For example, in my eloquent question some moments ago regarding slavery, we don't see any logical answers regarding the specific question. God authorizes slavery, no where in the Bible is it make illegal or stated to be immorral. Yet Christianity today teaches that slavery is not a moral practice. This obviously does not come from God, at least not the same God that inspired their Bible.
They are forced to admit they think for themselves - or that their Bible is not the inherit word of God.
What else besides slavery is suspect? How God and Christians feel about gay marriage? Abortion?
Are we, as people, to think for ourselves on these issues of morality and social justice.
Why do we as a human race need the Bible, if we will instead replace it with our own better morality, as we have in recent decades and centuries with slavery.
Will there be one single fundamentalist Christian with one single logical response to this question?
2006-09-25 08:50:48 · 15 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Slavery was meant to be a way of paying off debt, if you owed me money you'd work for me to pay it off.
Before religion humans would kill indiscriminately because they wouldn't be held accountable for their actions, basically if you had something I wanted I could kill you for it without remorse or any kind of possible judgment.
Before religion we were lawless, all of our laws are based on religion. We are barbaric without religion.
2006-09-25 08:55:47 · answer #1 · answered by Sean 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Why is slavery permitted in the Bible?
Slavery was permitted in the Bible because of sin in the world. It existed before the Jews were formed as a nation and it existed after Israel was conquered. God allows many things to happen in the world such as storms, famine, murder, etc. Slavery, like divorce, is not preferred by God. Instead, it is allowed. Where many nations treated their slaves very badly, the Bible gave many rights and privileges to slaves. So, even though it isn't the best way to deal with people, because God has allowed man freedom, slavery then exists. God instructed the Israelites to treat them properly.
* The Bible acknowledged the slave’s status as the property of the master (Ex. 21:23; Lev. 25:46),
* The Bible restricted the master’s power over the slave. Ex. 21:20).
* The slave was a member of the master’s household (Lev. 22:11)
* The slave was required to rest on the Sabbath (Exodus 20:10; Deut. 5:14)
* The slave was required and to participate in religious observances (Gen. 17:13; Exodus 12:44; Lev. 22:11).
* The Bible prohibited extradition of slaves and granted them asylum (Deut. 23:16-17).
* The servitude of a Hebrew debt-slave was limited to six years (Ex. 21:2; Deut. 15:12).
* When a slave was freed, he was to receive gifts that enabled him to survive economically (Deut. 15:14)
The reality of slavery cannot be denied. Slaves were "slave labor played a minor economic role in the ancient Near East, for privately owned slaves functioned more as domestic servants than as an agricultural or industrial labor force."1
When I see a logical criticism I will respond appropriately.
2006-09-25 08:59:10 · answer #2 · answered by BrotherMichael 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What is the question?
The Bible is the history of the human race- How God chose a people for Himself to show His love to the others around.
What those people did is also recorded- slavery, incest, murder, stealing, lying and incredible kindness, love and courage.
Slavery is wrong- yet when the Bible was written people made slaves of others. The laws God gave were intended to instruct people, if they had slaves, how to treat them.
Gay marriage- well the Bible is clear on that. Abortion is murder- no matter how you cut it. ( no pun intended. )
We could never have better morality than God's. He tells us, not to kill, steal, lie, covet, bear false witness. To treat each other with respect & dignity ( even non-believers ).
We need these laws- commandments because if you will listen to the news at night, men ( and women ) evidently are not capable of behaving "right" towards each other. We never have and we certainly never will.
2006-09-25 09:00:33 · answer #3 · answered by IN Atlanta 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
The societal changes have made some of the old doctrine irrelevant today. Issues considered timely today are not discussed in the 1st century.
Being a Christan and having a brain is akin to a person in a high stakes poker game with too much money in to fold. They have so much invested, and have been goaded into quiting, but they are not going to fold. Paid a lot to see that final card. Christians hope all non-believers are damned or else they lose.
2006-09-25 10:01:54 · answer #4 · answered by Chronic Observer 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
oh...obviously we as a species are doing so much better than we were 4000 yrs ago...
we don't don't kill anymore, enslave anymore, rape, lie, steal, or hate anymore. we are so much more "enlightened" than we used to be...our"better morality" is such an obvious improvement.
1. keep in mind that "slavery" differed from culture to culture.
2. you can take the trash out of the trailer, but the trailer out of the trash takes a little longer.
3.by his own admission, god was dealing with a stubborn, pigheaded stiffnecked people.their wheels ground exceedingly slow. stupid is the word here...
4. by the standards of the day, god's rules about the treatment of slaves were downright humane.
5. trying to "prove" the rightness of any philosophy is a waste of time with someone who has already made up their mind. are you questioning because u want the truth? or are u questioning for its own sake?
there is no way to discover the truth you love (agree with), unless you are willing to embrace the truth you hate.
2006-09-25 09:04:37 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't recall reading anywhere in the Bible that God authorised slavery. If you have a specific reference, I would appreciate you telling me.
There are many injustices in this world, if you think that by God permitting them to exist, means that we do not need to take any responsibility for our own unjust actions then He is not a God of Justice. Fortunately for us all, you are completely wrong, God is a God of Justice and what’s more, He has given the authority to Judge each and every one of us to the one who paid for our injustices with His own blood, His Son, Our Lord, Christ Jesus.
As for Homosexuality and Abortion, a comprehensive understanding of the Bible reveals that these are abominations in His sight, and no amount of “logical criticism” will change the fact. The good news is that there is hope for all of us if we will repent of our sins and accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour.
Rom 14:11
For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. (KJV)
He lives even as we speak; the only question is on what side of the great divide will each of us bow the knee?
2006-09-25 09:54:04 · answer #6 · answered by movedby 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sadly, you are forgetting to take the entire text of Bible as reference, and only using the parts that suit your argument. God also admonishes us to live within civil law.
Slavery, at the time it was written about was legal, it is not today.
God, in the Bible neither encouraged, nor discouraged the practice of owning slaves. It was simply noted and instructions for the relationship between servants and masters was discussed.
When you have a logical criticism... let me know.
2006-09-25 08:56:20 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Okay, this isn't really directed at me, I guess... but...
What else besides slaverly is suspect? - Everything
Are we, as people, allowed to think for ourselves on these issues of morality and social justice? - OF COURSE
Why do we as a human race need the Bible...? - We don't
Will there be one single fundamentalist Christian with one single logical response to this question? - Of course not, how silly of you to think so!
2006-09-25 08:54:36 · answer #8 · answered by seanswimsnrt 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First of all, this fiction book your reading is written by man on mushrooms. Weed was existant then also. Second, to take it all seriously is to join the ranks of those in ancient times that traveled around the world, forced diffrent colored races into labor*building churches, homes for all white people, then whipped and beaten to believe their going to burn for all eternity if orders weren't followed.
Yes, religion was a forced order to get what was wanted, and no, the travelers didn't believe it themselfs.
2006-09-25 08:59:25 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Perhaps you would be interested in reading the article entitled:
THE BIBLE'S VIEWPOINT -- Did God Condone the Slave Trade? found by clicking on the link below.
2006-09-25 08:57:24 · answer #10 · answered by Abdijah 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋