When asked directly most Christians will agree that slavery is imoral. Slavery is of course defined as one individual or a group of individuals subverting the personal freedom of another individual or a group of individuals. Regardless of how one found themselves in this situation (forced in by financial ruin, born into slavery, conquored in battle, sold into slavery, etc.) the mere action of one individual removing the personal freedom of another is immoral... Most Christians would agree with me on this point.
Now the Bible has a very different outlook on this.. in fact it contradicts itself. Very early in the bible the isrealites are themselves slaves, and they go through great pains to free themselves from this position. However later in the Bible slavery seems to be condoned not only by god, but by Jesus as well.
How can one believe that slavery is immoral and still claim that a book that condones it is a sound source of morality?
2007-04-11 05:24:23 · 9 answers · asked by ChooseRealityPLEASE 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
That still doesn't answer his question, Fish. If the Bible is the Inspired, Inerrant Word of God, then it shouldn't be condoning slavery (especially "not beating your slaves too hard") if it is to live up to the title "Good Book".
2007-04-11 05:30:25 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I believe what the Bible says.
1. God did not intervene in the slavery of the Israelites in Egypt until their prayers had reached Him. I even get the impression that He had received those prayers for some time and has not decided to do something about them.
You must realize that God knows the hearts of His people, and these were His people.
2. The Bible goes through a Exodus 21 provides laws for the ownership and treatment of slaves.
3. Paul tells us that we should not do anything that we think will cause a fellow brother in Christ to fall. In the U.S. it is illegal to own slaves, they were all freed. We are told to obey the government in Romans 13. For this reason we will not consider owning slaves. However corporations all over the U.S. have indentured servants. Although we do not sign an agreement to stay for a specific term while they pay our bills, we often stay with the same job for year after year.
Do I think that owning slaves is against the Bible? NO. But mistreatment of slaves is against the Bible.
Would I own slaves? Not in the United states.
I had ancestors that had servants, and treated them very well. I even had a Governor of the colony of Virginia in my background, and he left all he owned to his slaves when he died.
grace2u
2007-04-11 05:45:46 · answer #2 · answered by Theophilus 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Slavery was an ancient fact of life among man. It did not start with God. In parts of the world, it is still practiced today. The Isrealites were slaves only as long as they were unfaithful to God. When faithful, God made sure the nation was free and prospered. Isrealites had slaves and provision was made in the Mosaic Law for freedom for debt slaves every Jubilee year. God and Jesus do desire all mankind to be free and have gone to great steps to free humans from their two greatest slave masters--1) Original sin of Adam, which is why we die. 2)The ruler of this world, Satan the Devil. Slavery is his invention, not God's.--The Bible is consistant throughout about God's purpose of freedom for humans on a paradise earth from Genesis to Psalms through Revelations.
2007-04-11 06:06:26 · answer #3 · answered by grnlow 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
God did not condone slavery, but He used it as a punishment for the Israelites when they rejected Him and disobeyed Him. When they turned back to Him and cried out for His help, He brought them out of slavery. This happens many times in the Bible, because the Jews were a stubbon, hard-hearted, rebellious people.
I was wondering where you would think Jesus condoned slavery, but then I realized you meant the kind of spiritual slavery. Slavery to Jesus is possibly the best thing you can have, and it isn't slavery in the sense that we think of it today. Paul called himself a "slave of Christ" and a "servant of Christ", because he wanted to be a slave of Christ. Christ does not subject our personal freedom - He lets us have our own free wills, and of our free will we choose to be a slave of Jesus, because whatever He wants us to do will be the best thing for us.
2007-04-11 05:33:55 · answer #4 · answered by ? 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
faith is the practice of doing the same aspect repeatedly in popular sorts. if you're in search of truth for your self, meditate on that want 5 minutes earlier you pass to sleep each evening, and upon waking. do this for some weeks. Your concepts has a lot that your concepts can help you provide you with some tricks. initiate reading and reading the various religions of the international. Meditate on the flaws that extremely pass you. no you'll make your faith, you're on condition that in creation. Any religious practice that motives you to positioned your concepts, body, funds, relations, relationships into its Kaleidoscope to make your concepts up what's the right for you is cult-like. God gave you a mind. Use it. keep in mind love is one in all of your astounding sources. examine philosophy, look at what those who've sought truth have discovered, then...your own salvation - with appreciate and thankfulness and forgiveness Bless
2016-10-18 00:38:46 · answer #5 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Bible is a Progressive book, it starts at the beginning of mankind and shows us how we as God's Children have progressed.
There are many different lifestyles during the history of the world, and God had entered into Covenants with a ever increasing size of groups until he finally sent his Son to be the new Covenant with ALL men.
Human society is a work in progress, and God sent his map in Jesus.
Peace!
2007-04-11 05:31:57 · answer #6 · answered by C 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The writings in the Bible reflect the societal norms of the time and cannot be compared to what people believe today.
MY personal beliefs come from instinct, insight, research and the holy spirit within me.
The Skeptical Christian
Grace and Peace
Peg
2007-04-11 05:29:02 · answer #7 · answered by Dust in the Wind 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
In those times the alternative to slavery was death. Since Jesus and God promoted life, they instructed the people on how to stay alive.
2007-04-11 05:28:47 · answer #8 · answered by Fish <>< 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Are we not slaves today?
Most people would call their jobs "hell" and many more hate to wake up in the morning.
Some slaves had it really better than what they would have had if they were "free."
You don't understand the cultural context of that time. Jesus spoke and told the "master's" correct conduct to "slaves."
"Slaves" is also a translated term correct to the early days of owning labor.
2007-04-11 05:35:26 · answer #9 · answered by AJHL 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋