Modern Day Slavery: The Battle for the Mind
When we think of slavery, especially here in America, we generally tend to be reminded of the horrible atrocities of American slave history; generally speaking, the early American settlers buying African slaves from Africans. There are many other ethnic groups who were also enslaved in America and throughout the world: the Irish, the Japanese, the Jews, the Chinese as well as others. Slavery, in and of itself, is a horrible practice because it deprives the enslaved from his/her God–given rights of liberty by force of another. But physical slavery, in America, has been outlawed for over 100 years by the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. However, there is another form of slavery that is legal and very prevalent in our society: Slavery of the Mind.
The 1926 Slavery Convention described slavery as "...the status and/or condition of a person over whom any or all of the powers attaching to the right of ownership are exercised..." So a slave is not a sovereign, free being. The slave has no rights to say no (without the threat of penalty), and has no ability to think and make any decisions apart from the master. Remember that! But please allow me to reiterate……..physical slavery is over in America, but the other form of slavery (Mental Slavery) is used in almost every aspect of society. The necks, hands and feet are no longer bound, but now the chains are now on the brains of men, women and children, regardless of the ethnicity.
Ways people become modern day slaves:
Despotic political leaders make slaves. Military personnel, police officers, and other agents of the law who just follow orders and don’t look to protect, serve and obey the law are slaves. Remember, if you don’t have the ability to think and make your own decision based upon truth and facts (without threat of penalty), then you are a slave. Law enforcement agents should also not use they're badges of authority to lord over people. Peter made reference to that same thing concerning religious leaders over the flock of God (1 Peter 5:3). But the same principle applies for those in authority over subordinates. Here is an example of a police officer slave overstepping his boundaries in authority concerning a salty hamburger. Those few who are set over us authorities for good, have subjected themselves to giving tickets and arresting people for the smallest and most insignificant infractions. Meanwhile, our streets are lined with crack dealers and corruption is prevalent in our government officials at all levels.
The World War II Nazi soldiers who were captured testified during the Nuremberg Trials that they were just doing their job, and just following orders. Well that type of sentiment is totally unacceptable, and they proved themselves to be slaves. No one is to give blind obedience to anyone: not children to parents; citizens to politicians; employees to employers; parishioners to pastors; subordinates to officers. Each individual is ultimately accountable to God, so for a person to act as a robot for another person (in blind obedience) strips the subordinate of his/her individuality and freedom. In essence, YOU ARE A SLAVE!
Politicians in a nice suit with a slick public relations team will try to convince you that it snows in Africa during the summer months. When people give credence to these types of people it numbs your mind to reason. You shut of the left side of your brain (logical) and you open the right side of your brain (emotional). This is precisely what excessive television watching will do to you. It is all done subliminally. Folks, universities have RTF (Radio Television and Film) Classes that teach about measuring a flicker rate on the television screen, which has a mesmerizing effect on the viewer. This is insanity!
When you allow yourself to be induced into this state, you are more apt to believe the information they are telling you without critically processing it. These people have a lot of techniques they use to entice you. I see it happen all of the time at press conferences, rallies and speeches. These unsuspecting followers are so enamored with the celebrity figure (politician/celebrity), and the general population forgets that these people are supposed to be serving and/or catering to the people; not vice versa. We, the people, have forgotten that, so people laud, praise and applaud the celebrity. Because intuitively people want to be apart of something meaningful; it makes people feel good and it is like a milestone or some great accomplishment in life to meet a famous person or to be apart of something with them, or to just be in their presence. Well this is a passive and shallow thinking person’s thought process. Unfortunately, most people fall in this category.
Social class envy and jealousy is how it starts. The power structure involves you in the process, hoping that you will accept their game. It’s precisely what some kids do. For example, they pick on a weaker kid, make him/her feel bad and the kid starts to cry. Then they make him/her feel better, and then he/she joins the crowd. It’s psychology! You break the people down and then you build them up; that way they have an emotional connection with you; you made them feel significant and rescued them; you care about there feelings and identified with them. Slave owners did it to the slaves, and gangs do the same thing. It is such a joke! I am just so disappointed in our citizenry for not catching on to this game. But never fear it’s never too late. Here at BG Street, getting sound information, thinking and acting on the information is the name of the game.
Let’s look at a few Bible Scriptures related to your mindset:
Romans 12:1-2: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Philippians 4:7-8: and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
Proverbs 23:7: For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.
1 Corinthians 2:16: For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
These Scriptures are admonishing us to have God’s mindset (thought process). There must be a very good reason why God makes the explicit distinction. Why is God so concerned about us doing things His way as opposed to the world’s way? There are a few Scriptures that fit perfectly here:
1 John 2:15-17 states “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”
James 4:4 says “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
Psalm 1:1 says “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”
These Scriptures are not teaching that Christians and Non-Christians cannot be friends. Simply put, they are delineating between the two schools of thought: God’s thoughts and secular thought. It behooves us to heed the instructions of our Father God and adhere to His teachings.
Your religious leaders can make you a slave. Not all religious leaders are bad, but not all leaders have your best interest at heart either. So don’t be a Christian flunkie. This doesn’t mean that being a servant or a helper is being a flunkie. People will run you ragged as soon as they see that you are available for some sort of service. The leaders may do things like publicly acknowledging you, recognizing your “faithfulness to the ministry” before the church. It’s a set up. You might have just wanted to help out one time, but then they want to entrust you with things and hold you accountable for some ministry task, in order to give you a sense of ownership or responsibility. (Side note: Again, there is nothing wrong with helping out, but if you want to commit to something, do it from your heart, and not because you were coerced to do it.) We are all commissioned by Jesus to be servants, like Him. Jesus said in Mark 9:35 "If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all." But when your motives are not from the heart towards God and you want to be seen, appreciated and recognized of men, Jesus says: "For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward" (Matthew 6:5). So be a genuine servant, from the heart serving where and as God has planted you. Don’t let people plant you! Remember that!
Another way that our religious leaders can enslave us is by teaching us without rightly dividing the Scriptures (2 Timothy 2:15). (CLICK HERE AND FOLLOW THIS HYPERLINK) There are now examples of churches who are misinterpreting Romans 13 to mean that we have to obey the government (insinuating blind obedience); yet we are only obligated to follow the contextually lawful mandates outlined in the Bible and the US Constitution. The Romans 13 argument is so misinterpreted by many and this puts much of the church in bondage (slavery). In order for us to remain free, we must adhere to the Word (Bible) and the Spirit of Liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17).
Many Christians believe that we must obey those that have the rule over us and submit ourselves to them: for they watch for our souls (Hebrews 13:17). This is Scriptural as long as the authorities are in line with Scripture. Did Moses violate God's principle of submission to authority when he killed the Egyptian taskmaster in defense of his fellow Hebrew? Did Elijah violate God's principle of submission to authority when he openly challenged Ahab and Jezebel? Did Daniel violate God's principle of submission to authority when he disobeyed the king's law to not pray audibly to God? Did the three Hebrew children violate God's principle of submission to authority when they refused to bow to the image of the state? Did John the Baptist violate God's principle of submission to authority when he publicly scolded King Herod for his infidelity? Did Simon Peter and the other Apostles violate God's principle of submission to authority when they refused to stop preaching on the streets of Jerusalem? Did Paul violate God's principle of submission to authority when he refused to obey those authorities who demanded that he abandon his missionary work?
This is the same foolishness that caused the Colonists to break away from England: tyrannical government imposing itself on the lives of free moral agents (human beings). If anyone in authority over you tells you to relinquish your God-given rights, then you need to mark them as a misinformed Christian. Remember, we live in a Constitutional Republic and our elected officials were installed in their positions as leaders based upon the Supreme Law of the Land: US Constitution. So the Bible and the US Constitution are the highest powers we have; not our elected officials. So we are not obligated to follow them (politicians) apart from the Laws of the Land. Don’t support/help/serve/follow anyone outside of the Standard! Remember that! Disobeying righteous laws is righteousness. John Adams said, "We are not exciting rebellion. Opposition, nay, open, avowed resistance by arms against usurpation and lawless violence, is not rebellion by the law of God or the land." Folks, we need to become more versed on history. Look around you! The world that we now have is the same world that we inherited from our parents. Something is wrong. Some people call it a progressive society. I call it “being derailed off of the path of truth.”
In 1773, the Rev. Charles Turner, in expounding upon Romans 13, noted that it was the duty of the clergy, “to interfere where the liberties of the land are assailed, not only for the sake of their own posterity as well as that of others, but because when the civil rights of a country receive a shock, it may justly render the ministers of God deeply thoughtful for the safety of sacred privileges--for religious liberty is so blended with civil, that if one falls it is not to be expected that the other will continue.” All those who championed American independence recognized the immense influence of the clergy, and called upon them to support the cause. But today, the Church (as a whole, but not everyone) has become a spineless and worthless entity. Jesus said in Matthew 5:13-16 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
In 1754, John Adams wrote: "It is the duty of the clergy to accommodate their discourses to the times, to preach against such sins as are most prevalent, and recommend such virtues as are most wanted. For example, if exorbitant ambition and venality are predominant, ought they not to warn their hearers against those vices? If public spirit is much wanted, should they not inculcate this great virtue? If the rights and duties of Christian magistrates and subjects are disputed, should they not explain them, show their nature, ends, limitations, and restrictions...?”
I am going to continue this article in Part 2. But I want everyone to think about the seriousness of the new form a of slavery that exists today. Are you a slave? You might not want your ego to be bruised, so most people will blurt out a resounding NO!!!!!!!! But most of us, if we are honest, are slaves and/or have a slave mentality. This article, this series and my other articles past and future are designed to challenge you, and to make you think. Don't just dismiss the information if you don't agree. Why don't you agree with the information? Do you have relevant and contextual Bible proof to refute any of my points? Do like the Berean disciples and search the Scriptures (Acts 17:11). Don't take my word or anyone's word for anything. Be a student and not a slave. What does the Word say about a particular matter? That is your answer. That is your standard. Remember that!!!!!!!………………………..to be continued in Part 2
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