The Highway Forums General Discussion Open Forum The Bible condemns slavery?

<center>[color:purple]This discussion was moved to its own thread!</font color=purple> - Pilgrim</center><br><br><blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>[color:"blue"]Unfortunately the Constitution is an imperfect document. The most serious imperfections in the national Constitution are the absence of any direct reference to God and its failure to condemn slavery.</font><hr></blockquote><p><br><br>(Fred) I would agree with what you stated about the constitution in general, that it is not a perfect document and it is a pity Christians in our society carry on about it as if it is some sort of final authority in moral matters.<br>At any rate, I wanted to point out that neither does the Bible directly condemn slavery. It condemns man-stealing, at least for the people of Israel, and though I believe that it is not in God's character to condone slavery as an accepted practice, by Paul's words in Ephesians, Colossians and most notably Philemon, it does appear as though it was allowable for God's purposes. I think we have kicked this discussion around on previous posts, but anyone want to add some comments about that?<br><br>Fred

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>

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>[color:"blue"]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).</font><hr></blockquote><p><br><br>(Fred) I do not think either one of these examples condemn slavery outright as you claim. Exodus 21:16 is condemning the act of man stealing, or kidnapping another against his will and selling such a person into slavery. But that is a command against the kidnapper and his actions, not against slavery directly. The second passage you cite from Deut. 24:7 falls along similar lines. The command against an Israelite to kidnap or steal a fellow Israelite brother for the purposes of merchandise. The command is not specifically directed against the act of slavery as a practice itself. <br><br>Now don't get me wrong, I am no way trying to be an advocate for the practice of slavery. It just seems to me that with the record of Paul's epistles of Colossians and Ephesians telling slaves to submit to masters and that masters are to treat their slaves with respect, and with Paul's personal letter to Philemon beseeching him to take back the runaway slave Onesimus and there not being one comment about the evil of slavery or command for believers to not practice slavery, that our stance against slavery should be along other biblical considerations than appealing to some passages that could be said are taken out of context. Onesimus, for instance, had more than likely not sold himself into slavery. Neither had many of the readers of Paul's two epistles. Yet, in both instances, he calls those slaves to submit to their masters and dutifully serve them, and likewise that the masters must treat those slaves with respect and honor. It is as if Paul has neutral feelings about the whole matter of slavery.<br><br>Fred<br>

Fred,<br><br>The verses I've sighted not only condemn the act of kidnapping and selling another human being but also forcing them into involuntary servanthood or enforced slavery. However because the topic of slavery probably deserves it's own thread lets focus on the topic of this thread. In your opinion is slavery as it was practiced in the early days of American history the kind that would be approved by Scripture? The New Testament quotes you've sighted refer to attitudes of masters and servants and really don't get into approving job descriptions.<br><br>Read the rest of my reply and tell me if you think the only wrongful act was the kidnaping of Africans or is slavery as defined here in America wrong?<br><br><br>Wes

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>[color:"blue"]Read the rest of my reply and tell me if you think the only wrongful act was the kidnaping of Africans or is slavery as defined here in America wrong?</font><hr></blockquote><p><br><br>(Fred) Due to the fact that the majority of slaves here in the US were stolen by other men and then sold to westerners involved in the slave trade, I would say that Exodus 21 is a proper passage to invoke in this case. However, what of that person who inherited his slaves from family who was not directly involved in man stealing? Is there a direct command that tells us that he is not to have and own slaves? I think the better course of actions to confront this sin would be to appeal to God's creative act in Genesis of making men in his image, and as a result, point out how men are volitional creatures and equal to one another on that basis alone. That would mean that they need to be treated with respect, set at liberty and paid properly for the work they provide for the land owner. <br><br>Guys, I am not trying to be sensational and scandalous with my posts; or even argumentative. I want to desire to approach any such moral issue with the correct handling of God's word, properly understood in its context and applied appropriately. That is the point in my haggling over this particular issue.<br><br>Fred