Just do it!

I was reminded over the weekend that not that long ago there was a detestable immoral practice that was widely accepted by the entire world. The people who tried to speak out against it were treated as radicals and were persecuted to the point of actually being in danger of their lives. Most were religious people and are reminiscent of those individuals today whom the media refers to as right wing fanatical evangelicals who dare to speak out against abortion, genocide in Darfur and elsewhere, and stem cell research on embryos, or any other moral issue of consequence.

The practice to which I refer is slavery and I was reminded of this evil because I watched the movie Amazing Grace again over the weekend. The movie documents the efforts of a handful of people who fought for years to abolish slavery against terrible odds. Money was to be made in the sugar cane fields of the Indies and all of the major powers of the day, the British, French, and Americans created their empires based upon utilizing slavery as a means to increasing profit. It was “the economy stupid” mentality that perpetuated slavery far beyond its time.

I visited a museum in Key West and actually saw the shackles that slaves were shackled in and remnants of slave ships in which they were transported. I saw the actual drawings of the slave ships and it detailed how human beings (with souls and families of their own) were shackled below deck and stacked like cordwood. I could only imagine these vessels making a voyage through raging storms and the stench, disease, and misery that had to fill the bowels of those ships. When they arrived they were forced to work like animals in deplorable conditions treated as beasts of burden, all so the masses could have pure white sugar in which to sweeten their tea. It was an example of “pure” dark evil no doubt applauded by satan and perpetuated by man’s cruelty and sinful greedy nature left unchecked.

Unfortunately this silent moral majority trend continues today whereby we as a people are all too often silent when we should be vocal when it comes to speaking out against immoral practices; preferring to go along with the crowd instead of taking a stand against the evil of the day. The same holds true for taking a stand for Jesus Christ when we risk being called a radical right wing evangelical fanatic by the secular crowd that will surely disapprove. Kudos to those brave souls who took a stand against slavery! And don’t think this is something that happened eons ago; it was only about 300 years ago that slavery was thriving worldwide and in fact in some countries it still exists today. The next time you have an opportunity; stand up for what is morally right, (including when you vote), regardless of what the world thinks; do it!

Ecclesiastes 12:13
Fear God and keep His
commandments,
For this is man’s all.
For God will bring every work
into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good of evil.