Why did religion allow slavery to exist in the US?

Question

Why did religion allow slavery to exist. History writes that religion gave justification to slavery and segregation. I am not saying that all religions supported these crimes, but a good amount did. Not to pick on the good ole' South, but during the times of slavery religion was very much, and still part of culture. So here is my question. How did religion justify slavery and segregation?

Answer 1

I can tell you that my mother, whose family used to own slaves, believed that the Bible supported slavery. There was an interpretation that Blacks were descended from the sons of Noah who laughed at their father's nakedness when he fell asleep drunk in the vineyard.

Calvinism held that God ordained that some were meant to rule, and some to serve. Some would be chosen to enter the Kingdom of God, and some would be shut out, sent to Hell. Catholics believed some souls which didn't have so much sin accumulated, could serve some "hard time" in purgatory, expiating and doing penance for the sins, until such time as God felt they were ready to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. This was, I think most people believed, on Judgement Day.

Then, you must recall that churches were supported with the monies (contributions) of plantation owners, business owners, and anyone else who owned or benefited from slavery.

As a Christian, I believe slavery is wrong, period. But we live, at least here in the United States, Canada, and other parts of the English speaking free world, in more enlightened times. Or do we? Human Rights Watch reports there are more slaves in the world now than there were the last year of legal slavery in the US, when Abraham Lincoln declared the signing of the Emancipation Act (1863).

Answer 2

Slavery is still popular throughout the 3rd world countries today . Why did the Egyptians` religion have slaves ? Don`t just try to pin the whole slavery issue on the USA . Our country has only been in existence for 230 years , and slavery was only permitted less that a 100 years . Some nations have had slaves in the past for hundreds of years ! * PS * The good `ole north had slaves also , and the South elected blacks to public office long before the north did ! The Bible does state to treat slaves as you would treat yourselves . Religion does not allow slavery , man does !!

Answer 3

In the Old Testament there was slavery. In Europe, most people were too poor to own slaves, but the king owned everyone and everything with the sanction of the church. When settlers came to the New World, it was understood that the King of Spain would own all that Columbus saw. Then some of the colonists from England were different because they were Puritans. Some of the Puritans and groups like the Quakers had a sense that God wanted people to be responsible for themselves and not dependent on others. These were the basis for emancipation movement. Jesus was a revolutionary in his time and he preached equality of all people and both sexes. It has taken a long time for that message to get through.

In February, 1790, James Jackson of Georgia,
stated the reasons for slavery were found in the Old Testament and in the behavior and practices of the African tribes from which slaves came. This was in the first Congress when a Quaker delegation came forward to ask for slavery to be abolished. Jackson also quoted from Jefferson's "Notes on the State of Virginia".

Massachusetts, Vermont or Maine had no slaves in 1790. Their populations did not believe in it.

I think that the Southern Baptists were the ones whose denomination condoned slavery, especially when the slaves were converted to this for of Christianity.

Answer 4

Religion doesn't allow things like segregation, people do. You can use the bible to support any opinion if you twist the words around. For example, the rap group Cypris Hill used the bible to support drug use in their album "Black Sunday". But the true understandings would not allow segregation or racism. Drug use isn't a teaching of the bible either.

Slavery is a different issue. We associate slavery with torture and abuse. In God's system, a slave is only a slave until they pay off the debt owed. It doesn't give people the right to torture their slaves. In fact, if you did, you would be punished yourself.

Sometimes people willingly became slaves to acquire something from someone else like cattle or even a wife. I can't remember if it was Isaac or Jacob who told a man he would work for him for 7 years in exchange for his daughters hand in marriage. I think it was Isaac.

It's actually a good system when currency is seldom used. Since most people were farmers in Old Testament times, a worker was more valuable to them than money.

A slave in God's system is more accurately translated as indentured servitude. I am in the military. You could say I am in the same system. I sign a contract with the government which obligates me to a certain amount of time in service in exchange for pay and benefits. Once my contract time is served, I have a choice to sign up again or get out of the military. If I break that contract by going AWOL or something, I can be put in jail. So, I am a slave to our government. I am not exactly a free man because I can't just quit like a civilian job, but it is my choice to submit to this system.

There were times in the Old Testament when slaves were tortured, but that was not by God's teachings. Egypt held Israel as slaves for 400 years. Those were tortured slaves. But the bible doesn't condone that, it only tells the story of what happened.

The true cause of racism is evolution theory. If you believe that people evolved from animals, then that means some of the races have evolved further than the others. Who is further evolved? Well of course that's the more "civilized" people. The savage indians, African pygmies and Austrailian aboriginies were "obviously" not as evolved and therefore inferior.
God says we are all one race and of one blood created in His image. And no one is superior to another.
It was the Christian abolitionists that fought for the slaves and reform and continued all throuought history with Christian men and women like Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks.

Watch the movie Amistad which is a true story of what happend. The slavery was supported by the land owners and politicians. It was the Christians who fought against it.

Answer 5

I really dont think that religion had anything to do with the justification of slavery. I think just like everything else we can find someplace in the bible where all of our sins etc can be justified. So I dont think that religion allowed slavery to exist it existed because there were people on this earth who thought that african american people should not be consider as people but as property for their own personal use and entertainment. Religion had nothing to do with it. If anything I think that religion was a big part of how African Americans were able to come out of slavery and fight for their rights.

Answer 6

Did religion justify it, or did people justify it? True, slavery goes way way back. As the saying goes "to the victor goes the spoils" The victor between two opposing sides were at liberty to make slaves of the people they defeated. This is not the way it was meant to be when God set the world in order but via mans sin and sinful nature, it is the way the world choose to do things.

Answer 7

Why does religion allow abortion to exist ? Religion is a faith based belief system. Abortion and slavery are /were legal in the secular sense, yet still illegal in god's eyes. There will always be conflicts between the two. And don't forget that the slave owner was a man, and men make mistakes. Men are often wrong in their decisions. I hope this helps.

Answer 8

The Hebrew children spent 430 years in slavery under the Egyptians.They had sold themselves into Egypt and God gave them over to the desires of their heart.We see the effects of sin on the human race today,many fall into the bondage of Alcohol and drugs,while others fall to the lust of the flesh.People are dying in the thousands because of Aids,and many other sexually and drug and alcohol related incidents.In a sense their living as slaves,and for what ?We don't always see things as God sees them.Many of the slaves that came here soon excepted Christ,an option they may of not had,and don't you dare think that I support slavery.I'm just suggesting that we don't always see as God does.I am a jail minister,and I can't express in words how it feels to have a man or woman look at you and say their glad that they got put in jail,for if they hadn't they might have never of found Christ.

Answer 9

What makes you think anyone listened to 'religion'? The Bible has some very strict rules for slave holders. Those same rules still apply today for company owners. That's right. Slavery still exists. They just pay us a 'living wage' nowadays instead of feeding and housing us themselves.

Answer 10

Slavery was not a religion thing it was a power thing.....Because slaves are the ones who Trusted Jesus to see them through....And a possessive thing...A lot of non Believers lived back then but you no what Most all of them have done meet their maker...And are waiting for their judgment one sweet day...Holocaust and slavery Murders and Tormentors....Are all before Him awaiting judgment....Low and behold to the people of to day still do these things after they witnessed such things....This is a cu real world...God bless the world and all own it.....