Is Slavery Evil?

by Chuck Ness

The topic of slavery is usually accompanied by bitter feelings and condemnation for Americas past. Like America, many civilizations have used slavery as a means of providing labor. Samarian drawings on clay tablets dating back to 4000 BC show captives taken in battle being tied, whipped, and forced to work. Then there are ancient papyrus manuscripts from 2100 BC that record the ownership of slaves by private citizens in Egypt. The earliest mention of slavery in the Bible would be Genesis 9:25 when Noah cursed the descendants of Canaan. From Abraham on down we read of the men in the Bible owning slaves and the Israelites themselves becoming slaves, but never do we read of God condemning slavery. We do read of Him telling Moses how to treat slaves in Exodus chapter 21, but neither God nor Jesus ever condemned the practice.

Letting Go Of Life

By Chuck Ness

When I took our dog Hershee to the vet today for her yearly checkup and shots, there was a gentleman who brought his old dog in to be put to sleep. As I watched him carry his old dog to the room where the veterinarian would do his job I looked down at Hershee and wondered how I would handle the task of taking her on that one way journey. I realized then how hard it is for some of us to let go of life.