Why does the bible advocate slavery?

Question

In Leviticus 25:44 the Bible says: “Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property. You can will them to your children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life.” In Exodus 21:20 the Bible says: “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.” Statements like Col. 3:22 and Titus 2:9 in the "New Testament" fully endorse slavery. Slavery is illegal in the United States, as is assault and battery, and the Holy Bible flagrantly disregards these statutes. Slavery is barbaric. A book that condones slavery is highly offensive. So why would the bible advocate slavery when we all know it is morally and ethically wrong?

For those who say the old testament doesn't apply

You: Well, that's in the old testament, you see. The book is really two books, and the "old" part of the book doesn't really apply.

Me: Are you saying that the smartest person in the universe once wanted us to kill every adulterer and homosexual, but then changed his mind? That somehow makes it better? If the "old part" no longer applies, then why is it still around?

You: Well, parts of it do apply.

Me: Didn't you just tell me that it doesn't apply?

quote/ There was slavery in the Old Testament but thats not to say the Bible condoned it. /unquote

CHRIS C I liked your answer as a whole except for the part above....if you read Statements like Col. 3:22 and Titus 2:9 in the "New Testament" It appears to fully endorse slavery as well

Answer 1

Because Christianity is hypocritical. No one denies that. However, the real question remains... why would people follow and believe a hypocritical book written in the bronze age?

Answer 2

An earlier Post and Answer you must have missed:

Does the Bible condone slavery?
I heard it does, in about a dozen passages.


No. There was slavery in the Old Testament but thats not to say the Bible condoned it. Look at the Hebrews led out of Egypt by Moses. They were led to freedom and out of slavery.

Its even in the old Levitical law that anyone who "steals" a man and then sells him could be punished by death.

Most "slavery" talked about in the Old Testament is actually a self indentured type of slavery where it only lasted for a set amount of time, other than when a nation would defeat another nation and took the population at large as a slave class.

Exodus 21:16
He that shall steal a man, and sell him, being convicted of guilt, shall be put to death.

The Catholic Church has always taken a stand against slavery as well. A parish priest in Louisiana during the American Civil War (1861-1865) wrote a homily supporting the position of his parishoners. Rome quickly censured him and he had to modify his statement and position.

A priest in Birmingham Alabama officiated the marriage between a white girl and Puerto Rican dark skinned man in 1920. The girl's father, a Methodist minister, walked over to the rectory late in the afternoon and shot the priest in the head, killing him, as he sat on the porch. Father Coyle became a martyr for the Catholic Faith and racial equality. Father Coyle himself was a white Irishman.

A final note: not to bash anyone, but the historical fact is...the Southern Baptist denomination was born out of the Civil War when there was a disagreement inside the Baptist denomination on whether to support slavery or not. The Southern Baptist Convention and Southern Baptist denomination came to be to stay in the south and support the Confederacy's Pro-Slavery stance.

Answer 3

Don't get your panties in a bunch, Lulu. The Bible is, among other things, an historical record of events which occured in the Holy Land thousands of years ago, many of which had little to do with religion. It includes a lot of information that has no bearing on how we live today such as laws regarding slavery, for example. Slavery was a very common and accepted practice in those days, and this is an example of the laws regarding slavery in that area during that time period.

It's also another example of why the Bible (and other religious documents) shouldn't be taken literally.

Answer 4

Quit applying your modern sissy sensibilities to the ancients. Until quite recently, mid 19th century, slavery was accepted throughout most of the world. There are still places in this world where slavery is accepted. It was effective use of resource prior to the industrial revolution and the introduction of steam engines, cotton gin and jaccards card, to name a few of the labor saving devices introduced which made slavery uneconomical.
The economies of the Greek and Roman worlds was based on slavery.

Recent studies indicate that each of us live lifestyles today with the modern conveniences that surround us that would have required 200 slaves each several hundred years ago.

Answer 5

The bible does condone slavery even as late as St Paul. Slavery was essential to the economies of the time. 80 per cent of greeks were slaves.
Our concept of slavery comes from the days of black african slaves. In these older times slavery was accepted by master and slave alike. A slave then was more akin to a live-in servant or worker. The master was the slave's security.
In more more modern times in Europe we had serfdom. This also was a form of slavery. Serfdom in England did not end until the time of Elizabeth I, in France it ended with the French revolution, and in Russia it did not end until the communist revolution.

Answer 6

im not very sure they were advocating slavery, more or less, the bible was written when slaves were very common. that was just how it was back then. we as people have grown as our knowledge has grown, therefor we realized that slavery is highly immoral. either way we are all gods children and he probably had a hand in guiding us away from slavery.



not sure if that will help or make things work. it was just a couple sentences from my mind...thinking while im typing. thank you for the question!

Answer 7

There is a big difference between condoning slavery and accepting it as a part of the culture of the day. God laid down very stringent rules for slave owners then....and in the days of Paul, he also gave guidelines to treat slaves with dignity. However, it was never God's intent for men to enslave other men. Yet even today, many are slaves and they do not even know it....they are slaves to sin, slaves to debt...slaves to drugs, slaves to alcohol. Jesus came to set them free.
John 8:31-33 31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?”
34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

You see, the Jews did not think of themselves as slaves, but Jesus knew they were slaves... and he came to free them

Answer 8

Your question implies that the United States existed BEFORE the Bible was written. You need to do some more history.

Additionally, you need to study the principles of hermeneutics.

We are all slaves :either of God or of Satan. You may THINK otherwise.

Answer 9

you should love this one too: "do no longer spare them, yet kill the two guy and female, newborn and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’” - a million Samuel 15:3 So at an identical time as people have been forbidden to placed on wool and linen jointly (Deuteronomy 22:11), slavery and infant slaughter have been ok.

Answer 10

slavey wasn't a question of racism until the USA made it that way.

From the beginning of time on until black slaves were stolen from Africa, slavery was a direct result of war.

And God knows that sometimes unfortunately war is necessary.

War will cause the end of the world, and the coming of God.

Maybe you should ask the black slaves of 400 years ago why they believed in God... because God exists and just because he chose a life of struggling for some, doesn't mean he doesn't love them or that they aren't going to inherite the kingdom of God.