. Amazing that it was written in 1887! WHOA!!!! 79 comments? Last time I was here this was a brand spanking new blog with like 5 readers. I bow to your excellency! :D LOL Seriously…..great job here. I love this definition of Secularism. Amazing that it was written in 1887!

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