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Many of the world’s major religions condoned slavery in the past. But the movement to abolish slavery has deep religious roots. Today, many people of faith are working to end slavery for good.
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Jesus was silent on the issue of slavery.
But the epistles of his disciple, St. Paul, condemned slave traders and called for slaves to be treated as "brethren." >>>
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Muslim voices have called for the abolition of slavery since ancient times.
According to the prophet Muhammad, "There are three categories of people against whom I shall myself be a plaintiff on the Day of Judgment.
Of these three, one is he who enslaves a free man, then sells him and eats this money." >>>
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Most Hindus live in India, where slavery has been historically intertwined with the caste system. Reformers drew on an understanding of Hinduism that saw the caste system as a means of social control used by elites to dominate and exploit others, rather than as an integral component of the Hindu faith. >>>
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"If there is one abuse that offends our conscience in every way, it is the enslavement of a human being.
No child should be born without hope; no person should live without fredom."
-Desmond Tutu
Anglican Archbishop Emeritus
Cape Town, South Africa
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"Brute Force, no matter how strongly applied, can never subdue the basic human desire for freedom."
-Dalai Lama
Tibetan Buddhist Spiritual Leader
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The Buddhist belief in karma and reincarnation has been used in the past to justify slavery, the logic being that a person’s enslavement must be a result of punishable actions in a previous life. But in other cases, Buddhist temples have served as safe-havens for escaped slaves. >>>
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The enslavement of Jews during biblical times, and their subsequent exodus, gives hope to all living in slavery today. The Torah instructs Jews to "remember that you were a slave in Egypt and that the Lord your God redeemed you from
there." >>>
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- Educate yourself and your religious community about modern-day slavery. Books, videos, and pamphlets are available from Free the Slaves.
- Integrate anti-slavery themes into prayers, sermons, study sessions and other gatherings at your church, mosque, synagogue or temple.
- Take action as a religious community to raise donations for grassroots groups fighting slavery around the world, and to communicate with lawmakers about funding efforts to fight trafficking in the U.S.
- Share your successes with other faith communities. E-mail your stories to faith@freetheslaves.net.
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