Know and Learn From History

History is not always what we imagine...

Abraham Lincoln will forever be known as the President who, by signing the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862, abolished slavery. What many fail to realize is that, as wonderful as this act was, President Lincoln's motivation and reasons for doing this was more militarily strategic.

Also, even though they were granted freedom on January 1, 1863, many freed slaves did not know that they were free until June 19, 1863.

http://www.njclc.com/njclchistory.html

Regardless of why slavery was abolished or when the freed slaves learned of their freedom, the fact remains that the ending of this barbaric act was necessary. All humans, regardless of race, color, or religion, should be treated with dignity and respect. God created us in His image (Genesis 1 - 3), then sent His Son to redeem us from sin (John 3:16 -17). Throughout the Bible we are instructed to love one another, but we disregard this instruction. We are also implored to forgive and not repay evil or seek vengeance; yet we excelled at doing the exact opposite. We must strive to learn from history and try to follow the instructions God gave us in His Word. If we don't, we will definitely repeat the grievous mistakes made by our ancestors.