Does the Bible condone slavery?
93- Quilligrapher
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Here are three examples. Are there more?
(Bold emphasis mine.)
"However, you may purchase male or female slaves from among the foreigners who live among you. You may also purchase the children of such resident foreigners, including those who have been born in your land. You may treat them as your property, passing them on to your children as a permanent inheritance." Leviticus 25:44
"Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ." (Ephesians 6:5 NLT)
"Christians who are slaves should give their masters full respect so that the name of God and his teaching will not be shamed. If your master is a Christian, that is no excuse for being disrespectful. You should work all the harder because you are helping another believer by your efforts. Teach these truths, Timothy, and encourage everyone to obey them." (1 Timothy 6:1-2 NLT)
97- Paraglider
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Two of the ten commandments allow for slaves as normal - in one you are told that your slaves also should do no work on the sabbath, in another you are told not to covet you neighbour's slave. In both cases, it specifically mentions male and female slaves.
Way back then, I think you'd have looked far and wide to find an abolitionist! Like many of our best ideas, it took hold in the Age of Reason.
85- Cagsil
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I would go as far and say, "RELIGION" makes people slaves.
History has shown that religious leaders of the time of Christ, were enslaving people to do the work of god's will. How do you think some of the largest monuments in the world were built.
Pyramids took thousands upon thousands of slave labor. They were told what when to eat, when to drink and to worship whatever 'god', they were told to.
Religion is destructive to the human race and needs to be eliminated completely.
Religion tells you to put "GOD" before yourself- that defeats the nature of life.
The nature of life is for your survival. For you to live as long as possible. And, to do that- you MUST put yourself first.- 93
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Paraglider wrote:
Two of the ten commandments allow for slaves as normal - in one you are told that your slaves also should do no work on the sabbath, in another you are told not to covet you neighbour's slave. In both cases, it specifically mentions male and female slaves.
Way back then, I think you'd have looked far and wide to find an abolitionist! Like many of our best ideas, it took hold in the Age of Reason.Thanks, Para, for your comments and your references to the ten commandments. I still can't immagine how Moses managed to get all of that text on two small slabs of rock.
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Cagsil wrote:
I would go as far and say, "RELIGION" makes people slaves.
History has shown that religious leaders of the time of Christ, were enslaving people to do the work of god's will. How do you think some of the largest monuments in the world were built.
Pyramids took thousands upon thousands of slave labor. They were told what when to eat, when to drink and to worship whatever 'god', they were told to.
Religion is destructive to the human race and needs to be eliminated completely.
Religion tells you to put "GOD" before yourself- that defeats the nature of life.
The nature of life is for your survival. For you to live as long as possible. And, to do that- you MUST put yourself first.
Thank you, Cagsil, for your opinions. But do you have any examples of where the Bible condones slavery?
I do not believe that the Bilbe condones slavery. I think that due to the fact it is written during a time where slavery is a way a life, it incorporates the world around it in order to speak to the people of that world. The inherent message is belief. Whether or not it speaks to a slave or the master only means that it aims at the person. In order for the book to connect with all people, it addresses all the economic positions which existed at the time in which it was written. To say that it supports slavery by mentioning slaves misses what the message was by focusing on the subject.
Basic sentence structure: subject, verb, predicate.
By making a simply declarative statement, "She is good," is the focus of the sentence on the predicate or the subject? The pronoun has little effect to the meaning of the message. The purpose of the message is to point out the meaning. Good is far more important to the context of the message than the pronoun. because it explains the purpose of the statement
So by stating, "Christians who are slaves should give their masters full respect so that the name of God and his teaching will not be shamed." indictates that it is far more important to promote the respect of God and His teachings more than anything else. It addresses the slave, but the sentence is meaningless without the message.Of course it condones slavery. You have exhibit A right there: The Scriptures!
90- David Bowman
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Quilligrapher wrote:
Here are three examples. Are there more?
(Bold emphasis mine.)
"However, you may purchase male or female slaves from among the foreigners who live among you. You may also purchase the children of such resident foreigners, including those who have been born in your land. You may treat them as your property, passing them on to your children as a permanent inheritance." Leviticus 25:44
"Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ." (Ephesians 6:5 NLT)
"Christians who are slaves should give their masters full respect so that the name of God and his teaching will not be shamed. If your master is a Christian, that is no excuse for being disrespectful. You should work all the harder because you are helping another believer by your efforts. Teach these truths, Timothy, and encourage everyone to obey them." (1 Timothy 6:1-2 NLT)Don't forget this jewel:
"When a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod so hard that the slave dies under his hand, he shall be punished. If, however, the slave survives for a day or two, he is not to be punished, since the slave is his own property." (Exodus 21:20-21 NAB)- 93
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twalker74 wrote:
I do not believe that the Bilbe condones slavery. I think that due to the fact it is written during a time where slavery is a way a life, it incorporates the world around it in order to speak to the people of that world. The inherent message is belief. Whether or not it speaks to a slave or the master only means that it aims at the person. In order for the book to connect with all people, it addresses all the economic positions which existed at the time in which it was written. To say that it supports slavery by mentioning slaves misses what the message was by focusing on the subject.
Basic sentence structure: subject, verb, predicate.
By making a simply declarative statement, "She is good," is the focus of the sentence on the predicate or the subject? The pronoun has little effect to the meaning of the message. The purpose of the message is to point out the meaning. Good is far more important to the context of the message than the pronoun. because it explains the purpose of the statement
So by stating, "Christians who are slaves should give their masters full respect so that the name of God and his teaching will not be shamed." indictates that it is far more important to promote the respect of God and His teachings more than anything else. It addresses the slave, but the sentence is meaningless without the message.Thank you, TWalker, for your comments about syntax and sentence structure. I sincerely believe you when you say that you do not believe that the Bible condones slavery. Although I don't challenge your beliefs, or anyone else’s for that matter, I am curious about how you arrived at your conclusion. How might I apply your comments about the difference between the subject of a sentence and its message when I read, “you may purchase male or female slaves from among the foreigners who live among you.” in Leviticus25?
Also, can you site any examples in the Bible that condemn slavery or indicate that God might disapprove?
Q - 93
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David Bowman wrote:
Don't forget this jewel:
"When a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod so hard that the slave dies under his hand, he shall be punished. If, however, the slave survives for a day or two, he is not to be punished, since the slave is his own property." (Exodus 21:20-21 NAB)Thank you, Mr. Bowman, for your input. I shall presume that this passage indicates to you that the Bible does condone slavery.
Q. Quilligrapher wrote:
Here are three examples. Are there more?
(Bold emphasis mine.)
"However, you may purchase male or female slaves from among the foreigners who live among you. You may also purchase the children of such resident foreigners, including those who have been born in your land. You may treat them as your property, passing them on to your children as a permanent inheritance." Leviticus 25:44
"Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ." (Ephesians 6:5 NLT)
"Christians who are slaves should give their masters full respect so that the name of God and his teaching will not be shamed. If your master is a Christian, that is no excuse for being disrespectful. You should work all the harder because you are helping another believer by your efforts. Teach these truths, Timothy, and encourage everyone to obey them." (1 Timothy 6:1-2 NLT)Biblical slavery was totally different than the slavery you're thinking of people volunteered themselves to work for others for food, shelter and protection and they were treated as family, and held other jobs outside of the home. Modern Slavery was brought on my evolutionary thinking(i.e. blacks are apes) I find it funny how that you left out how modern day slavery was abolished…with the bible.
I encourage you even I doubt you will to go back and read those verse in context. Does God ever say own slave because I approve or was it that his people were already owning slaves?
86- tantrum
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Religions make people slaves of their own beliefs
That's the worst kind of slavery, because it involves the mind.love your synthesys tantrum.
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- tantrum
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I'm very synthetic.
Life's too short, for wasting it in long posts that's what you show
spiderpam wrote:
Biblical slavery was totally different than the slavery you're thinking of people volunteered themselves to work for others for food, shelter and protection and they were treated as family, and held other jobs outside of the home. Modern Slavery was brought on my evolutionary thinking(i.e. blacks are apes) I find it funny how that you left out how modern day slavery was abolished…with the bible.
I encourage you even I doubt you will to go back and read those verse in context. Does God ever say own slave because I approve or was it that his people were already owning slaves?How exactly do you know what meaning of slavery everyone is thinking?
Since this is a discussion on God supporting or not supporting slavery in the Bible why would people bring up modern day slavery?
Lastly how do you know what slavery from thousands of years ago was like vs slavery from 150 years ago?Deutoronomy 15: 12 If a fellow Hebrew, a man or a woman, sells himself to you and serves you six years, in the seventh year you must let him go free. 13 And when you release him, do not send him away empty-handed. 14 Supply him liberally from your flock, your threshing floor and your winepress. Give to him as the LORD your God has blessed you. 15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you. That is why I give you this command today.
You are right, the Bible does not condemn slavery, but there are many principles and regulations for treating people and slaves in general. Although as someone pointed out, slavery was different then. People often sold themselves into slavery to cover a debt.
God is in the business of setting people FREE!
It was John Newton who wrote Amazing Grace, because he was a slave trader before he became a christian and afterwards realized how wicked it was.
In Acts we see Paul taking Christians as prisoners before becoming a believer.
Gods people were in Egypt and God set them FREE! Later they disobeyed and were sent to babylon to serve as slaves for 70 years before he miraculously delivered them again.
What matters most is if we are a slave to SIN. We can be set FREE if we receive Gods forgiveness and no chains can take that away. In the book "The Hiding Place" the nazis took jews and christians and killed them and used them as slaves, but the ones who found the Lord inwardly rose above the abuse.
John 8:
34Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeedRhianni32 wrote:
spiderpam wrote:
Biblical slavery was totally different than the slavery you're thinking of people volunteered themselves to work for others for food, shelter and protection and they were treated as family, and held other jobs outside of the home. Modern Slavery was brought on my evolutionary thinking(i.e. blacks are apes) I find it funny how that you left out how modern day slavery was abolished…with the bible.
I encourage you even I doubt you will to go back and read those verse in context. Does God ever say own slave because I approve or was it that his people were already owning slaves?How exactly do you know what meaning of slavery everyone is thinking?
Since this is a discussion on God supporting or not supporting slavery in the Bible why would people bring up modern day slavery?
Lastly how do you know what slavery from thousands of years ago was like vs slavery from 150 years ago?Because if they knew the differnce this question wouldn't be posted. It's called contextual research biblical and historical. You can do it too.
- Jerami
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Even today we are all slaves to someone or something. I am a slave to the people that I work for. I am then provided with lifes abstinence. And then I have free will to trade this for other slave drivers of my choice, coffee, cigarets, sex, drugs, and yes even fishing boats. We are all slaves to something.
Jerami wrote:
Even today we are all slaves to someone or something. I am a slave to the people that I work for. I am then provided with lifes abstinence. And then I have free will to trade this for other slave drivers of my choice, coffee, cigarets, sex, drugs, and yes even fishing boats. We are all slaves to something.
Didn't Bob Dylan have a song years ago that said "You gotta serve somebody. Now it may be the Devil or it may be the Lord, but you're gonna hafta serve somebody"
