Slavery in the Bible
Except for murder, slavery has got to be one of the most immoral things a person can do. Yet slavery is rampant throughout the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments. 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.
Many Jews and Christians will try to ignore the moral problems of slavery by saying that these slaves were actually servants or indentured servants. Many translations of the Bible use the word "servant", "bondservant", or "manservant" instead of "slave" to make the Bible seem less immoral than it really is. While many slaves may have worked as household servants, that doesn't mean that they were not slaves who were bought, sold, and treated worse than livestock.
The following passage shows that slaves are clearly property to be bought and sold like livestock.
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. (Leviticus 25:44-46 NLT)
The following passage describes how the Hebrew slaves are to be treated.
If you buy a Hebrew slave, he is to serve for only six years. Set him free in the seventh year, and he will owe you nothing for his freedom. If he was single when he became your slave and then married afterward, only he will go free in the seventh year. But if he was married before he became a slave, then his wife will be freed with him. If his master gave him a wife while he was a slave, and they had sons or daughters, then the man will be free in the seventh year, but his wife and children will still belong to his master. But the slave may plainly declare, 'I love my master, my wife, and my children. I would rather not go free.' If he does this, his master must present him before God. Then his master must take him to the door and publicly pierce his ear with an awl. After that, the slave will belong to his master forever. (Exodus 21:2-6 NLT)
Notice how they can get a male Hebrew slave to become a permanent slave by keeping his wife and children hostage until he says he wants to become a permanent slave. What kind of family values are these?
The following passage describes the sickening practice of sex slavery. How can anyone think it is moral to sell your own daughter as a sex slave?
When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she will not be freed at the end of six years as the men are. If she does not please the man who bought her, he may allow her to be bought back again. But he is not allowed to sell her to foreigners, since he is the one who broke the contract with her. And if the slave girl's owner arranges for her to marry his son, he may no longer treat her as a slave girl, but he must treat her as his daughter. If he himself marries her and then takes another wife, he may not reduce her food or clothing or fail to sleep with her as his wife. If he fails in any of these three ways, she may leave as a free woman without making any payment. (Exodus 21:7-11 NLT)
So these are the Bible family values! A man can buy as many sex slaves as he wants as long as he feeds them, clothes them, and screws them!
What does the Bible say about beating slaves? It says you can beat both male and female slaves with a rod so hard that as long as they don't die right away you are cleared of any wrong doing.
When a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod so hard that the slave dies under his hand, he shall be punished. If, however, the slave survives for a day or two, he is not to be punished, since the slave is his own property. (Exodus 21:20-21 NAB)
You would think that Jesus and the New Testament would have a different view of slavery, but slavery is still approved of in the New Testament, as the following passages show.
Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. (Ephesians 6:5 NLT)
Christians who are slaves should give their masters full respect so that the name of God and his teaching will not be shamed. If your master is a Christian, that is no excuse for being disrespectful. You should work all the harder because you are helping another believer by your efforts. Teach these truths, Timothy, and encourage everyone to obey them. (1 Timothy 6:1-2 NLT)
In the following parable, Jesus clearly approves of beating slaves even if they didn't know they were doing anything wrong.
The servant will be severely punished, for though he knew his duty, he refused to do it. "But people who are not aware that they are doing wrong will be punished only lightly. Much is required from those to whom much is given, and much more is required from those to whom much more is given." (Luke 12:47-48 NLT)
2007-10-31 17:44:07
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answer #1
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answered by Anonymous
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A person owning another person is always, completely, and unquestionably, morally reprehensible. It doesn't matter if the slave is treated well (and believe it or not, even in US slavery, some slaves were treated well, after all, they were expensive 'property'). It doesn't matter if the slave is later offered his or her freedom.
It is wrong.
It is disgusting.
It is indefensible.
And to try and justify your religion's support of such a horrible thing by saying "well, but, we weren't as bad as these /other/ people" is a less than persuasive argument.
2007-10-31 18:56:35
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answer #2
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answered by jennifer K 4
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Whether the slave is indentured, owned, or bonded is immaterial I disagree with any human being owning another no matter what the duration of the ownership...
If categorizing slaves makes you feel better about slavery in the bible go for it... You are entitled to your opinion just as I am entitled to mine..
Addition: LOL you are correct squirt... Let this be a lesson to you excessive candy rots your brain LOL
I have corrected the typo although indentures does paint an interesting picture :)
2007-10-31 17:47:22
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answer #3
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answered by Diane (PFLAG) 7
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Because the slave owners were Jews and in the bible doesn't make it all right. A slave is still a slave. That means you belong to another person and have no say in your life. The Jewish men had sex with their slaves whether the slave wanted to or not. Tell me how that's all right.
Diane, lmao, I think you mean indentured not indentures. lmao Sorry. I couldn't resist. I can't stop laughing!
Thanks. I needed that tonight.
Happy Halloween, Diane! You are a sweetheart.
2007-10-31 17:55:54
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answer #4
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answered by Anonymous
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Slavery is still slavery no matter what the circumstance. Whether a slave was kidnapped from their homeland, or if they were forced to serve because their tribe was defeated. Whether they were treated kindly or treated cruelly. Whether they died in servitude or let go. If you "own" another human being, it is slavery and therefore morally wrong!
2007-10-31 18:09:17
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answer #5
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answered by sweetgurl13069 6
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Oh really?
When Joshua destroyed Jericho he massacred all the men, women and children. That solved the slavery problem.
You make it sound as though it is an honor to be a slave to such people
2007-10-31 20:17:23
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answer #6
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answered by brainstorm 7
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Yeah, I'm sure that the ancient committees for human rights were personally monitoring the treatment of slaves in the ancient world.
Let's not gloss over the atrocities of the past. Humans tend to act in brutal ways when it comes to people taken as prisoners of war.
2007-10-31 18:05:14
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answer #7
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answered by Dalarus 7
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I fail to see the difference if you are allowed to treat slaves cruelly. Beating slaves to the verge of death but not killing them is supposed to be the moral thing according to the Bible.
Exodus 21:20-21 "And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished. Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money [property]."
2007-10-31 17:57:39
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answer #8
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answered by qxzqxzqxz 7
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Guess what, your apologetics got it wrong. Read your bible again, because what you describe is not what it describes.
Toady it says if he beats a slave to death he has to pay the owner for that slave but if the slave survives for a few days then he does not have to pay.
That is in there somewhere too.
2007-10-31 17:46:57
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answer #9
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answered by Y!A-FOOL 5
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BS. Read Exodus 21. It explains that a slaveowner is permitted to beat a slave to within an inch of his life, but is not permitted to beat him to death. However, if a slaveowner does in fact beat a slave to death ON ACCIDENT, there is no punishment to the slaveowner at all.
What the hell do you think the brutal US salvery systm was based on? ...the Bible of course.
2007-10-31 17:45:16
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answer #10
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answered by Anonymous
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Ok. I get it. So it's ok to go into a city and kill a bunch of people and take some slaves because you'll treat them well and maybe let them go later.
That just makes it so much better. I wonder why EVERYONE wouldn't wish to be a slave that way for a while.
(head spinning).
2007-10-31 17:44:45
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answer #11
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answered by Deirdre H 7
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