the new slavery to sin

Continuing the "law-based activism" discussion...


That's right, I was echoing and disagreeing with what I hear from many modern activists (and others) that seems to build a morality around our political and economic connectedness (as citizens and consumers) which unavoidably links each of us to the suffering in our world. As you suggest, the only apparent way then to stop contributing to the oppression and suffering is go completely "off the grid." Which is impossible. And so people are stuck with the belief (and usually guilt) that with almost everything they do they are contributing to oppression or suffering somewhere. There are suggestions about how we can reduce this, but we are also told there is no way to get free of it, for either the oppressor or oppressed.

This seems to be a morality that is clearly different from what we see in Jesus preaching. He certainly exposed and denounced sin in society, but not a "sin" that we could not stop doing, or a "sin" we could do with no knowledge of it or no evil intention. And he didn't seem to teach or demonstrate that following his way of love (and non-oppression) meant going "off the grid," did he?

Jesus also (as you seem to agree) announced the possibility of real freedom for those who follow him and trust in God's power to deliver. Not just "in heaven" either, but now, as he demonstrated in his life. The ideology of interconnectedness to oppression seems to deny that such freedom is possible, making it as much a message of slavery to sin as "the law" ever was.