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Exodus 21:20
If a man beats his male or female slave with a rod and the slave dies as a direct result, he must be punished, but he is not to be punished if the slave gets up after a day or two, since the slave is his proptery...
end quote???????????????

It can be translated as saying:
Buying and selling slaves is fines
beating slaves is fine, Slaves are to show entire and true fidlety.

This is repulsive. How can anyone possibly rationalize this horrific and dispectable verse?

2007-10-05 13:08:36 · 31 answers · asked by Future 5 in Society & Culture Religion & Spirituality

TammyD - Then what is the translation?

2007-10-05 13:13:31 · update #1

Harlinge - What property do you speak of. What the ancients use to beat their property?
Hummm? Seems like believers dodge the tough questions with open end remarks.

2007-10-05 13:14:36 · update #2

31 answers

The concept of slavery being wrong is relatively new (within the last 300 years or so). Until very recently in human history, the ownership of slaves was considered very normal. It still continues today, btw. Yes, we now consider it barbaric, yet we allow it to continue.
The passage quoted was meant to protect the slave. Yes, you were allowed to punish the slave, but to kill him by that punishment was considered wrong. This is in contrast to those societies that existed simultaneously that, since the slave was property, considered them less than human and therefore exacted no punishment for their murder. If you read it in context, you will see that it is, actually, a very novel concept that gave more status to a slave than he had ever known before, and never knew outside of that society.

2007-10-05 13:17:03 · answer #1 · answered by King James 5 · 1 0

I do not rationalize these verses dealing with slavery. I will not say they are evil either. To many people look back in history and try to place their modern sense of morality on it. Sorry Charlie. It does not work that way.

If you look up Phlemon you will see how Paul views slavery and it is not positive. You can even find other verses to back up odd practices such as divorce...Jesus said that it was because of our hard hearts that divorce was allowed. It is not desirable to God and neither was slavery. God did put rules in place to protect slaves and guide those that would own them.

Now, having said that, I will also say that it was not important in the larger scale of things. Everyone has to have a job and the type of Job does not demeen you in God's eyes. No matter your station in life you are to live your life unto God (that was why he spoke of that fidelity btw). When life is over it gets much better and no matter your lot in life it will be as nothing.

Now imagine if you will that slavery is back in fashion and you own a good company. You need workers. You could buy many slaves. Now evil people would do this with little regard. But, not you. Look at that family or parent clingy to a child or two loved ones. You could buy them, provide for them and cause them to stand. Not only stand you could see them prosper until this time goes away again. They would see to it that you prospered and you would own more and more slaves.

Think this is far fetched do you? Watch Schindler's List and think again.

Realize that the only horrific and dispicable things in life are done by the hands of man. God tries to work through our free will, stuborness, hardness, and down right evil ways.

2007-10-05 14:00:54 · answer #2 · answered by crimthann69 6 · 0 0

Unlike a lot of liberals, the Bible dealt with reality. The reality when Moses was alive was that people held slaves. Slaves in those times were typically people who had been on the losing end of a war, and were probably physically indistinguishable from their owners, although they might talk a little funny.

This verse was applicable within the context of the times it was given, in a relatively primitive society that was only starting to get a fuzzy idea of the concept of Human rights. To use it as a lash against judeo-christianity today is akin to instructing a teenager to quit pooping in their diapers, it's just irrelevent.

The only religion that accepts the holding of slaves in the 21st century is Islam.

Dreamdress, working for money is not slavery. I trade my skills, which have value, for money. I am free to market my skills on the open market, and work for the highest bidder. The only people who equate this to slavery are the ones who have little or no skills, and whose fault is that?

2007-10-05 14:09:57 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

You have the right interpretation. Slaves were common back then and they were your property. In war, the men were often killed and the woman and children were made slaves. Slaves were mistreated which is why Moses instructs the people of Israel on how to treat the slaves better, because they were once slaves. The Jews were required to set their slaves free on the Sabbatical Year (every seventh year). The slave then had a choice to keep living with his master or go his way.

2007-10-05 13:25:51 · answer #4 · answered by Rockford 7 · 2 0

PLEASE, when you read this passage keep in mind what the world was like back then, It was far different then than it is now! It is human HISTORY. History right or wrong is still History!

Only be disgusted if you read something like this happened yesterday or today. We must learn from the past so we can make a better future!
These words were laws that Moses wrote down. Also we have no way of knowing how these words were changed when the Bible was translated and latter Canonized.

The Bible is one of the oldest HISTORY books we have and you take what you can get. I would suggest that you read some other history books that teach about what life was back then and I think that you will find that they all agree on what the people were like.

2007-10-05 13:24:09 · answer #5 · answered by DrMichael 7 · 3 1

I'm assuming since this question is bible related that you are christian or at least in the vally of decissoin. But anyway. We both must come to this agreement. God is a living God and not a Dead God and because of that he deals with issues of today. OK
back in those times slavery was accepted it was apart of life. If a man borrowed money and couldn't repay he would become a slave to the debtor to prepay his debt. I can't argure with you about even more about the idea of slavery. But i can say this the slavery that took place in the culture of the US is completely different that what took place back then. Know this Jesus Saves and regardless of what the situations were back then i'm prettry nothing was too great that God could not handle

2007-10-05 13:32:34 · answer #6 · answered by Marchaz S 1 · 1 0

I suggest asking this question in 'history' or in 'commerce history'. Possibly you asked this in R&S for a professor of Jewish history?
Also you need to know how people became slaves. So this is historical infomation, as slavery is mostly abolished, in what ?are we modern and 1st world - possibly in 3rd world people can explain?? I have no idea. Slavery is still practiced somewhere; humanity has not advanced very much.
Of course it's repulsive - but 2-3 thousand years ago there was no other power source.

2007-10-05 13:22:55 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

Just so you know, Exodus is the Old Testament. Most Christians don't follow the Old Testament, they follow the New Testament - the word of Jesus (New Covenant means new deal or new contract). Christians don't have to rationalize it, they can accept it as a sign of the times and move on because it has nothing to do with them.

Quote: "This is repulsive. How can anyone possibly rationalize this horrific and dispectable verse?"

Ask a Jew, they still follow it. Tell them how 'despicable' they are too when you do.

2007-10-05 13:25:37 · answer #8 · answered by Trajan 2 · 0 1

IF you think the day of slavery is over, you had better understand the world you live in a little better. Slavery is practiced all over the world. Maybe it is more subtle now, but it is still done. Everyone has to serve somebody...who pays your bills? Do you work for it? Isn't that a form of slavery? You work for the man with the property and money. Things haven't changed much. You just don't get beat physically....just mentally....true, you get to choose your slave master,,, the people who follow Paris Hilton around,,,meeting her every need...just upper class slaves..but slaves nontheless....we are all slaves to the man with the money...we need money to pay our bills, he needs slaves....

2007-10-05 13:26:03 · answer #9 · answered by dreamdress2 6 · 0 2

That was the way the world worked at the time and is no longer relevant or appropriate. Much of Leviticus is this way. These types of verses convince me that the Bible should never be taken literally because it's out of touch with modern society and our values (which are in some ways superior and in others inferior).

Many Christians like to skip over these parts because they don't work with their values, which is hypocritical. If you're truly faithful, how can you deny any part of "God's Word?" My family likes to justify these by saying some parts of the Bible were written by man. Ok...which parts exactly??? How do we know what to believe?

There's too much contradiction in that book for me to exalt it.

2007-10-05 13:16:49 · answer #10 · answered by backwardsinheels 5 · 1 1

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