The United States has been interfering in the affairs of many nations because of crimes committed against its citizens but the United States refuses to hold its own self accountable for the crimes committed against us. Why is that? Most European colonial economies in the Americas from the 16th through the 19th century were dependent on enslaved African labor for their survival. This nation would not have been as successful if they did not have this free labor. So what does that tell you – that they had to have the labor of the so-called African-American in order for this system in the United States – which eventually became a national system – to work successfully. When you think about business and enterprise – when you’re bringing someone in to work for you – that means you’re going to pay them but instead the intent was to grow the nation with free labor. Why then would you not compensate those who were directly responsible for the successful economy in this nation?
Many may not know that over the years a number of people fought for reparations, but interestingly it’s always been the United States government that’s been opposed to this idea. In 1890, Walter R. Vaughan produced a pamphlet that strongly recommended that ex-slaves be awarded pensions similar to the pension that the Civil War veterans received. Callie G. House along with Isaiah Dickerson were working on this project. Their vision was to organize poor blacks throughout the south on how to get the pensions that were due to them. Interestingly enough, both Blacks and a number of Whites were favorable to this idea – the idea of giving pensions to the millions of ex-slaves because they felt that it would improve the economic conditions of the south. But the government opposed this idea. The Federal Pension Bureau persuaded the postal service to ban the national ex-slaves relief. They prosecuted Callie House by proclaiming that she was using a tactic to defraud the public (and this was the same tactic they later used successfully against Marcus Garvey). In 1916, they brought charges against her claiming that she was defrauding the slaves – an all-white male jury found her guilty. Dickerson of course was also included in this but the charges against him were dropped. Callie House served 9 months as a result of this case against her. This mutual relief was disbanded because there were so many cases against them from the government and they couldn’t afford to fight all the cases.
There were other government-sponsored programs that would ensure that other races of people and ethnic groups would benefit and prosper, and that those programs would ensure that our people would remain on the bottom. As a result, inherited wealth has passed on to those generations’ children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of European families. This happened after the Civil War – after emancipation. At the end of emancipation slave owners actually received reparations – can you believe that Congress paid slave owners to give up their slaves! So, the argument that we’ve already fought a civil war and elected a black President, this argument ignores the benefits that Whites have reaped from the large-scale discrimination suffered by so-called African Americans. Their labor was underpaid or stolen, for most of US history. But millions of these so-called African Americans are still alive today, who have endured brutal violence and economic discrimination under legal segregation. We have European pastors saying the solution is just to forgive each other. Yes, we have to forgive, particularly when we understand how our Heavenly Father has forgiven us. But we would be remiss if we did not tell people that there are consequences of sin. David was a man after God’s own heart. Yet, there were consequences for his sin with Bathsheba. Think about Moses, he talked to God face to face, but he was not allowed to go into the Promised Land because instead of speaking to the rock he hit it. The Most High is just.
Let’s take a look at some of the things the Bible says about slavery, because we want to see – is there a case for justice.
- Jeremiah 22:13 – says, woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness and his upper rooms by injustice, who makes his neighbor serve him for nothing and does not give him wages.
- Deuteronomy 24:14-15 – says, you shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy; whether he is one of your brothers or one of the sojourners who is in your land within your owns; you shall give him his wages on the same day before the sun sets for he is poor and counts on it; lest he cry against you to the Lord and you be guilty of sin.
So, I’m just wondering, how did the religious leaders of that day ignore these passages of Scripture?
- Malachi 3:5 – then I will draw near to you for judgment; I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me says the Lord of Hosts.
Why should reparations be paid? Because it was earned and it is the right thing to do. Yet though, there are those who are saying we should just forget about it. No! The Most High is remembering that those wages are due.
Now let’s take a look at a few things that were forbidden.
- Exodus 21:16 – he who kidnaps a man, whether he sells him or he is found in his possession, shall surely be put to death.
- Deuteronomy 23:15-16 – you shall not give back to his master the slave who has escaped from his master to you; he may dwell with you in your midst and the place which he chooses within one of your gates where it seems best to him; you shall not oppress him.
Now considering these two scriptures in a nation that prides itself on being a Christian nation – a nation of values, a democracy, how is it that the nation’s leaders found it so easy to ignore these scriptures?
- James 5:4 (ESV) – Behold the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields which you kept back by fraud are crying out against you and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts.
This nation has a lot to atone for because the slaves – the enslaved people – were never paid the wages they were owed. This nation profited from slave labor and refused and continues to refuse to make that right. The wages are crying out against America.
Do you know that we can appeal to the highest court – the courts of heaven? Judah and Israel are sons of The Most High, albeit prodigal sons right now, but they’re still sons. They have a right to appeal to the Heavenly Father who is also King and Judge. Just like the prodigal son, we need to remember that we need to return to our Father and repent of our sins. We now know how it feels to be done wrong, to be rejected, and to be hated. The Messiah that He sent to save us, He was hated without a cause. If we are to judge America by its fruit, let’s look at the injustices, the perversion of not allowing those who are owed and due justice to receive them. How are these godly and Christian practices? Learn more in this accompanying video, Is America A Just System l Slavery History.
