The Weekly is a highlight of the work the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission is doing to strengthen you and our churches for God’s glory.

5 facts about the transatlantic slave trade

This Saturday marks the quincentennial of King Charles V of Spain authorizing the slave trade from Africa to the New World. Here are five facts you should know about the transatlantic slave trade and its abolition.

1. The Spanish merchant Juan de Córdoba is believed to have first transported captured Africans to the Americas in 1502. The first slave voyage direct from Africa to the Americas is believed to have sailed in 1526. But even before then, Africans were brought over as slaves directly from Europe, and native inhabitants of America were enslaved by European explorers. On his first day in the New World, Christopher Columbus wrote in his journal that he had ordered six of the people of the West Indies to be seized because he believed they would make good servants.

2. Prior to 1518, the Spanish monarchy refused to allow slaves to be transported directly from the continent of Africa because of a fear they would introduce non-Christian religious practices to native populations in America. That changed on on August 18, 1518, when King Charles V granted a charter to Lorenzo de Gorrevod to transport 4,000 slaves directly from Africa to the Spanish American colonies. The Spanish king circumvented the law established by his grandparents by allowing slaves to be “converted” to Christianity during the voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. This action led to a broad expansion of the slave trade in the Western hemisphere.

This Week at the ERLC

This week, ERLC vice president of communications Daniel Darling launched his newest book, The Dignity Revolution: Reclaiming God’s Rich Vision for Humanity. Click here to learn more about the book and order a copy.

"Human dignity must be at the heart of our Christian lives because it is at the heart of the gospel story."

Our Nashville staff, together with Prison Fellowship, met with local ministry leaders and pastors around Tennessee this week to discuss criminal justice reform and how the faith community can work to support ministries and policies recognizing the dignity of every life and the hope of a second chance.

What You Need to Know

Does doing justice interfere with the preaching of the gospel? Is that how church leaders have viewed it throughout history? David Prince tackles this topic in his article, William Carey’s commitment to the gospel and social change. Read it here.

“When Carey witnessed widow-burning, infanticide, the caste system, a refusal to educate females, child marriage, and polygamy, he was compelled to work for the eradication of such aspects of social unrighteousness. How could he preach about the righteousness of God if he ignored unrighteousness around him?”

Many back-to-school schedules are in full swing, bringing a reality check to lax summer routines. Phillip Bethancourt says that a new school year can bring a fresh opportunity to revamp and make the most of family rhythms. Check out his article, 4 ways to strengthen your back-to-school routine.

“[W]e can get so caught up in the transition back to school that we don’t make the most of the opportunity. Before the new school year starts, it is helpful to think through ways Christian families can strengthen their back-to-school routines. The start of school creates the possibility to reset our family rhythms in a way that sets our families up for spiritual and academic success.”

Jack Phillips of Masterpiece Cakeshop is back at court again after his Supreme Court victory just 24 days ago. This time, he is being accused of discrimination after refusing to bake a cake marking the anniversary of an individual’s “gender transition.” Andrew T. Walker, in his article, When opposition to religious liberty becomes silly, petty, & vindictive, quotes Phillips’ attorney and gets to the heart of the matter:

“The state of Colorado is ignoring the message of the U.S. Supreme Court by continuing to single out Jack for punishment and to exhibit hostility toward his religious beliefs. Even though Jack serves all customers and simply declines to create custom cakes that express messages or celebrate events in violation of his deeply held beliefs, the government is intent on destroying him—something the Supreme Court has already told it not to do.”

News From Capitol Hill

Our policy team in Washington continues to advocate for the Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act. This federal legislation would provide further protections for service providers who are discriminated against by government entities because of their sincerely held religious and moral convictions. ERLC president, Russell Moore, wrote in a USA Today opinion editorial this week:

“The bill works to ensure that Catholics can be Catholic and Baptists can be Baptist, while being active participants within civil society. As Americans, we need to come together, put aside the politics and work to make sure as many children as possible are able to find the loving home every child deserves.”

Featured Podcasts

Our children’s minds are being shaped daily. The question is: What are they being shaped by? And how can parents be the ones to purposely form the moral imagination of their kids? Phil Vischer, creator of Veggie Tales, shares on the ERLC Podcast how storytelling can be an effective tool for creating a biblical framework for imagination and creativity in his talk, “Beyond Veggie Tales: Forming the moral imagination of your kids.”

Infertility is a heartbreaking challenge many couples walk through, yet it’s often a silent struggle. Many people don’t speak up about this form of suffering because of stigma or shame attached to the “label.” Matthew Arbo, a professor in Okalahoma, felt led to write a book on the topic to help the church think biblically and practically. He joined Andrew T. Walker on the Countermoves Podcast to discuss "Walking Through Infertility."

From The Public Square

Colorado Targets Christian Baker Again Despite Supreme Court’s Cake Ruling
Fred Lucas, The Daily Signal

The Colorado Civil Rights Commission is going after Christian baker Jack Phillips again, although the Masterpiece Cakeshop owner won a resounding 7-2 decision in June before the U.S. Supreme Court.

What Are “Ethics in Design”?
Victoria Sgarro, Slate

People in the field are calling for more ethical decision-making—but it’s hard to pin down what exactly that means.

Report alleges decades of child sex abuse by Pennsylvania priests
Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro has released a more than 1,300-page grand jury report detailing allegations of widespread sexual abuse of more than 1,000 children by Catholic priests in the state, naming hundreds of clerics accused of misconduct over 70 years and accusing church officials of a “systemic” cover-up.

Inside FDA's research with aborted baby body parts
Samantha Gobba, World

Taxpayers have been funding government research using tissue from aborted babies for years, according to a new report, and pro-life groups are calling for the practice to halt.

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