In 1619, North America brought the first slaves to its shores from Africa in an attempt to have a cheaper form of labor than what they paid their indentured servants. Many slaves died during the travel by ship, due to the harsh substandard conditions. Those who survived where sold to mostly farmers and plantation owners to work in their fields and perform other duties as determined necessary by their new owners. Slaves were not entitled to rights under the law and were only considered as three-fifths of a person for taxation purposes (History.com, 2016). For many years, slavery was a way of life in building the foundation of America, but it took away the heritage, language and distinct cultures of those who were bound to its inescapable chambers.
During that dark period in American history, slaves were not only imprisoned with their bodies, but they were also enslaved with their minds. They were not allowed to act independently of their masters’ wishes and were kept from learning basic skills such as reading and writing. To be found trying to learn such things meant extreme danger and was illegal. Those who were caught being literate were beaten horribly and some were punished by having their fingers and toes cut off (Division of Rare & Manuscript Collections, 2002).
Slave owners feared that if their slaves were able to read and write then they would question their enslavement, which would result in their rebelling against the system. Therefore, they ensured that there were laws in place to prevent and discourage slave owners from educating their slaves. Such a law was in the Alabama Slave Code which stated that anyone who taught a slave or free black to read, write and/or spell could be fined, if convicted, up to $500. This was a very steep fine during that time (Aikin, 1836).
The only access to books that some slaves were allotted was the hearing of the Bible. Most slaves were not able to read it for themselves, but a few slave owners defied the law and taught their slaves to read the Bible. The other slave owners, who did not wish for their slaves to read at all, felt that is was good enough just for their slaves to hear the word of God in accordance to what they felt scripture meant. Romans 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. (NIV) Even though many slave owners considered themselves as Christians, that Christianity did not extend to the slaves because a number of them held the belief that slaves did not have souls and therefore, Salvation was only for whites and the privileged. Nevertheless, there were slave owners who allowed their slaves to attend church services only to have their masters use the Bible for their personal gain. The slaves were taught not to steal, kill, obey their master, and not to do things that would cause harm to the master with no regards for the slaves’ relationship with God.
You may ask, “Why is all of this relevant. During slavery times, there was a damper placed on slaves being able to be educated. The slave owners feared that if a slave could read and write then he/she would begin to “think” for themselves. They also feared uprisings from the slaves and needed a way to “control” what they felt was their property. Willie Lynch comes into play because there has always been an evil in the minds of some who wish to have control over those they feel are not of their class and should be subservient to them. They seek to own, control, and manipulate others into doing their bidding without their knowledge. Those who are unaware of their plans will fall prey to them and will ultimately self-destruct unless a change is made in enough time.
The problem still exists today. There are those of a special elite who wish to control the masses by using the same techniques that were used during slavery. They aim to play those who are unaware of their game as puppets, but only through education and being aware as to their plans can one come out of the matrix. The word of God helps us to break free from the bondages of Satan and wherever God is, there is liberty. 2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (NIV) Anyone who is not of God is of the devil and he aims to kill, steal and destroy.
There are demonic forces at play in the world today who are using whatever methods they can to cause confusion, strife and grief. The only way to defeat these forces is to first acknowledge they exist, educate yourself in the Spiritual and natural, and then apply what you have learned to overcome the enslavement of the mind. Philippian 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. (KJV) Only then can you become the victor instead of the victim. There’s a famous quote that has been attributed to Harriet Tubman that states: “I was able to free a thousand slaves. I could have freed a thousand more if only they realized that they were slaves.” Many people do not realize that they are a slave in their minds, a slave to society, and ultimately a slave to the devil. Let’s study the Willie Lynch’s Letter on the Making of a Slave from a historical and Biblical perspective, so that you will not become a New Slave. PART 2 TOMORROW
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