Why do you think Jesus never spoke out against slavery? (read more)?

Question

According to the NT, he was well aware of slavery. Yet he never spoke out against it. Or at least, if he did, the authors of the Bible did not include it.

Some have said to me that he said nothing because he was not out to change political issues. But that doesn't sound true because he did speak out srongly against gambeling near the temple.

I've just returned from Mexico where I learned over and over again about the horrors of slavery comitted by the Conquistadores against millions of natives. For almost 2000 years after Christ, slavery was perhaps the greatest crime ever comitted by humans.

Why didn't Jesus ever make one statement against it like "Now, release all of your slaves because slavery is an abomination to God"?

At best Jesus tells people not to beat their slaves to death, but it seems he had no problem with the institution as a whole.

What are your thoughts?

Tereasa B: No it's not enough because he just seemed to be specificly favoring the Jews. And my question was - if there was STILL slavery in Jesus' time, why didn't he bring it up?

He could have said "Moses delivered you from slavery to let everone know that slavery is wrong." But he never did.

Honestly, it worries me that some are trying to justify slavery by saying that it just wasn't that bad. I do not know wheather they are in EXTREME denial or just extreamly ignorant of the horrors of slavery.

Answer 1

Who says that slavery is wrong. Everybody speaks out of their own experience and the western world speak strongly against slavery because of the terrible abuse of slavery that occurred in the USA a few hundred years ago. However in the Bible slavery was the answer to many social issues of that day. It was the answer for bankruptcy, unemployment, unpaid debt, and POWs. Many slaves where so happy with slavery that they personally chose to remain slaves for their lives. Americans tend to evaluate every one else by what they think is right. Maybe there are other ways to do things then the way we do it.

Answer 2

He did have the parable of the Good Samaritan... I guess he was like the Uncle Tom slave....

I don't know but if he was God he would have said something like this: "Verily I say unto you do not take native African and Native American Indians as slaves and torture them for they are good and the Lord loves them much."

Answer 3

There are a lot of issues he didn't address directly (or at least where his words weren't recorded), but he covered them all by saying to love your neighbor as you love yourself (and he illustrated who he meant by neighbors with a story where a hated samaritan was the hero). No one can obey this command and own slaves, molest children, etc.

Answer 4

I think there are a lot of issues He didn't speak about, simply because they couldn't possibly write down ever word He ever spoke. To assume He condoned it simply because theres no mention of it in the bible is simply ignorant. "The last shall be the first, and the first shall be the last" is pretty close though, meaning that the lower down on the status pole in life (slaves, for example), the higher on that pole in heaven.

Answer 5

i don't understand why some human beings think of that because of the fact something is suggested favorably, or in basic terms remember-of-factly, interior the Bible, it skill God/Jesus condones it (and additionally that if something is condemned interior the Bible, it skill God condemns it)?? My dad wish me to have confidence that because of the fact there have been wars interior the Bible, God is professional-conflict. i think of that's BS! The e book is, partly, a historic previous e book, recording the happenings and customs of the time. As for Jesus, his one significant message replace into: "it is my commandment, which you like one yet another as I certainly have enjoyed you." And what approximately those verses: "Be not ye the servants of adult males." and "Neither be ye called masters: for one is your grasp, even Christ." Sounds anti-slavery to me. besides, the Bible contradicts itself in all sorts of procedures. particularly of arguing bits you do not understand, concentration on what's user-friendly and use straight forward experience. The overriding topic of "the coolest e book" is love, superb? God loves us, we are meant to love one yet another. If God is love, he does not help conflict, torture, or slavery. And any Christian who replace into incredibly Christ-like, and positively accompanied Christ's teachings does not help any of those issues the two.

Answer 6

I don't believe it was Jesus' mission to Earth to speak out against slavery. Still, slavery is evil, and I am not sure why he didn't take the time to address it.

Answer 7

WHEN PEOPLE THINK OF SLAVERY THEY AUTOMATICALLY THINK BAD
IE: ABUSE, STARVATION, MEAN, ETC
IT IS NOT ALWAYS LIKE THAT IF U HAVE SLAVES U HAVE TO TREAT THEM WITH RESPECT AND FEED THEM AND CARE FOR THEM AND DRESS THEM IN THE SAME CLOTHING U DRESS URSELF IT IS NOT NECCESARILY A BAD THING BUT THE BEST THING U CAN DO IS FREE UR SLAVE THEY HAVE TO BE RESPECTED AND TAKEN CARE OF
IE: IF THERE IS A WOMAN WHOS HUSBAND DIED IN A WAR SOMEONE COULD TAKE HER IN AS A SLAVE CARE FOR HER AND HER CHILDREN IN THIS CASE U R HELPING PEOPLE AUTOMATICALLY THINK THE WORST IT WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE THAT PEOPLE TOOK ADVANTAGE AND BEAT THE POOR SLAVES ALSO I AM NOT CHRISTIAN OR CATHOLIC I AM MUSLIM AND THE QURAN DOES TALK ABOUT SLAVERY

Answer 8

Doo,
He didn't directly bring it up.
He HOWEVER did say,
Mark 12
29"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.[e] 30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'[f] 31The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[g]There is no commandment greater than these."
The SECOND most important commandment is to LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF. meaning, EVERYONE of EVERY race and such things like that.

Sam*

Answer 9

I think you're overanalyzing His words. Remember, Jesus told us that His burden (Law) is light, not heavy as was the Mosaic Law.

Jesus preached that we are to "love one another." He also commanded us to "love your neighbor as yourself." If we enslave someone, how does that show love for this person? It's really as simple as that.

Answer 10

He probably did, oh boys just forgot about or owned some sixty years later when they wrote the bible.