Christians: If a country legalizes genocide, are Christians expected to embrace it (see link)?

Question

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AuUizX3R5B.h_IhZuGwJcu_sy6IX?qid=20061023062008AABYqBP

There are two answers to the above question that claim "Christians are to follow the law of the land as long as it does not conflict with our faith", and apparently slavery does not "conflict with our faith".

I find it incredible that anyone would want to belong to a faith that believes slavery is okay as long as it is legal. But if a slave is mere property, and not a person, what is to prevent christians in a country where genocide is legal from embracing such a law and acting in accordance with it.

As one of the answerers said, "Slaves were property... same as pencils, computers, and CDs are today". I am free to destroy a pencil, and throw it away or incinerate it, etc. If slaves are no better than a pencil, what is to prevent such a christian from embracing genocide?

Answer 1

I am also really shocked about this "slaves were property same as pencils" statement and also the other statement about "Christians are to follow the law...."
And you know these ideas were also followed by Christians when it really had consequences for their victims and it's not just statements on Yahoo answers. I don't say this is the case for all Christians, but there are Christians who follow these bad rules.
In "Uncle Tom's Cabin" there is a passage in which slave owners quote the Bible (same what you quoted in your other question) to justify slavery. There is another passage where a women refuses to escape with her husband from their masters who want to seperate them because she thinks it is a sin and God would punish her. She only escapes when they also want to take her child away from her and she later gets support from Christians of another kind who do not quote these passages from Bible.
However my point is that these passages from the Bible were actually used to justify slavery in a Christian country.
And about the thing with the genocide, this has also already happened in part. In Germany during the time of Hitler there were a number of Christians who resisted against Nazi regime in underground, but I have also read of Christians at that time who had moral problems to resist the Nazi regime because of Romans 13 (again Paul), that every authority was from God and had to be obeyed, and if there was not this chapter in the Bible there had probably been more Christian resistance and this passage did favor genocide this way.

Answer 2

In biblical days, anyone who works in service was considered to be a slave. What we would call a maid, was called a slave. What we would call a cook, was called a slave. What we call a landscaper, was called a slave. People didn't have the luxury of performing these duties for more than one family or business owner. The boss was the slave owner. Servants weren't supposed to be treated harshly, but as employees. Look at the corporate world today, people are already slaves on their jobs, of their environment, to their spouse, and many other areas of their lives. No one, Christian or not, should not embrace the harshness of slavery as America has in the past.

Answer 3

I guess you missed the part in your bible where the Lord has commanded us to love as He loves. just because something may be legal doesnt make it right. They're lots of things that are legal, but as a chrisitian I choose not to follow. The bible is very clear about murder and judging of other people so any chrsitian that would even consider genocide, I'd really question their faith. Not all Christians are bad people and our faith calls to love, not judge and hate people who dont think like us

As to your link I dont see peter as holy just a human doing the will of God. Like all humans, except Jesus, hes not perfect. If we were able to be perfect then Jesus wouldnt' have a need for a savior

Answer 4

You have to understand, that the culture in Paul's day was different. Paul knew he couldn't combat every problem that existed, bc some were so deeply ingrained in society. So, he dealt with things he could. He did say that masters should treat their slaves fairly, however, and not be harsh with them. So he did defend slaves, but don't take the fact that he didn't reject slavery as a sign that he approved of it. He simply decided that it wasn't something that desperately needed to be dealt with.

Additionally, if he had rejected it, slaves may have revolted, and ended up being killed. Then someone would blame him for getting them killed by encouraging them to fight someone they couldn't beat.

We have to understand the culture in which the Bible was written to better understand why it was written.

Answer 5

I write this with love, not out of a spirit of condemnation toward my Christian brothers and sisters, but ...

any Christian who truly believes slavery was permitted either by Paul or God needs to read the Bible more carefully. We cannot simply shrug our shoulders and say, "well, who can understand God?" He WANTS us to understand Him, but we cannot if we give no credence to what He's written!

For example, a careful reading of the Mosaic Covenant SHOULD (but often doesn't) lead a person to understand slavery is banned by God because it conflicts with His commandments to show love and respect for fellow human beings.

The New Covenant states the same. As I wrote in answer to your identical post, Paul's Epistle to Philemon explains he (Paul) personally felt slavery is wrong.

Peace.

Answer 6

Our coutry has legalized genocide of unborn babies, and we Christians stand against it with all our hearts.

As regards to the slavery issue: The Bible is not against slavery but against abuse. In our country our thinking is permeated with the terrible abuse of slavery in America and so in response we have just rejected slavery in all its forms. In the Bible slavery was the answer to many social problems. Bankruptcy, if some one could not pay their debt they would becme a slave to the one to whom they owed the money until the debt was paid. Poverty was dealt with because the poor could go and work for a master and have their basic needs of life met until they could get on their feet. God laid down rules for how this was to be done and for how long. During war, it became the way to deal with prisoners of war. Many slaves liked it so much that they became life long slaves. They just had to do as they were told, and all their need of life, food and clothing and shelter were looked after, and the law prevented abuse against them. If it is done right there nothing wrong with it. In America there were things done terribly wrong.

Answer 7

Nope, gay people have been given married and something of society went on no longer being concerned approximately it. Sexuality isn't a slippery slope. people do no longer start up gay then at last get dragged down a spiral of desirous to marry dogs or raping teenagers or eye-catching in sodomy with a dildo-powered streetlight.

Answer 8

The day when America legalizes genocide (although hypothetical), I'm down to good ol' Mexico!

Answer 9

Hey, it was Christians who died to free the slaves in the American Civil War. Where were you? The Muslims STILL practice slavery. Talk to them. You question lacks logic.

Answer 10

There are passages in the Bible that outline the ethical treatment of slaves.

Thousands of Jews and Uniterians were tortured and killed during the inquisition. (Hitler wasn't the first)