Why does the bible allow slavery and rape?

Question

Exodus Chapter 21, verse 20:

If a man beats his male or female slave with a rod and the slave dies as a direct result, he must be punished, but he is not to be punished if the slave gets up after a day or two, since the slave is his property.

Not only does God condone slavery, but he is also completely comfortable with the concept of beating your slaves, as long as you don't kill them.

Numbers 31:14 - 18

Moses was angry with the officers of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—who returned from the battle

15 "Have you allowed all the women to live?" he asked them. 16 "They were the ones who followed Balaam's advice and were the means of turning the Israelites away from the LORD in what happened at Peor, so that a plague struck the LORD's people. 17 Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man, 18 but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man.

God and moses allow rape?

This is the christian bible. Check these verses if you don't believe me.

Answer 1

That's because it's a flawed, man-made book. God had nothing to do with the creation of the Bible.

Answer 2

The Bible doesn't allow rape. Fornication is mentioned as being wrong 480+ times!

The Bible does prescribe "pennace" for those who commit it. Moses laws says the man must marry the girl or pay the father money. Jesus says forgive and forget and love your enemy the most.

Slavery, that's another issue.

But I think that's more about selling yourself into servitude, which was a way of barter back then.

It's like contracting to be a rock star or movie star for 10 years today.

John Lennon said, back in the late 1970's or early 1980's it was the FIRST TIME HE DIDN'T OWE A RECORD TO SOMEONE.

John Lennon was, essentially, a SLAVE.

His soul was owned by EMI/Polyphonic under a long, long term contract.

The Bible released slaves from their servitude after 7 years, that's where our Bankruptcy laws come from.

Answer 3

God hasn`t changed ,mans interpretation of his will has.They were not educated,most were no-mads and very superstitious.When Moses went to talk to God the people built a golden calf to worship.,this is a people being led to the promise land.Doesn`t say much for their faith.
They lived differently then and they warred constantly.Women were low ,as well as slaves,they weren`t considered equal to men.As people become more educated and then the word was within mans reach.People started to be taught,educated and as far as the word,it was written down ,where everyone who could read could interpret for themselves,people got wiser leaving their heathern ways behind.
Look even today with all the education there are those who still kill ,enslave ,and treat other nationalities as infeior and say they do it for their God and religeon.

Answer 4

Those rule s were in place long before slavery as a whole was abolished. God never meant for anyone to be subservient to anyone but Him. You must understand that the old estament was indicative of the era it was written in. When Jesus came and took the ultimate sacrifice among himself, he negated all abrahamic laws and created a new covenant between GOD and man which allowed for forgiveness of sin. No longer was it necessary to carry out the code that was set down in moses' time.

Answer 5

Slavery was a standard practice at that point, and I'm not sure how you get rape out of that Numbers passage. Sounds to me like Moses wanted his officers to kil women who were having sex out of wedlock, perhaps.

At any rate, God doesn't condone those things. The Bible has been translated and interpreted in so many different ways. It was written by man, inspired by God.

Answer 6

The Book of Exodus was a clear condemnation of slavery!!!

In Exodus God Warns the Pharoah, through Moses, that if he doesn't free the enslaved Jews in Egypt, God Would Send Down Plagues, & Does exactly that, when the Pharoah does not heed the warning!!!!

Answer 7

The Bible was written by humans, so it is fallible. Also, the stories in the Bible should not be taken at face value (was Jonas actually in a whale?), but as parables.

Also, back when the Bible was written, slavery was condoned by society, and slave women were property.

Answer 8

God hates slavery.
Since it was going to be a function of the times then, he did make regulations and laws protecting slaves.
In time, slaves of Jews would be freed.
Some chose not to be freed because they were okay with their situation.

The other situation you brought up concerns the judgment against the Midians. When they were destroyed, the virgin women of the Midians was kept. Nothing is mentioned about rape going on. That was not allowed.

If you had read the whole account, I'm sure you would understand.

Answer 9

During the biblical times in Ancient Egypt and the Middle East, customs dictated the role of women and men in society. Women were always seen as submissive to men in almost all aspects of society. Also, slavery was used in Ancient Egypt and throughout the Biblical lands to build pyramids and other things. It is a result of the custom of the times, and the Bible reflects the history of those times even though it is being read in present-day context.

Answer 10

For one the Jewish race was patriarchal at the time and that put women down at the bottom of the pecking order. and most slave were those that were captured after a battle or owed the rulers /owners of their land to much in back taxes which gave them the right to sell them into slavery to get paid back what the unlucky person/s owed them. most could work the debt off and become free men again in those cases.