Slavery is just as much a fundamental part of Christianity as is the Virgin Birth???

Question

I was wondering what the general response to these passages in the bible would be: The bible condones slavery, and my question is as follows: All of the following are from the bible, and are just as much a part of the bible as the 10 commandments. If one is "inspired," isn't the other inspired as well?

Leviticus, Chapter 25, Verses 44 to 46
"Both thy bondmen and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen round about you; of them ye shall buy bondmen and bondmaids. Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, which they begat in your land; and they shall be your possession. And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession; they shall be your bondmen forever."

Timothy Chapter 1, Verse 6:
"Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their masters worthy of all honor."

And Titus, Chapter 2, Verse 9:
"Exhort servants to be obedient to their masters."

does this not mean that the church should actually support slavery, and anti-slavery forces should feel bad because they are not acting in accordance with the "divine will?"

but the universal church just took out doctrines that it didn't like....doesn't that mean that it is denying the divinity of the original bible, and the divinity of God's word?

Answer 1

Killing people is a major part of Christianity, as well, if the Bible is any indicator. God kills millions, and repeatedly commands his followers to torture and kill people. Most Christians have never read the entire Bible, so they have no idea what it REALLY says.

Answer 2

Well not as much as the virgin birth if at all. The Bible promotes ethical treatment of slaves, this is why the southerners during the civil war only preached the bible to their slaves and not the whole thing, the knew they would find a verse that said they should be treated better. And that was written for a time when slavery was common, it was not written for today.

Answer 3

I think that you are confused, because you are unfamiliar with your history.

Moses was one of the first ancient writers to suggest that slaves actually have rights. True, he didn't abolish the practice outright, but he put limits on what a slave master could do to his slave - a radical idea at the time.

Paul does suggest that Christians submit to whatever authority was over them at the time (including submitting to the Emperor), but he also advises slaves that if they can gain their freedom legally, then they should do so (you seemed to miss that passage). Paul didn't want Christians across the Roman Empire to start revolting -- Christians were being accused of doing this already, and I believe that it was being used as an excuse to persecute Christians.

In the ancient Roman empire, the Christians were the first people to treat slaves as equals, since the apostle Paul seemed to argue that slaves were just a valuable in the eyes of God as anyone else, and James and Jesus said that God did not respect the rich any more than the poor (In fact James said that it was a sin to treat the poor worse simply because they were poor).

Historically, most of the abolitionists were devout Christians, who believed that the New Testament taught against slavery.

Different people argued for centuries over whether the Bible was for or against slavery.

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...Christian denominations, such as the Methodists and Christian organizations were prominent in the movement for Abolition, although others used biblical writings to promote and justify the institution.

Within Christianity itself, slaves attained positions unavailable in the pagan society. Slaves were excluded from no sacrament because of their servile condition; however, slaves who fled from their masters were, at some times and places in history, condemned with anathema and refused eucharistic communion. Slave burials are never included any indication that the one buried had been a slave. Christianity recognized marriage of sorts among slaves. Freeing slaves was regarded as an act of charity....

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Were you called while a slave? Do not worry about it; but if you are able also to become free, rather do that.

For he who was called in the Lord while a slave, is the Lord's freedman; likewise he who was called while free, is Christ's slave.

You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.

~1 Corinthians 7:21-23 (NIV)

Answer 4

No,you misunderstand.
Levitcus was written to the Israelites,in a very specific time and circumstance.
Slavery then was not the type of slavery that we know of today,where you would be condsidered hal human or be enslaved because of your skin colour.
Timothy is talking about respecting your master,and not violently protesting.Same with Titus.
And no,there is nothing to do with 'divine will'.That's not what the term means.
The virgin birth and the practices of the ancient Jews are two very different things.Slavery is not part of Christianity at all,and is certainly not comparable.

Answer 5

Okies, one last time for old times sake .... slavery then is not what slavery is now. Back then, people sold themselves into slavery for certain periods of time. Sort of like "give me 100 grand now and I'll work for one year for you". You basically sold yourself, keeping the money, or giving it to your family, or paying back a debt.

This is exactly what "bondmen" and "bondmaids" are.

Answer 6

Slaves were to be obedient because the alternative was death. In those days, when a city was captured everybody became slaves. The Bible wasn't supporting this. The Bible was giving guidelines so that the people might survive and not be killed.

Answer 7

You'll get a lot of people telling you,basically, that the old testament doesn't count; this is wrong ( http://www.evilbible.com/do_not_ignore_ot.htm ) and irrelevant (so slavery used to be a good thing?).

And of course that it wasn't really slavery but more of a contract, a job if you will.

In fact, the bible condones slavery, and was used by people who supported slavery, just as it is used to oppose gay rights.

Answer 8

God is a lie: I am sorry if this a hard break for you, there is far more proof if you want me to show you. If are willing to accept the truth you will feel more fear and hopelessness since you don't beleive in heaven anymore. You will need to find more earthly ways to become immortal. Leave a legacy. The world is a pound of ripples, make your's a positive one.

Answer 9

This is the part where the so called christians get to pick and choose which part of the bible they like and want to actually acknowledge.

Answer 10

It's just part of the social set up of 2,000 years ago. The bible is just dealing with contemporary issues, we have, or should have, moved on.