Why did America choose slavery?

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Friends —

It’s a question I’ve heard lots of people argue about. Why did America’s founders — men who wrote about liberty and equality — have protections for slavery in the Constitution?

About 40% of the signers of the Declaration of Independence owned slaves. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and many others built their fortunes on slavery. But slavery wasn’t some uniquely American evil — it’s been around for ages. What made America different was the question of whether this new country could survive without protecting it.

And they really couldn’t. Southern states made it clear that no slavery protections meant no union. So the founders made calculated compromises for the sake of building a united country. But what would have happened if they refused? And is it possible that even though they built protections into the Constitution, it actually led to slavery ending quicker than it might have otherwise? I dug into the political realities, what would’ve happened if there was no deal, and why the truth is never as simple as we want it to be.

I just posted this video if you want to take a look.

Who Really Killed Jesus?

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During Holy Week, I wanted to look back and ask: Who actually killed Jesus? Was it the Jews? The Romans? Does it even matter?

The answer is more complicated than Sunday school made it sound. By all accounts, Rome executed him, with Roman soldiers carrying out the crucifixion. But Jewish religious leaders wanted him dead and brought him to Pontius Pilate. A crowd called for his death. So who had the power to make that call? I walk through what really happened, who had authority in Roman Judea, and how a seemingly routine Roman execution resonated throughout history.

But in the end, Christians believe Jesus had to die for the sins of all humanity. They also believe that everyone is a sinner, in need of grace and forgiveness. And in that sense, the answer to who killed Jesus is … all of us. Check out my video for some food for thought in the days before Easter.

– Ken

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