Oh Really?

Modern-Day Slavery in the West

A fairly new and concerning phenomenon has encroached on the countries which hold
historically to a Judeo-Christian heritage, as people movement has intensified in the
global village, as multiculturalism is vaunted as the new tolerance, as the foundations of
Christianity have eroded, as utilitarian overtones and economic tenets become normative
for societal relationships. It is only a small step from losing the Christian view of man as
God's image-bearer to seeing him as some one determined by purely his economic worth
to modern-day slavery. As one activist puts it, Today's slavery focuses on big profits and
cheap lives. It is not about owning people like before, but about using them as completely
disposable tools for making money (http://www.alternet.org/). Lawmakers and law
enforcement in once Christian countries face this challenge with growing concern and
strive to combat it with increased legal, financial, and manpower input.

Mining is strenuous work and considered one of the

most dangerous professions in the world. Long hours,
hard physical labor, and often-cramped conditions can
contribute to human errors in an already dangerous
environment. If it is dangerous for well-trained adults
in regulated mines, imagine how dangerous is it for the
estimated one million children in Africa, Latin
America, Europe, and Asia that work in unregulated
mines.
The Walk Free Foundation Reports: Australias modern slavery problem consists of men,
women and children subject to forced labour, commercial sexual exploitation, and forced
marriage. Nationals from across the Asia Pacific and South-East Asia are trafficked into
Australia for forced labour in construction, agriculture, hospitality, domestic service and
the sex industry. Because of Australias geographical isolation and strict migration
controls, many victims enter Australia legally on tourist, business, spouse, student and
skilled work visas, but upon arrival, may be forced into exploitative labour as part of debt
bondage situations, or coerced into exploitative labour when threatened with deportation
(http://www.globalslaveryindex.org/country/australia/).

The United States is a destination of exploitation for both US citizens and foreign
nationals, predominately from Mexico, the Philippines,Thailand, Honduras, Guatemala,
India and El Salvador.
The Dutch Government is proactive in wide-ranging efforts to prevent and identify
modern slavery victims. From July 2012 to April 2013, the Department of Safety and
Justice ran a campaign to encourage sex industry customers to identify and report signs
of human trafficking in the industry. A sub-campaign, Schijn bedriegt (Appearances are
deceptive) targeted online purchasers. During the operation period from July 2012 to
April 2013 there was a 76 percent increase in the number of potential cases of forced
labour reported, with tips leading to the arrest of 12 human traffickers and the conclusion
of four cases. In addition, there has been an increase in the number of potential Eastern
European victims intercepted at airports.
Victims of forced labour in the UK are most commonly identified in the paving block and
tarmacking industry. In 2013, data from the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), the
National Crime Agency (NCA) and informants identified that 2,744 potential victims of
human trafficking were encountered in the UK, an increase of 22 percent from 2012.The
majority of potential victims were from Romania (307), Poland (239), UK (193), Albania
(192) and Nigeria (158).
An estimated 35.8 million men, women and children around the world are today trapped
in modern slavery Mauritania has the highest proportion (prevalence) of its population in
modern slavery, at 4%, followed by Uzbekistan (3.97%), Haiti (2.3%), Qatar (1.36%) and
India (1.14%). In terms of absolute numbers, India remains top of the list with an
estimated 14.29 million enslaved people, followed by China (3.24m), Pakistan (2.06m),
Uzbekistan (1.2m, new to the top five), and Russia (1.05m).
Definitions of modern-day slavery are mainly taken from the 1956 UN supplementary
convention, which says: "Debt bondage, serfdom, forced marriage and the delivery of a
child for the exploitation of that child are all slavery-like practices and require
criminalisation and abolishment."
In observing the information supplied above, it is noticeable that exploitation of human
beings is most common in countries which do not have a protestant-Christian heritage
(for further confirmation see the website http://www.globalslaveryindex.org/ ). Also
clear is that modern-day slavery is encroaching more and more on countries once
defined by their protestant-Christian heritage.
This is a real concern and an outflow of the much vaunted thrust of multiculturalism (see
Oh Really, It's Shredding Us to Ribbons) and through secularism replacing Christianity
leading to a utilitarian approach. Whereas human beings are seen and respected as
image bearers of God by those who hold to the Bible's teachings, this positive view of
man is gradually being eroded.
Secularism, moving away from the Biblical worldview and making man the measure of all
things in culture, has lead to measuring man's worth in terms of what he can contribute to
society in predominantly economic terms. Thus, a personnel manager is no longer called
by that title, but is now a human resource manager, implying a serious reduction in how
employees are viewed. It has seeped into societal consciousness as well, as people
have a tendency to keep relationships casual (see Oh Really, Call Me John). It leads
generally to a cheapened view of human beings beyond the immediate family circle.
Much grief is also caused as people traders from other countries engage in bringing
victims from abroad into affluent nations such as Australia, the USA, and Western
European countries. All-consuming greed, coupled with a low view of human beings as
chattel, makes for a canvas of misery and debasement.

The Bible has something to say about the remorseless and ruthless types who dish out
such treatment to fellow human beings, especially in the Book Proverbs. Proverbs 12:10
informs us, A righteous man regards the life of his animal, But the tender mercies of the
wicked are cruel. Even the right treatment of animals is important to the Lord God,
because they are His creatures; they are not to be abused or tyrannised. If God already
makes a big deal of this, how much more when the crown of His creation, man, is
abused?
Proverbs 6 mentions seven things which are an abomination to God. Among these are
hands that shed innocent blood, hearts that devise wicked plans, and feet that are swift in
running to evil. Such manifestations are abominable in God's sight, because they plumb
the depths of Satan's evil designs in creation. There is nothing more pleasurable to the
devil than seeing God's noble handiwork damaged, destroyed even.
Proverbs 15 assures us that 'The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Keeping watch
on the evil and the good.' By 'evil' we may understand both those who flaunt their
wickedness and those who operate secretly. God sees all the wickedness in their hearts
and all that they devise against their neighbours. The judgment upon them is sure, be it
already in this life or, assuredly, on the Day of Judgement. This is made clear in Proverbs
24:20, where the Lord informs the readers, There will be no prospect for the evil man;
The lamp of the wicked will be put out. The wicked have no hope of future things." Their
ill-gotten prosperity, riches, splendour, and glory will turn to ashes often even while they
live, and always at death.
Will setting these truths before them make a difference to their despicable practices?
Probably not, according to Proverbs 28: Evil men do not understand justice, But those
who seek the LORD understand all. Their corruptions blind their eyes; their greed
overlays and kills off any seeds of nobility. By contrast, those whose banner is the word
of God, they understand it in all things"; that is, judgment, justice, and equity, in all its
branches, and practise it.
Thus we see , also in modern-day slavery, the age-old conflict between the kingdom of
darkness and the Kingdom of Light played out in this broken world. Many of those who
militate against this dehumanising abomination are Christians and they join forces the
world over to wage war. For instance, the New York Daily News reports: Slavery exists in
New York City and Christian students want to fight it. New York may be home to
thousands of sex slaves and thousands of new abolitionists. Seventeen campus
chapters of the Inter-varsity Christian Fellowship teamed up with 75 city-based
organizations for Price of Life, an anti human trafficking campaign.
The problem is serious; slavery is now more pervasive and numerous than at any time
before in history (http://www.alternet.org/). May there be a turn in the tide of seeing
human beings as disposable tools for making money. May the ground swell of opposition
grow and become increasingly effective, notably among those who stand for human
dignity in the Name of the One Who created us with dignity as vicegerents under God in
this world.

No pen can give an adequate description of the all-pervading corruption

produced by slavery. Harriet Ann Jacobs (US writer, 1813-1897)
Dr Herm Zandman
16/02015