The Modern Slave Trade
A new book on the modern slave trade, NOT for Sale: The Return of the Global Slave Trade – and How We Can Fight It, by David Batstone begins:
Batstone travelled to a number of countries including Thailand, Cambodia, Uganda, South Africa, Peru, Eastern Europe, and India, researching this modern day plague. The International Labor Organization estimates that the work performed by enslaved persons exceeds $32 billion a year. From time to time we hear horror stories from someone who has escaped from their bondage, but Batstone has provided a more comprehensive examination of this enormous problem.
Batstone wants to create another William Wilberforce groundswell against the modern day slave trade. William Wilberforce was a member of Parliament in the late eighteenth century and early nineteenth century, a Christian who was passionate about ending great Britain's slave trade. He labored most of his political life toward this end. His mentor, John Newton, the former captain of a slave trading ship who became a Christian, then a minister, and the author of the hymn, "Amazing Grace," told Wilberforce, "The Lord has raised you up for the good of the church and the good of the nation." Wilberforce introduced his first bill to undo slavery to parliament in 1788 and was voted down. He continued to introduce them until the first one passed in 1807. In 1833 Parliament voted to abolish slavery in the British Empire and Wilberforce died three days later.
By the way, the movie "Amazing Grace," a movie about Wilberforce's story will be released on February 23. I must admit that I am excited about this movie. Wilberforce is one of my heroes, and I am thrilled that Hollywood has made a movie about this great follower of Jesus.
Twenty-seven million slaves exist in our world today. Girls and boys, women and men of all ages are forced to toil in the rug looms of Nepal, sell their bodies in the brothels of Rome, break rocks in the quarries of Pakistan, and fight wars in the jungles of Africa. Go behind the façade in any major town or city in the world today and you are likely to find a thriving commerce in human beings.
Batstone travelled to a number of countries including Thailand, Cambodia, Uganda, South Africa, Peru, Eastern Europe, and India, researching this modern day plague. The International Labor Organization estimates that the work performed by enslaved persons exceeds $32 billion a year. From time to time we hear horror stories from someone who has escaped from their bondage, but Batstone has provided a more comprehensive examination of this enormous problem.
Batstone wants to create another William Wilberforce groundswell against the modern day slave trade. William Wilberforce was a member of Parliament in the late eighteenth century and early nineteenth century, a Christian who was passionate about ending great Britain's slave trade. He labored most of his political life toward this end. His mentor, John Newton, the former captain of a slave trading ship who became a Christian, then a minister, and the author of the hymn, "Amazing Grace," told Wilberforce, "The Lord has raised you up for the good of the church and the good of the nation." Wilberforce introduced his first bill to undo slavery to parliament in 1788 and was voted down. He continued to introduce them until the first one passed in 1807. In 1833 Parliament voted to abolish slavery in the British Empire and Wilberforce died three days later.
By the way, the movie "Amazing Grace," a movie about Wilberforce's story will be released on February 23. I must admit that I am excited about this movie. Wilberforce is one of my heroes, and I am thrilled that Hollywood has made a movie about this great follower of Jesus.
posted by UCC Medfield at 8:06 AM
1 Comments:
Hi Phil,
I've done a lot of reading on this subject, and I think it's something we need to pray about more often. Our prayers can bring about change, and our actions -- even subtle ones -- can have a real impact.
-- Michael O.
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