School defends slavery booklet (Critic says text is 'window dressing')

News Observer ^ | Dec 9, 2004 | T. KEUNG HUI

[mac_truck]

Students at one of the area's largest Christian schools are reading a controversial booklet that critics say whitewashes Southern slavery with its view that slaves lived "a life of plenty, of simple pleasures." Leaders at Cary Christian School say they are not condoning slavery by using "Southern Slavery, As It Was," a booklet that attempts to provide a biblical justification for slavery and asserts that slaves weren't treated as badly as people think.

Principal Larry Stephenson said the school is only exposing students to different ideas, such as how the South justified slavery. He said the booklet is used because it is hard to find writings that are both sympathetic to the South and explore what the Bible says about slavery.

"You can have two different sides, a Northern perspective and a Southern perspective," he said.

'SOUTHERN SLAVERY, AS IT WAS' Here are some excerpts from the booklet:

* "To say the least, it is strange that the thing the Bible condemns (slave-trading) brings very little opprobrium upon the North, yet that which the Bible allows (slave-ownership) has brought down all manner of condemnation upon the South." (page 22)

* "As we have already mentioned, the 'peculiar institution' of slavery was not perfect or sinless, but the reality was a far cry from the horrific descriptions given to us in modern histories." (page 22)

* "Slavery as it existed in the South was not an adversarial relationship with pervasive racial animosity. Because of its dominantly patriarchal character, it was a relationship based upon mutual affection and confidence." (page 24)

* "Slave life was to them a life of plenty, of simple pleasures, of food, clothes, and good medical care." (page 25)

[cyborg]

Wrong because it's hypocritical to the precepts in the Declaration of Independence. If that's what you're trying to get at, I happen to agree. Enslaving another person is abhorrent on some many levels aside from whatever Western christian civilization says.

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"Slavery had been going on for thousands of years".

And still is.

[cyborg]

Yep right here in the USA lots of people are enslaved to the almighty credit card ;-)

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LOL

[yankeedame]

I would like to suggest another book on this. It is Paul Leland Haworth [© 1915] George Washington: Farmer

Don't let the My-Weekly-Reader sounding title fool you. The author spends quite a lot of ink examining Farmer,General,and finially President, Washington, his slaves, and the institution of slavery at the close of the 18th century.

This book can be found and download for free on blackmask.com, or by clicking here George Washington: Farmer

[stands2reason]

The LaLauries (shudder). The man was a doctor. Liked to perform "experiments" on his slaves.

Made Mengele seem unimaginative.

[reg45]

But remember, they (the slaves) had free health-care.

[processing please hold]

Oh my stars.. I typed slavery and pulled up some crazy bondage thing with whips. Is that thing going to be on my hard drive? Please tell me it's not. The second I saw what it was I closed out so fast I think I got whip-lash.

[mikegi]

And still is.

I want to get back to me question about future generations condemning us today. Right now, women are having abortions by the hundreds of thousands (millions???) every year. Let's say an enlightenment occurs in the next hundred years and abortion is universally condemned. Would it be fair for them to look back on a woman today who had an abortion and call her a "monster" or "evil"? I don't think so. That's just the way it is today. That's the way I see many/most slaveholders back then.

[cyborg]

be careful what you google :O)

[yankeedame]

...having put orphanages out of business, it closed and has since returned to use as a private home, sans slavery and ghosts.

LOL! Either to the relief, or disappointment, of its current owners.

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This is somewhat in the same vein of a thread I was on last night. I believe cyborg was on it too, but don't hold me to that.

It was about Strom Thurman. I said he was a man of his times and can't be judged by todays standards. Man, did I take a kicking on that thread.

I didn't approve of what he did, but no matter how I tried to explain that statement, I found myself deeper and deeper in a hole.

Some of yesterdays actions, can't be judged today.

The future will have to look at our actions today, and judge them by todays standards.

[processing please hold]

I just wanted an article on slavery that I could bring back here. I won't make that mistake again.

Is it on my hard drive?

[yankeedame]

Wrong because it's hypocritical to the precepts in the Declaration of Independence.

But it was "wrong" (outlawed) in Britain, which had not DOI, before it was in the US (which was #2). Likewise it soon became illegal in France, Spain, etc. all of which had no DOI. So slavery can not be wrong b/c it goes against the precepts of the DOI.

=====================================

If that's what you're trying to get at, I happen to agree.

Er,well, no...the DOI wasn't it. But, hey, thanks for agreeing. I have a feeling I may need all the allies I can get!(grin)

====================

Enslaving another person is abhorrent on some many levels...

Such as? (NB: I'm not baiting you. I would just like to hear...er,read...your answer.)

===========================

"...aside from whatever Western Christian civilization says.

Yet it was/is Western Christian civilization that first sought to, and continually seeks to, put an end to slavery throughout the globe -- not just in its own culture.

[rdb3]

Let's say an enlightenment occurs in the next hundred years and abortion is universally condemned. Would it be fair for them to look back on a woman today who had an abortion and call her a "monster" or "evil"? I don't think so. That's just the way it is today. That's the way I see many/most slaveholders back then.

Your moral relativism aside, right has always been right, and wrong has always been wrong. The woman having the abortion today is evil and will be rightfully called evil a thousand years from now.

You "see many/most slaveholders" the way you do because your ancestors owned slaves. And guess what? They were evil, too.

Anyone who held another human being in bondage in a society dedicated to the principles enshrined in the Declaration of Independence were the worst hypocrites imaginable. And I thank God above that this error was resolved in this nation. Took quite a while, but it got done.

[Shanda]

The discussion of slavery strikes me as nearly always nothing more than a tool for attacking, hating and slandering the American South.

Those who do so seem to have no problem at all with slavery in Greece or Rome or anywhere else. If they do they sure don't mention it.

[TaxRelief]

"Slavery was wrong...!" is an opinion. I agree with you, but that's my opinion.

This school apparently wants to offer facts and alternate viewpoints. In this manner they will let the kids form their own opinions.

[processing please hold]

Agreed.

[cyborg]

Are you putting a relativistic spin to whether slavery was wrong or not?

[dsc]

"Is it on my hard drive?"

If you are using Internet Explorer, there are probably html files and pics in your Temporary Internet Files directories.

Click on Tools, Internet Options, Delete Files, and check Delete all offline content.

That should get rid of any html and graphic content.

There may still be a record of the URL, but that will move down and off the list as new entries displace it.