Why does God approve of slavery? And He sure does!?

Question

The Bible clearly approves of slavery in many passages, and it goes so far as to tell how to obtain slaves, how hard you can beat them, and when you can have sex with the female slaves.

'However, you may purchase male or female slaves from among the foreigners who live among you. You may also purchase the children of such resident foreigners, including those who have been born in your land. You may treat them as your property, passing them on to your children as a permanent inheritance. You may treat your slaves like this, but the people of Israel, your relatives, must never be treated this way.

And don't tell me that it was necessary for survival. Today there are also millions of starving and unemployed people around the world. Does that mean that they must be slaves then? Furthermore, why should God treat Israelites better than others? Is it necessary to for God to approve of slave beating? And what's up with allowing masters to have sex with their slaves?

Hello Michelle Chang, Knock Knock (on your head), do newspaper set rules on how to murder someone? stupid! Slavery was not just recorded, but it was approved by God. God set specific rules regarding slavery! How you can you compare that to newpaper? Get a brain!

Answer 1

The fact that the Bible set rules regarding slavery (which was mans decision to initiate) is akin to saying that a modern newspaper supports murder corruption and other things we frown upon as a society.
Just because it is documented and laws were set regarding it, the Bible in no way encouraged nor endorsed slavery.

By your logic, as I previously touched upon, the fact the Bible addressed slavery, as being evidence that God 'approves' of slavery is just as ridiculous as saying that a newspaper approves of the topics addressed therein.


Nice try-flawed logic.

Answer 2

Slavery was a part of the ancient world. No denying that. Truth is that slavery WAS necessary for survival for ancient civilizations. It was a different time and a different place. Maybe you ought to take the time to take some advanced history classes on the subject, because you are obviously ignorant about basic historical principles and the difference between the ancients and modern times.

Regardless, you make an interesting point in regards to the present, although you hurt your credibility by saying that the Bible says how hard you can hit them and to suggest the Bible says it is ok to have sex with the slaves. That is not true, and you provide no evidence that it is. In fact, the Bible clearly says that it is wrong to commit adultery or fornication, which automatically proves that you are mistaken.

In the end, there really is no point to this outburst. No Christian or Jew promotes slavery in any way today, with the exception of a few right-wing wackos, but crazy people exist in all walks of life, and not just in Judeo-Christian religion. So ultimately your point is irrelevant. Taking verses out of the Bible out of context is illogical and poinitless. You're as bad as the Bible-thumpers that do the same thing to "prove" THEIR points.

Answer 3

Slavery is happening now, all around the world, including in the US.

God cared enough about people in slavery to lay down laws providing for a pretty humane treatment.

What are you doing to help them? You are judging God- which means you think yourself to be on a higher moral plane- but how are you helping the plight of anyone?

I cannot prove the existence of God, but even the news section of Yahoo had proof of the existence of slavery in the US. You mock God by saying he allows and condones or even approves of slavery- and yet here you are allowing it in your own country! You ignore its reality, pretend it is not happening?

You are indignant towards God? Are you free from sin yourself?

Sure, you are not keeping slaves yourself but isn't the old saying 'if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem'? Accusing God is NOT a part of the solution, now, is it?

As for His special treatment of Israel- did you not know that Israel is His chosen people?

Bah. Why bother. It is obvious you are more concerned with baseless accusations against a God you don't even believe in than in accomplishing anything good or meaningful. Good luck with that.

Answer 4

Most of the Old Testament laws were given to teach people specific lessons.

Even a slave was to be freed in the seventh year (Exodus 21:2). This is goes along with "six days thou shalt work...rest on the seventh day". The land was to be cultivated for six years and rested in the seventh year. In the same way, I believe God has allotted six thousand years for sin in this world and the seventh millennium will be rest/freedom from sin in heaven.

We are all slaves or servants of sin (John 8:34) and we too are waiting for our freedom. Being a physical slave is bad but being a spiritual slave is worse.

But praise God! In Christ "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Gal. 3:28).

Answer 5

War, poverty, and crime were the basic factors that reduced persons to a state of servitude. Captives of war were often constituted slaves by their captors or were sold into slavery by them. In Israelite society a person who became poor could sell himself or his children into slavery to care for his indebtedness.One guilty of thievery but unable to make compensation was sold for the things he stole, evidently regaining his freedom at the time all claims against him were cared for.
At times slaves held a position of great trust and honor in a household. The patriarch Abraham’s aged servant (likely Eliezer) managed all of his master’s possessions. (Ge 24:2; 15:2, 3) Abraham’s descendant Joseph, as a slave in Egypt, came to be in charge of everything belonging to Potiphar, a court official of Pharaoh. In Israel, there was a possibility of a slave’s becoming wealthy and redeeming himself.
Among the Israelites the status of the Hebrew slave differed from that of a slave who was a foreigner, alien resident, or settler. Whereas the non-Hebrew remained the property of the owner and could be passed on from father to son, the Hebrew slave was to be released in the seventh year of his servitude or in the Jubilee year, depending upon which came first. During the time of his servitude the Hebrew slave was to be treated as a hired laborer. A Hebrew who sold himself into slavery to an alien resident, to a member of an alien resident’s family, or to a settler could be repurchased at any time, either by himself or by one having the right of repurchase. The redemption price was based on the number of years remaining until the Jubilee year or until the seventh year of servitude. (Le 25:47-52; De 15:12) When granting a Hebrew slave his freedom, the master was to give him a gift to assist him in getting a good start as a freeman. If a slave had come in with a wife, the wife went out with him. However, if the master had given him a wife (evidently a foreign woman who would not be entitled to freedom in the seventh year of servitude), she and any children by her remained the property of the master. In such a case the Hebrew slave could choose to remain with his master. His ear would then be pierced with an awl to indicate that he would continue in servitude to time indefinite.

Answer 6

I don't believe for one second that God approved or approves of this purely evil thing called slavery. The Bible was written by fallible humans, who used slavery to control and exploit other people. Slavery doesn't come from God, but evil people.

Answer 7

In the bible, God also allowed the killing of babies.
God allowed man to have more than one wife plus mistresses.No problem.
And to quote you "clearly he approved" of that stuff too.
Yet, for some oddball reason people don't do this(note the sarcasm)...oh yeah, except most countries in the Middle East where lands mentioned in the Bible are.

"Question everything...even the Bible"

Answer 8

There are times in the bible where God allowed slavery to happen because a group of people worshiped other gods. If you noticed in the bible God usually allow 400 yrs of slavery and he usually sends someone to end it after the 400 yrs. I don't know how true this is but some believe that African American slavery was the punishment of Africans who worshiped different gods. Abraham Lincoln and others help to end it. United States facts shows that the U.S. also had 400 yrs. of slavery.
God is a mystery. I don't know how true but this is what I heard but God knows for sure and we don't understand sometimes.

Answer 9

The Bible may be inspired by God but it was written by flawed human beings, hence your problem. May I suggest you read Saint Patrick's Autobiography for a very,very early writing against slavery (circa the late 400's). It may mitigate your feelings against Christianity concerning the treatment of slaves.

Answer 10

Ever since the beginning of man, God has given people brains to make decisions. He had no hand in any decision made by any person or man back then or now. If he did, would all this killing and crap be going on today? No.