Slavery

[evanman]

Attitudes towards slavery are mostly coloured by the treatment of Africans by their white masters.

yet there are aspects of slavery that are rarely discussed, let alone even mentioned.:

http://www.hoffman-info.com/forgottenslaves.html

http://www.merrycoz.org/yc/WHSLAVES.HTM

http://free.freespeech.org/americanstat ... avery.html

http://americancivilwar.com/authors/bla ... owners.htm

http://sciway2.net/2002/a29k/

For a few years my own mother-in-law was forced to work as a slave to the Japanese during the Japanese invasion of China.

 

[Chupacabra]

Truly some interesting links, Evanman! I knew of poverty amongst indentured servants here in America, but I didn't know the magnitude of white slavery. Regardless of who is enslaved, I still think its incredibly wrong. Its really one of the greatest arguments against the morality of the god of the Bible.

 

[evanman]

The problem is not slavery perse, it is the treatment of slaves that is the problem.

 

[Chupacabra]

The problem is not slavery perse, it is the treatment of slaves that is the problem.

I see what you are saying and "good" treatment of slaves is far superior to ill treatment, but how can you be kind to one you claim to own? Slavery is forced labor. You don't find forced labor to be at all evil? You don't believe devaluing human beings to property is evil? The Bible also condones and permits the beating of slaves, so ill treatment certainly is at least allowed, if not supported.

 

[truthnluv]

Hey everybody...I don't keep up with this forum very well... in fact, I don't come to this site very often... : But, see, theres nobody at the other sites I go to, so...
Just kidding! :wink: I'm just looking to get some more insight and opinions on this subject.
Slavery is often thought of as an unspeakable evil. Through my studies of Scripture so far, I have discovered that people get this idea not from Scripture, but from the Constitution, which, for some reason, are often put together as one. :-? While slavery may be socially and legally unacceptable, I see no reason biblically why slavery is unnaceptable. In fact, from what I have found, the Bible almost promotes slavery.
Since people usaually get mad when I don't put up the verses I'm talking about, ( :-? ) I've posted all I've found below.

Leviticus 22:11
Leviticus 25:39-55
Ephesians 6:5-9
1 Timothy 6:1-2

I would write these out for everyone, but they are extremly long, and would require much writing on my part, so before you respond, please read these passages if you have not already.
*Note; I do not find racism or abusing slaves morally right. I believe slaves are to be treated justly and kindly, as the Scritpures tell us to. And racism has nothing remotely to do with slavery; racism is a form of hate and favoratism, which are both sins.

You're right. Having a slave would not be wrong if it were legal. We are not commanded to have slaves, so we have to obey the government in this area though.

Paul actually told the slave Onesimus to return to his Christian master Philemon after he had run away. There are also several passages in the New Testament Epistles instructing slaves to obey their masters and to have a good attitude while doing it!

However, the slavery that took place in America would fall under the category of menstealing(1Tim.1:10). This was sinful and, therefore, these commands would not be binding upon that kidnapped people. A Christian in that situation would be justified if they sought to escape.

truthnluv

 

[ThePostmillPresbyter]

The Bible completely alows slavery, never once is it called a sin.

Has anyone here read Philemon?

 

[ddubsolo85]

The problem is that everyone is confusing the slavery of the Bible with American slavery. They are two totally different things.

The rules, the murder, the cruelty, the acute oppression, the less than human mindset, the kidnapping, the family destruction,... they are all prevalent in American slavery. It is very different with the slavery described in the Bible. You are not comparing apples to apples.

God Bless!

 

[kwag_myers]

You have completely missed the point. I would have no qualms about buying a slave if I could, in turn, help prepare for life as a free man.

I am not referring to simply owning slaves. Some people have lttle or no choice in the matter of being slaves. I believe that it is an act of compassion to buy someone out of the hands of an abusive person.

There are many forms of slavery, not just economic slavery. In fact ALL of us are someone's slave:-

Ro 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

In the context of this scripture "Servant2 means "slave".

I think that you make a valid point. I've seen indentured servantry work for both the master and servant. But I think, in order to keep in line with scripture, these contracts should be no longer than six years, and then the servant is freed.

I've also seen many Christians get themselves into financial trouble and expect the church to bail them out by just giving them some money. You're not helping someone like that. It's like giving an alcoholic a bottle of wine. But if you could teach them to manage their money, etc. I could see this benefiting the servant (teach them to fish).

It's natural for most of you to object to slavery because it usually means that the slave has no choice in being a slave. In that, I agree that it is wrong. I understand where 50 is coming from. I mean, I've never seen forced servantry myself, but I understand how one who has would object to slavery entirely.