LORD's political system Vs. Roman's system
Our present day political system is inherited from the Romans. LORD's political system is described in Judges, Old Testament. The present day system cannot dispense justice promptly, and suffers many shortcomings. I hope we will discuss various aspects of LORD's system (Vs. Roman's system) and the feasibility of its implementation. But any topics of interests to Christians are also welcome.
LABOUR LAWS
(Note : the followings are my understanding of LORD's Laws, therefore it may be wrong. If you have different opinions, I would be grateful if you would email me or post your opinion in this forum)
First we must know that we are NOT to add to nor delete from LORD's Laws (Exodus through Leviticus), in order not to let the Law grows bigger and bigger. But if one is familiar with the precepts of "justice, mercy, faithfulness" in LORD's Laws, one should not have difficulties in judging all cases.
LORD's Laws are based on the Principles of Justice, and not case-Laws nor Roman's type of Statutory Laws, therefore the judge can cater for each individual case on its merits and dispense true justice.
There are two forms of employment Laws mentioned in LORD's Laws, one is employment on a day-by-day basis, and the Law is few,
Moses : You shall give him his hire on the day he earns it, before the sun goes down (for he is poor, and sets his heart upon it); lest he cry against you to the LORD, and it be sin in you. [Deut. 24:15] LORD : The wages of a hired servant shall not remain with you all night until the morning. [Lev. 19:13] |
The second form of employment is "slave", which is in fact "contract labour for 6 years". And before we discuss such, let us review some management practices,
(1) Management Style USA
A CEO may fire any worker at will, and at short notice.
See the massive layoffs of airline workers and hotel
workers after September 11.
(2) Management Style Japan (60's)
It is employment for LIFE. Employer provided housing,
entertainment, medical/dental care, even "match making", ... for their
employees. It is a "miniature welfare system" in
its own right.
Moreover, they treated their employees as sons/daughters
(family members), and cared for their up-building. They
would provide study material, subsidies for tuition,
travel subsidies (to broaden their horizon), encourage
them to make suggestions (quality circles), ....
Employees are also given generous bonus if the company made money.
Thus employees knew that the success of the company was tied
to their own welfare.
Short-term profits was not a consideration, they planned for 10 or 20 years
ahead.
(3) Management Style Japan Now.
(2001) Now that Japan faces economic difficulties, and companies that are short of
money would fire employees. But still, many care for their employees like
family members.
(4) LORD's 6 years Contract Employment
LORD : When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing. If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him. If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master's and he shall go out alone. But if the slave plainly says, 'I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free', then his master shall bring him to GOD, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl; and he shall serve him for life. When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do. If she does not please her master, who has designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed; he shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has dealt faithlessly with her. If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter. If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights. And if he does not do these three things for her, she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money. [Exodus 21:1-11] LORD : When a man strikes his slave, male or female, with a rod and the slave dies under his hand, he shall be punished. But if the slave survives a day or two, he is not to be punished; for the slave is his money. [Exodus 21:20] LORD : When a man strikes the eye of his slave, male or female, and destroys it, he shall let the slave go free for the eye's sake. If he knocks out the tooth of his slave, male or female, he shall let the slave go free for the tooth's sake. [Exodus 21:26] LORD : When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be clear. But if the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has been warned but has not kept it in, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death. If a ransom is laid on him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is laid upon him. If it gores a man's son or daughter, he shall be dealt with according to this same rule. If the ox gores a slave, male or female, the owner shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned. [Exodus 21:28-32] |
From here, we know :
- Slave is nothing but employment contract for 6 years.
- If slave is happy with his employer, and consent to be
slave for life, then the employer MUST bring him
to LORD (to the administering priests) to investigate whether
his consent is voluntary or under compulsion.
Anyhow, even for "life-long" slave, the slave and
his children may go out free at the year
of Jubilee (every 50 years, see quotation below). - People may buy female as wife for his own, or as wife
for his son, or as wife for his "slaves".
In here, it may be seen that taking more than 1 wife
is NOT illegal (though LORD wants everyone to have 1 wife),
but if husband diminishes her "food, clothing,
marital rights" after taking in more than 1 wife, then
the female slave may go out free.
(The reason why LORD's wants us to be monogamy is that
husband should love wife, and wife should love husband,
and they together should love their children, and the
children should honor parents.
But if someone takes in more than 1 wife, then it can
easily cause "grief, jealousy, or even strifes" in the
family, and would also set a bad example to their
children. And these are GUILTS and the man may be
punished by Priests.) - The master may discipline the slave, but if he causes
injuries to his slave (lose an eye or tooth), he must
let the slave go free for nothing. - If someone causes death to a slave, he must pay 30 shekels
of silver to the "master".
Since slave is at a lower status than freeman, LORD teaches us to redeem our brothers/kinsman as far as possible,
LORD : And if your brother becomes poor beside you, and sells himself to you, you shall not make him serve as a slave : he shall be with you as a hired servant and as a sojourner. He shall serve with you until the year of the jubilee; then he shall go out from you, he and his children with him, and go back to his own family, and return to the possession of his fathers. For they are my servants, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as slaves. You shall not rule over him with harshness, but shall fear your GOD. As for your male and female slaves whom you may have : you may buy male and female slaves from among the nations that are round about you. You may also buy from among the strangers who sojourn with you and their families that are with you, who have been born in your land; and they may be your property. You may bequeath them to your sons after you, to inherit as a possession for ever; you may make slaves of them, but over your brethren the people of Israel you shall not rule, one over another, with harshness.
If a stranger or sojourner with you becomes rich, and your brother beside him becomes poor and sells himself to the stranger or sojourner with you, or to a member of the stranger's family, then after he is sold he may be redeemed; one of his brothers may redeem him, or his uncle, or his cousin may redeem him, or a kinsman belonging to his family may redeem him; or if he grows rich he may redeem himself. He shall reckon with him who bought him from the year when he sold himself to him until the year of jubilee, and the price of his release shall be according to the number of years; the time he was with his owner shall be rated as the time of a hired servant. If there are still many years, according to them he shall refund out of the price paid for him the price for his redemption. If there remain but a few years until the year of jubilee, he shall make a reckoning with him; according to the years of service due from him he shall refund the money for his redemption. As a servant hired year by year shall he be with him; he shall not rule with harshness over him in your sight. And if he is not redeemed by these means, then he shall be released in the year of jubilee, he and his children with him. For to me the people of Israel are servants, they are my servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt : I am the LORD your GOD. [Leviticus 25:39-55]
- From the above, we may see that sojourner, if
he is willing to be sold as slave, is to be slave for life!
(Now that we know that all those who are willing to follow
the teachings of LORD and the teachings of Jesus are brothers
and sisters.)
But kidnapping a person (even a stranger or sojourner) to be
slave is very serious crime,
LORD : Whoever steals a man, whether he sells him or is found in possession of him, shall be put to death. [Exodus 21:16]
John Adams, one of the forefathers of America, said about the constitution of USA :
"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."
Therefore, if an employer is unwilling to observe LORD's Laws, slave may undergo terrible experience under his hand.
But if the employer treats his contract employees as "sons/daughters" according to the Law of LORD, I think LORD's employment system is the best.
Ask the Japanese, whether they are contented to be with those companies that practice "life-long" employment.
Wu Siu Yan
28th November, 2001
