Getting a currency exchange tax could be just as difficult as abolishing slavery, given the enormous profits involved.

Jesus was rightly more concerned about sin, but his kingdom does not stop in church. And freedom of speech and action is one of God’s foremost principles (many people mistake it for inactivity). Man removes it when he, in his wisdom, thinks he can be God, and create heaven without the cross. What he makes is hell, because he silenced the people who are warning him about it.

About poverty, if growing cash crops makes economic sense to farmers, it is not slavery. If it doesnt then you need to tell them. People say that they are trapped, and of course poor people find it more difficult to “diversify”, but are they really powerless? Shouldnt we be encouraging them that they have the power?
I have great respect for Tearfund who find ways to help people help themselves, through my brother (he just made a very Tearfund hoodie for himself that reads, cryptically “Correct the Human: A.I. but smarter”. (Amnesty International’s motto is “Protect the Human” - he is also a member)

Also, what about the africans who sold their neighbours to the europeans? I just watched a program that said as many as half died even before being packed into a boat.

And what about the racist anti-judaeo-christian spiritualism of the time? That saw the pure aryans as superior to the ape-like africans. Dare I say it was scarily similar to New-Age stuff. Does anyone know what the religious meaning of a swastika is? Its actually has pretty good vibes

Anon-Andrew

I haven’t yet seen the film (longish story!), but i gather it also downplays the faith of wilberforce. I had a fascinating time in cambridge (where wilberforce was at uni i think) and he definately had a huge role to play, but there was a good group of people part of the story too. Wilberforce was probably the spokesperson.

There is fact in the conversation between newton and wilberforce, and that was the turning point for him.

Anyone else know more about this?

The programme did less for Wilberforce’s image but a lot more for the other people involved at the time. Wilberforce wasn’t as anti-slavery as he could have been and was really just the figure head for an already powerful movement. He’s painted in the film as being the lone ranger in the fight against slavery.

When going to see the film it will be worth bearing in mind that it’s based on a true story and not the whole truth. As always Hollywood has left something out in the interest of telling a powerful story without any inconvenient complications or nuances of reality.

Thinking on slavery a moment - and democracy and human rights in general - it’s interesting that Jesus didn’t say that slavery was wrong - only that slaves/servants should obey their masters . . . .

That doesn’t mean that slavery is at all right, it isn’t, but it’s an interesting thought that Jesus was less concerned with the rights of the individual to freedom of action and speech as he was interested in their freedom of sin.

Thanks Dave, look forward to seeing some practical comments. Very sad to see an excellent opportunity for change (the film) has turned into a meaningless hype by the promoters.