Earlier this month, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights held a weeklong conference in Durban, South Africa. Officially, the conference was called, "The World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance." Its purpose was to discuss the deep divide in today's world caused by this scourge. Unfortunately, the conference was marred from the opening day by efforts to label Zionism in general, and Israel in particular, as racist because of Israeli treatment of Palestinians. The United States had refused to send a high level delegation because of attempts to set an agenda incompatible with American policy interests.

One of the issues addressed was that of reparations to countries and peoples who suffered in the past under slavery. This is an ongoing issue that flows from German payments to Jews for atrocities committed during the Holocaust. Many African nations and human rights leaders say that those countries which promoted and benefited from slavery and colonialism should make monetary payment to atone for their abuses.

While no one hesitates to condemn the practice of slavery, the issue of financial reparations is controversial.

American Secretary of State Colin Powell, himself an African American, illustrated the complexities of the problem by asking, "Would I get compensation for slavery, or would I pay for it?" The former secretary-general of Amnesty International, Pierre Sané, says that a check cannot compensate for spilled blood. How true! It is a sign of our material-driven world to suggest that money could make restitution for all the human injustice caused by slavery.

During his second inaugural address 136 years ago, Abraham Lincoln identified the true cost of one human subjugating another. The American Civil War was winding down after four years of slaughter caused in part by the issue of slavery. Lincoln saw the judgment of God brought to the nation because of slavery.

"If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offenses which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having continued through His appointed time, He now wills to remove, and that He gives to both North and South this terrible war as the woe due to those by whom the offense came, shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a living God always ascribe to Him? Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God will that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said 'the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.'"

Where racism exists today, it should be exposed for the evil that it is. Yet, not until the heart of mankind is transformed by the Holy Spirit of God will the evil tide of racism and intolerance be turned back from human society.

The time spoken of by Jeremiah the prophet must first come to pass. "But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people" (Jeremiah 31:33). Only then will we see a true restoration of justice, tolerance and equity among all peoples. WNP