[Vanders9]

I'm not sure how you can say I don't understand the American south - I haven't touched on the American south, but if you insist, the way southerners interpreted the bible to mean what they wanted it to mean is an absolutely perfect example of my argument. They believed (with some justification) that the "peculiar institution" was the very foundation of southern wealth and power. That was true even if you werent a slave owner, as indeed very few southerners were. Slaves were expensive. Few could afford them.

At the same time they wanted to be religious and right with God. Therefore they interpreted the Bible in a way to reconcile these conflicting demands. It's a very Human thing to do. Of course it isn't true - early abolitionists like Wilberforce based their opposition to slavery very much on biblical interpretation. The point is that the south needed to believe slaves were less than human, and that their status as slaves was divinely ordained. It's that process of denial and compartmentalisation that I'm getting at. It's very dangerous because it enables people to justify almost anything. Its why modern American "progressives" are advocating segregation in Universities by claiming it protects minorities from racism. It's why they think that only men can be sexist and only white people can be racist.

[Nifster]

Because you don’t

Look I know you think you are all knowing abut America....you are not. You comments have much length to them but no depth.

You can go ahead and argue that all of history is just a lesson of how fallen mankind is. That’s your gig have at it.

Intellectual honesty usual requires more of an individual than that

Dint bother to reply. You do not have anything to add