The Council of Dads is now a New York Times bestseller!! My fifth in a row. Thank you for all your support.
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The Middle East Uprisings and the Remaking of the Modern World
Timely and provocative, Generation Freedom looks at the historic youth uprisings sweeping the Middle East and what they mean for the future of peace, coexistence, and relations with the West. READ MORE
A Story of Family, Friendship & Learning How to Live
When bestselling author Bruce Feiler was diagnosed with a malignant tumor in his leg, he could only imagine all the walks he might not take with his daughters, the ballet recitals he would miss, the art projects left undone, and the aisles he might not walk down. READ MORE
Read Bruce’s cancer diary.
Bruce's latest news
Watch my brand-new talk about THE COUNCIL OF DADS! It lasts just under 18 minutes.
My wife and I appeared on “The Today Show” to talk about THE COUNCIL OF DADS with Matt Lauer. Check it out here.
Hi
I just saw you on Anderson Cooper, regarding Ungodly Discipline. I had never heard of you before and thought what you said was rather interesting – particularly how people will say that the bible, for example, condoned slavery and Jesus never said anything about it. I’ve heard this a few times before but as I studied it out (especially being African American), I could easily see that just because the bible mentions something doesn’t mean it condones it. Just like a history book will discuss certain topics (ie war), it doesn’t mean that the book is saying it’s ok.
For example, when the Pharisees asked Jesus about divorce, Jesus told them Moses allowed it because the hearts of the men were hard, not because it was right or God condoned it. Now Jesus also didn’t go on a mission to stop divorce, although he clearly says there (Matthew 19) that divorce was not the way it was meant to be. That’s simply because Jesus came for a specific purpose, for a limited time and he simply could not have dealt with every single issue on the face of the planet in that time, nor was that his mission. The bible is clear what he came to do (Luke 14:18) and for the purpose of salvation for the world. So, just because the bible mentions slavery doesn’t mean it condones it. Yes, indeed, people change culturally but in the end like scripture says, there is nothing new under the sun, and proper principles are things that never change with the times. But there are always those who go too far, and take things out of context, like they don’t have good common sense. I swear, nut jobs :-)
Oh, and I’m reminded that God eventually got his own people out of slavery in Egypt. He sent a servant. He didn’t tell the people to create a revolutionary uprising, which is why I think people think the bible condones slavery. Because there are scriptures that state to respect your master if you are a slave or something to that extent. That’s because people are trying to understand a spiritual concept with a carnal mind. Again, God didn’t tell those enslaved to become violent and fight for their freedom. This is because 2 wrongs don’t make a right. If one reads the intent of the scripture, it was so that, as Christians, they wouldn’t behave in such a way that brought reproach. This does not mean God would do nothing. He is a friend of the oppressed, as scripture states. His way is to do it peacefully. I truly believe that God used Martin L. King this way (and even Abraham Lincoln to do it lawfully). We now have a Black president when less than 60 years ago we were segregated. This is something only God can do. But notice, he didn’t tell us to do it violently or in a wrong, disrespectful way. His people did not have to take up arms to leave Egypt. After their time, as most often they were punished this way, God brought them out. This gives an indication of God’s character, even without him specifically saying, “I don’t like slavery, period.” We learn about him not only from his words, but his actions and character. Be blessed all.