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Mara's avatar

I disagree vehemently that humans are more moral now.

In my view, human nature and society have not changed at all.

For instance, you claim that slavery is abolished but this is not truly so.

I would argue that it has been rebranded.

Historically, slaves were often captured through warfare or trapped in debts and then forced to work for nothing more than food and accommodation.

It was generally possible for a slave to buy their freedom if they could gather the funds to do so without being robbed. And the treatment of slaves on the whole was not as abusive as is often portrayed, since this would have caused too many deaths, but it certainly wasn't good.

I would argue that these exploitative practice were not abolished but displaced out of sight. For instance, crime syndicates, prisons, China, and others.

It is also true that individuals cannot own slaves, nor indeed use physical violence for any purpose. However the state can and does as I will explain.

If we look first at the prison system, we will see that many crimes are arbitrary with absurdly long terms, and that the process of arresting and imprisoning people is indistinguishable from kidnapping and trapping in cages.

Furthermore there is compulsory taxation, which is in effect, a protection racket. If you don't pay, then you are abducted.

And the system is devised so that you must pay a fixed amount plus a percentage ensuring that everyone contributes.

Moreover, one of the key characteristics of slavery is being paid so little for your work that you are unable to accumulate resources.

Slaves are paid with just enough food to sate their hunger and a place to sleep.

If we look at the majority of people across the world we will find that most are only just making enough money to buy food and pay rent.

The system is designed to ensure that most people are trapped in a never ending grind. It is functionally equivalent.

Some may argue here that they have a choice, they can leave a bad job and go to a better one. However, they can't trade a bad job for a better one if there are none available and nobody willing to hire them.

To begin with the fact that people need jobs is solely because everything is owned so nobody is allowed to live without paying the owners. But these people can never join the owners because they cannot accumulate enough wealth.

Finally there is the education system argument. But again, there can only be so many doctors or lawyers. Once the cutoff is made everyone else must settle for the other available roles.

The more people have diplomas on the job market, the more qualifications you'll need to compete with them.

The ratios are decided by the powerful and wealthy just as it was in antiquity.

Slavery existed long before it had a name, let alone before it was codified in law. It is a matter of where people are on an imaginary hierarchy, and there was just as much upward mobility then as now.

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THERESA GRAF's avatar

Very well written commentary. I completely understand and agree with you. Satan (whatever you call it, him) does rule the world and the puzzle pieces are complex. But you have found the source. The answer I found is to fix ME. The golden rule tells us how to treat each other. We are fundamentally flawed.

There is a "god" hole in every one of us. We have to find that source, go within. I did. I found a relationship with God.

Yes I grew up in church but over the years I began to see its flaws as well as I saw my own. I couch my statements in a Christian context, but I've moved beyond the need to engage in denominational and even nondenominational churches. Most of the evangelical churches nowadays are led by the nose. By what or whom? The Schofield Bible bears much of the responsibility.

I'm 66 years old, almost 67 now and I've found that until I heal myself, I can't begin to help the world. One by one we have to get back to "the garden" and find love for one another.

God bless you! I pray that you will continue to work through your faith and growth. This world is not the only one. When you die YOU go on!

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