Duh! Even economics, the ultimate reason for keeping the institution of slavery, does not excuse the practitioners from their bigotry. But Angelina, the forefathers themselves who created the founding documents were blinded to this horrible practice. I can relate because I had servants growing up. Now they were not slaves and could leave anytime they wanted, or run away with no untoward consequences (often they did, along with certain of our prized possessions). However, for someone who grew up in modern-day America, it will still be a barbarous practice. I agree to theirs and Angelina's point of view but to me as a kid, having servants was perfectly normal.

Classic follow-up to classic introduction in the art of persuasion, or suasion, "you don't know me and think I'm stupid but listen anyway, you might find something worthwhile - for it is you I'm trying to help."

Classic introduction to pushing a point, "you know me and my quality, have faith in me enough to hear me."

This starts to give me visions of raised hands, the call sign for revolution! What happened to solemn calmness? I guess one cannot help feeling passion if one truly believes.

I understand the high emphasis everybody placed in faith and religion during that time, but should morals really be dependent on religion? I know of several persons who claim religion and priests too, who be very immoral indeed.

I think the argument is more effective the other way around. If we have no right to enslave an American, then we should have no right to enslave an African - or any other human being, for that matter.

As I have said in Unit 1, Europeans teach Africans and Native Americans the "word of God" and unanticipated by them, some of these converts find the words of revolution and the spirit to throw away their yoke. They develop their own prophets who will lead them to the promised land and like Joshua will smite anyone standing in their way. Hey! I still remember some parts of the bible.

Mix a people in agony and a strong belief in the All Mighty (whatever form the culture may give it), and someone is bound to claim "communion with the Spirit:" the Father, the Son, or the Great Eagle. The path to comfort, to a better life, is synonymous with redemption in the spirit, a great awakening to the meaning of life.

I heard this before when I was a child, not said to me, but to our servants. Older servants would tell them this if they were being too "rebellious" and wanting to question everything about their work. I always understood it as "being a smartass." However, in lieu of Nat Turner's setting, I see someone who was of more average intelligence and able to question the norms in his life, someone unafraid of finding the truth.

Third step in the religious conversion game, the Lord God is merciful after all, come join our movement. This was the same rhetoric for the born agains in the 1980s. Why the heck did you have to scare us in the first place? Now we are pissed and will not join you just for spite.

This was Edward's solution, escape to the arms of his movement. This is where he diverges from the Catholic way, the Catholic priests would be asking for donations at the end. Give to save your soul!

Second step for religious conversion, guilt trip. You are not worth it, you are a sinner, repent! This still baffles me, that there be a huge mass of people who were insecure enough in the early 18th century to fall for this.

Born again? We were all physically born, then those who are Christians got baptized (i.e., born again), now he wants us to be born again? How many times do you need to be born? From the context of the time period, Edwards probably meant to be born again and be free from the teachings of the Puritan theocrats. I remember the born again movement of the 1980s, same banana.

Still more scare tactic.

The first step in converting people to your religion, scare tactic. Given the very strong belief in God during the early 18th century, it is amazing how they fell for this. I do understand, however. I was raised a strict Catholic and we were subjected to the same thing, believe in God or you will burn in the fires of hell!