In the southern United States before the Civil War, most of the slave owners were Christians and accepted Christ as their savior. Does this mean that they went to heaven after they died?
2007-08-19 10:15:37 · 32 answers · asked by Billybww 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I don't think God would want them up there, and if he did, then God's a dumb@$$
2007-08-19 10:18:00 · answer #1 · answered by borgel 2 · 7⤊ 4⤋
Slavery was something that "everybody" did and at that time and place wasn't considered inherently wrong - remember that even the Bible condones slavery and sets rules for how slaves are to be treated.
So as abhorrent as we view slavery today, I think it's possible that "kind" slave owners - I'm sorry because I'm sure that even the notion of kind slave owners would be offensive to some - but I do think that people who treated their slaves as family members and cared for them well may be shown compassion by God. (I don't believe in heaven or hell, but I do believe that your soul has a different quality of existence in the next world based on your actions here.)
We have to be very careful about judging people in a completely different time and/or place by contemporary standards. We can't be sure that we would have acted differently, however comforting it might be to think that we would have.
Cultural and social norms have been shown to be incredibly powerful, much more powerful than most of us believe, and the sad fact is that if we'd been in Germany during the Holocaust, scientific research suggests that the overwhelming majority of us would have done little or nothing to help the Jews.
2007-08-19 10:25:44 · answer #2 · answered by ozperp 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That depends on the individual; owning slaves was not the best path to heaven, of course, but there was a wide disparity in how slave owners treated their slaves.
Also slaves were sold by their own people in Africa for profit; there were many hands stirring that pot. The traders and sellers were on the front lines; without them no one would have been able to own slaves in the first place.
2007-08-19 10:23:44 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
If they truly accepted Jesus as saviour then yes they will go to heaven. I am told this is the only rule you need to keep as a Christian. All sins are paid for so the fact they owned slaves would not affect their salvation. Many churches even publicly declared their support for slavery, others found reason to oppose it.
2016-05-17 09:47:10 · answer #4 · answered by valerie 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
(pagans must also believe and WILL BOW to Jesus Christ too. Either now or later, but they WILL BOW).
Those bible accounts are NOT talking about the brutal form of slavery we have come to know. They were BOND-SERVANTS that could leave whenever they wished. It was not bondage. And the slave owners would go to heaven only if they were true believers.
The word "slave" is found ONE time in the Holy Bible (KJV).
Jeremiah 2:14 Is Israel a servant? is he a homeborn slave? why is he spoiled?
And when you read the passage in it's CONTEXT it is merely an example referring to (( Israel )) differentiating between a bond-servant and slave in the OLD Testament, not the NEW Testament.
MATTHEW 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (KJV)
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2007-08-19 10:21:34 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
It depends on what they did in their lives. People who accept Christ as their savior don't automatically go to Heaven. Jesus will judge each person according to what the person did while they lived on earth. If a person owned slaves, but treated them fairly, and did not abuse them, then Jesus knows that. If a person owned slaves but did not care about them, or treat them fairly, or abused them, then Jesus knows that, too. Being a Christian does not absolve a person of their sins unless the Christian admits his or her sins to God and asks for forgiveness.
2007-08-19 10:20:23 · answer #6 · answered by compendious 5 · 1⤊ 4⤋
Yet, the hard working, family caring, pagan people of South America...who are "unknown" to God...are going to hell.
NOW Tell me Christianity is "God's Word"
2007-08-19 10:21:10 · answer #7 · answered by Anthony 2 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Just because you say you're a Christian doesn't mean you get to do whatever you want, like beat people and have slaves.
2007-08-19 10:18:08 · answer #8 · answered by krvawt88 3 · 5⤊ 1⤋
Well truthfully you really could not say because the bible say God is a merciful God and so we can not say who went to heaven or hell God said thou shall not judge.
2007-08-19 10:24:27 · answer #9 · answered by candyapple 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The same rules apply to all people. If your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life you are going to Heaven.
2007-08-19 10:19:43 · answer #10 · answered by deacon 6 · 0⤊ 4⤋
only God knows, but Jesus said that we are known by our fruit. Slave owners showed bad fruit, so i personally believe they did not go to heaven
2007-08-19 10:19:22 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 4⤋