Fred,<br><br>Thousands of years before Abraham Lincoln ever muttered the Emancipation Proclamation, Mosaic Law takes another radical step and bans involuntary servitude altogether in Exodus 21:16: "He who kidnaps a man, whether he sells him or he is found in his possession, shall surely be put to death." Deuteronomy 24:7 states: “If a man is caught kidnapping any of his countrymen of the sons of Israel, and he deals with him violently, or sells him, then that thief shall die; so you shall purge the evil from among you.” Kidnapping and enforced slavery are forbidden and punishable by death. This was true for any man (Ex. 21:16), as well as for the Israelites (Deut. 24:7).<br><br>But let's be perfectly honest. Aspects of slavery are Biblical - for punishment and restitution for theft, or for those who prefer the security of becoming a permanent bondservant voluntarily. Yet the Bible strictly and clearly forbids involuntary servitude. So in our modern thinking of "slavery," yes, the Bible does consider it wrong. Further, the Bible teaches that unnecessary violence and oppression is wrong as well. With the Bible's emphasis on spiritual freedom, it was evangelical Christians that led anti-slavery movements in pre-Civil War America and it should be Christians that continue to lead the crusade against slavery and oppression everywhere.<br><br>Much of the confusion over the Bible's position on slavery comes from the hypocrisy of America's early history. Because Christians had slaves, it is often assumed that they used biblical support to do so. Actually, the arguments were generally political and economic in nature. Some slaveholders were racist. Some tried to justify slavery based on terror; that is, they reasoned, "if they believe they have a right to be free, they will revolt like the colonists did against England." By carefully examining the differences between slavery in both the Old and New Testament eras, and slavery as it was practiced in colonial America, it will soon become clear that no African could have been torn from his homeland and sold into bondage--if the teaching of the Bible had been faithfully practiced.<br><br>Wes<br>

When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died, my richest gain I count but loss and pour contempt on all my pride. - Isaac Watts