[Vision2020] Shrill Crusade

[Garrett Clevenger]

Slave:

\Slave\, n. [Cf. F. esclave, D. slaaf, Dan. slave, sclave, Sw. slaf, all fr. 
G. sklave, MHG. also slave, from the national name of the Slavonians, or 
Sclavonians (in LL. Slavi or Sclavi), who were frequently made slaves by the 
Germans. See Slav.] 1. A person who is held in bondage to another; one who 
is wholly subject to the will of another; one who is held as a chattel; one 
who has no freedom of action, but whose person and services are wholly under 
the control of another.  Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 
1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.

I'm assuming this is the definition we are discussing.

Will you be my slave, Douglas Wilson?  If not, why?

Not that I would want to own a slave, though.  That goes against my morals 
(yes, Douglas, I have morals-n : motivation based on ideas of right and 
wrong [syn: ethical motive, ethics, morality]Source: WordNet ® 1.6, © 1997 
Princeton University) perhaps because I was raised Christian, perhaps from 
an inherent source.  I believe it is wrong to force another into slavery 
because I have empathy and do not like seeing others suffer.

Our society would not function if people didn't have morals because, for 
one, you'd have some people wanting to make slaves out of other people.  
Morals can result from a humanistic belief, as well as other religious 
beliefs.  It can even be an American or constitutional belief.  Christians, 
Jews, Muslims or Buddhists do not hold a monopoly on morality or God.  Only 
arrogance would assume morality or God speaks only to the group one belongs 
to or that one person or book is the spokesperson for morality or God.

Not everything is relative and not everything is rigid.  One relative thing 
is people's view towards slavery, as seen by this discussion.  One rigid 
thing is that people don't enjoy having to do things against their will.  
Sometimes that's alright, as in a child having to clean his room.  
Sometimes, that's wrong, as in forcing a person into slavery.

Where is your conscience, Douglas?  Do you think slavery is alright because 
the bible condones it, or do you think it is inherently alright?  Is that 
what you believe deep down?  If so, why?

My favorite teaching of Jesus is his teaching of the Golden Rule: do unto 
others as you would have done unto you.  I would not want to be your slave, 
thus I would never make you my slave, regardless that the bible condones it 
and that this thus contradicts the bible.

Love, Douglas, your neighbors as your brothers and sisters, because we are 
one big opinionated family in the grand scheme of things.  It seems better 
to help one another than to hurt one another as slavery absolutely does.  Or 
do you think that is relative?

The bottom line is we are all (hopefully) learning to become better humans 
through our journey through life.  Debating relativism or absolutism, may 
help that, but those are divisive words.  We all also have things we can 
share to make our growth occur, regardless of the religion, race or culture 
we proclaim.  So as one member of your family, brother Douglas, may I 
suggest that your archaic notion of slavery perhaps should be updated?  
Unless, of course, you'd be willing to become my slave...

For Freedom for All,

Garrett Clevenger

http://www.icehouse.net/garrett

"What are we doing to our Family?!:("

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