Slavery is ok in Bible?

[Unveiled Artist]

god said it was ok. Just as you said its immoral..

Shrugs. Slavery is immoral in itself. The god of christians is different than the god of the OT.

 

[Trip Bapho]

Shrugs. Slavery is immoral in itself. The god of christians is different than the god of the OT.

Thats why I put new testament verses in the OP as well. They certainly believe in that god.

 

[ChristineM]

"Give Cesar his due?" I had thought that under civil law, slavery was all but forbidden. That is not true.

It is still fairly widespread in Asia and Africa. ??????

It is widespread in the western world too.

 

[ChristineM]

Shrugs. Slavery is immoral in itself. The god of christians is different than the god of the OT.

How many gods are there in the abrahamic religions

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Thats why I put new testament verses in the OP as well. They certainly believe in that god.

I don't see the two differently. Take out jesus, how is god different?

 

[Fool]

I am unsure how slavery can be justified. How could someone who is all love ever have condoned slavery?

Old Testament:

"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)

"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)

"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)

"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 NLT)

New Testament:

"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)

"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)

he who wishes to be greatest must be a servant to all, or slave to all. its a voluntary will of love all vs someone else trying to capitalize by enslaving other as self. you can't profit from what you can't control. allahu akbar, love is greatest

 

[Skwim]

I am unsure how slavery can be justified. How could someone who is all love ever have condoned slavery?

Old Testament:

"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)

"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)

"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)

"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 NLT)

New Testament:

"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)

"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)

I addressed this very topic last November in a thread I titled.

Whose Side Are You On, God's Or That Of Morality?​

"When it's been pointed out how immoral god was for cruelly killing innocent people for things they were not responsible for (consider the innocent children of Sodom who were killed when god set fire to the town) Christians typically explain it away by saying god killed these innocent people for a very good reason, A reason we will never know, but is justified because god is good, and therefore would never do an unkind or immoral thing: God had an excellent and justifiable reason for killing innocent mothers and their babies; although, we will never know his reason or the justification.

For the non-believer this is hardly a convincing argument, but so be it, what else can the Christian say? However, speaking of god's pristine morality I ask you to consider the morality of SLAVERY; owning another human being; forcing that person to do unpaid work, and being permitted to beat him or her? Today, almost all peoples of the world condemn slavery because of its immorality. As has been pointed out:

"Although slavery does seem 'obviously wrong' it's worth listing some of the reasons why it's wrong.
1) Slavery increases total human unhappiness
2) The slave-owner treats the slaves as the means to achieve the slave-owner's ends, not as an end in themselves
3) Slavery exploits and degrades human beings
4)Slavery violates human rights: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights explicitly forbids slavery and many of the practices associated with slavery
5) Slavery uses force or the threat of force on other human beings
6) Slavery leaves a legacy of discrimination and disadvantage
7) Slavery is both the result and the fuel of racism, in that many cultures show clear racism in their choice of people to enslave
8) Slavery is both the result and the fuel of gender discrimination
9) Slavery perpetuates the abuse of children"
source
​

In moral philosophy there's an ethical theory called deontology that states that the morality of an action should be based on whether that action itself is right or wrong under a series of rules, rather than based on the consequences of the action.

"Most deontologists argue that slavery is wrong because it violates a person's rights. They believe everyone has a right to life and to choose how they will live within the rules of society. Deontologists believe it is wrong to treat people merely as objects and tools, to treat people merely as a means to end.

So, slavery is wrong because it violates rights, fairness, and justice. It does not matter if slavery has good or bad economic consequences, it is wrong period. It does not matter if slavery promotes the greatest happiness for the greatest number, it is wrong because it violates the rights of one human being.
source
​

Could there be better reasons for condemning slavery? I don't think so. Slavery obliterates an individual's self-governance or sovereignty. It takes over a person's life by others who have not obtained any authority to do this other than by the fact that they are mightier. YET! the Christian god thinks slavery is just fine: quite moral---presumably, if he thought it was immoral he wouldn't condone it.

In Exodus god even sets out rules for owning slaves. A few of them:

Exodus 21:2-3
2 When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing. 3 If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him.

Exodus 21:7-8
7 When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do. 8 If she does not please her master, who has designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed.

Exodus 21:20-21
20 If a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod and he dies at his hand, he shall be punished. 21If, however, he survives a day or two, no vengeance shall be taken; for he is his property.
​

and in Leviticus we are told:

Leviticus 25: 44-46
44 As for your male and female slaves whom you may have: you may buy male and female slaves from among the nations that are around you. 45 You may also buy from among the strangers who sojourn with you and their clans that are with you, who have been born in your land, and they may be your property. 46 You may bequeath them to your sons after you to inherit as a possession forever. You may make slaves of them, but over your brothers the people of Israel you shall not rule, one over another ruthlessly.
​

And the acceptance of slavery didn't end with the arrival of Jesus Christ. The New Testament makes no condemnation of slavery and does no more than admonish slaves to be obedient and their masters not to be unfair.

Ephesians 6:5-8
5 Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ; 6 not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. 7 With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men, 8 knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.

1 Timothy 6:1-2
1 All who are under the yoke [note the recognition of oppression] as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be spoken against. 2 Those who have believers as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are brethren, but must serve them all the more, because those who partake of the benefit are believers and beloved. Teach and preach these principles.

​

So, whose side are you on:

The side of those who feel slavery is wrong because it violates a person's dignity and rights. The right to life and to choose how one will live within the rules of society? Or on god's side, who doesn't care if slavery obliterates an individual's self-governance or sovereignty and, in fact, condones it?


​

So, in answer to your question, "Slavery is ok in Bible?" Yes it is.

.

.​

 

[Earthling]

Oh please.. Telling slaves to honor their master no matter what is protection. He would say thou shall not have slaves.. Just like he did with murder and other things. Instead he very well might as well have said hmm go get some slaves.

Okay, let's do it this way. Slavery is sort of a social issue and it tends to get overblown due to a sort of emotional attachment. So, you, tell me, what's wrong with the slavery in the Bible? What's so bad about it that 2000 - 4000 years later you are opposed to it. Try not to be emotional about it.

 

[gnostic]

I am unsure how slavery can be justified. How could someone who is all love ever have condoned slavery?

Old Testament:

"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)

"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)

"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)

"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 NLT)

Aside from the Exodus and Leviticus condoning the selling and buying of slaves, is the fact these books would institutionalized slavery as law to be a bit of hypocrisy since if we were to believe in the exodus to be true, that it is okay for oppressing slaves after what the Israelites gone through at the hands of the Egyptians.

You would think that after been slaves themselves for a couple of generations that they would ban slavery in their newly freed society. But they didn’t.

 

[Trip Bapho]

I don't see the two differently. Take out jesus, how is god different?

O

I addressed this very topic last November in a thread I titled.

Whose Side Are You On, God's Or That Of Morality?​

"When it's been pointed out how immoral god was for cruelly killing innocent people for things they were not responsible for (consider the innocent children of Sodom who were killed when god set fire to the town) Christians typically explain it away by saying god killed these innocent people for a very good reason, A reason we will never know, but is justified because god is good, and therefore would never do an unkind or immoral thing: God had an excellent and justifiable reason for killing innocent mothers and their babies; although, we will never know his reason or the justification.

For the non-believer this is hardly a convincing argument, but so be it, what else can the Christian say? However, speaking of god's pristine morality I ask you to consider the morality of SLAVERY; owning another human being; forcing that person to do unpaid work, and being permitted to beat him or her? Today, almost all peoples of the world condemn slavery because of its immorality. As has been pointed out:

"Although slavery does seem 'obviously wrong' it's worth listing some of the reasons why it's wrong.
1) Slavery increases total human unhappiness
2) The slave-owner treats the slaves as the means to achieve the slave-owner's ends, not as an end in themselves
3) Slavery exploits and degrades human beings
4)Slavery violates human rights: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights explicitly forbids slavery and many of the practices associated with slavery
5) Slavery uses force or the threat of force on other human beings
6) Slavery leaves a legacy of discrimination and disadvantage
7) Slavery is both the result and the fuel of racism, in that many cultures show clear racism in their choice of people to enslave
8) Slavery is both the result and the fuel of gender discrimination
9) Slavery perpetuates the abuse of children"
source
​

In moral philosophy there's an ethical theory called deontology that states that the morality of an action should be based on whether that action itself is right or wrong under a series of rules, rather than based on the consequences of the action.

"Most deontologists argue that slavery is wrong because it violates a person's rights. They believe everyone has a right to life and to choose how they will live within the rules of society. Deontologists believe it is wrong to treat people merely as objects and tools, to treat people merely as a means to end.

So, slavery is wrong because it violates rights, fairness, and justice. It does not matter if slavery has good or bad economic consequences, it is wrong period. It does not matter if slavery promotes the greatest happiness for the greatest number, it is wrong because it violates the rights of one human being.
source
​

Could there be better reasons for condemning slavery? I don't think so. Slavery obliterates an individual's self-governance or sovereignty. It takes over a person's life by others who have not obtained any authority to do this other than by the fact that they are mightier. YET! the Christian god thinks slavery is just fine: quite moral---presumably, if he thought it was immoral he wouldn't condone it.

In Exodus god even sets out rules for owning slaves. A few of them:

Exodus 21:2-3
2 When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing. 3 If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him.

Exodus 21:7-8
7 When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do. 8 If she does not please her master, who has designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed.

Exodus 21:20-21
20 If a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod and he dies at his hand, he shall be punished. 21If, however, he survives a day or two, no vengeance shall be taken; for he is his property.
​

and in Leviticus we are told:

Leviticus 25: 44-46
44 As for your male and female slaves whom you may have: you may buy male and female slaves from among the nations that are around you. 45 You may also buy from among the strangers who sojourn with you and their clans that are with you, who have been born in your land, and they may be your property. 46 You may bequeath them to your sons after you to inherit as a possession forever. You may make slaves of them, but over your brothers the people of Israel you shall not rule, one over another ruthlessly.
​

And the acceptance of slavery didn't end with the arrival of Jesus Christ. The New Testament makes no condemnation of slavery and does no more than admonish slaves to be obedient and their masters not to be unfair.

Ephesians 6:5-8
5 Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ; 6 not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. 7 With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men, 8 knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.

1 Timothy 6:1-2
1 All who are under the yoke [note the recognition of oppression] as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be spoken against. 2 Those who have believers as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are brethren, but must serve them all the more, because those who partake of the benefit are believers and beloved. Teach and preach these principles.

​

So, whose side are you on:

The side of those who feel slavery is wrong because it violates a person's dignity and rights. The right to life and to choose how one will live within the rules of society? Or on god's side, who doesn't care if slavery obliterates an individual's self-governance or sovereignty and, in fact, condones it?
​

So, in answer to your question, "Slavery is ok in Bible?" Yes it is.

.

.​

I'm new.. Sorry to ask something you posted.

 

[Trip Bapho]

Okay, let's do it this way. Slavery is sort of a social issue and it tends to get overblown due to a sort of emotional attachment. So, you, tell me, what's wrong with the slavery in the Bible? What's so bad about it that 2000 - 4000 years later you are opposed to it. Try not to be emotional about it.

Wow. Ill keep my empathy for all living. Thanks.

 

[Milton Platt]

Right. It just amazes me that people say oh well and still live by the book. Blows my mind. To me it was an immediate deal breaker.

Christianity is a cafateria religion. You just pick the items that suit your fancy.

 

[Milton Platt]

Nowhere in the Bible does it have God saying, "Hmmm. Y'all need to get some slaves." God gave the earth to Adam, with a few stipulations, and everything else they did was pretty much up to them. Slavery was common back then. All God did was put up some rules to protect them.

In fact, god did tell the Israelites where to buy their slaves from.

So you’re saying he could tell,them not to eat shellfish, but he was too,weak to tell them owning a human being was a bad idea? Please, what kind of weak-a*sed god is he? He can’t even override human desires?

 

[Earthling]

Wow. Ill keep my empathy for all living. Thanks.

Not a very good answer.

 

[Earthling]

In fact, god did tell the Israelites where to buy their slaves from.

So you’re saying he could tell,them not to eat shellfish, but he was too,weak to tell them owning a human being was a bad idea? Please, what kind of weak-a*sed god is he? He can’t even override human desires?

You suggest he override human desires when dealing with humans?

 

[Trip Bapho]

Not a very good answer.

Sorry oh wise one my answer did not meet thou requirements to produce efficient answer oh great judge have mercy.

 

[Baroodi]

When Islam came slavery was widespread in the Arab peninsula and it was a huge business. Islam treated it in a gentle way as not to incur huge financial losses. Not Quran or Mohammad supported it. To emancipate a slave is a blessed deed and was among the highly rewarded acts by God. In addition emancipation of slaves was put as expiation for some committed sins like killing, having sex with the wife during the day in Ramadan while fasting and for failure to abide by a swear.

 

[Trip Bapho]

When Islam came slavery was widespread in the Arab peninsula and it was a huge business. Islam treated it in a gentle way as not to incur huge financial losses. Not Quran or Mohammad supported it. To emancipate a slave is a blessed deed and was among the highly rewarded acts by God. In addition emancipation of slaves was put as expiation for some committed sins like killing, having sex with the wife during the day in Ramadan while fasting and for failure to abide by a swear.

Islam also supports slavery. Several places in the Quran this is mentioned as well. I understand god regulates it.. Could have just said its haram.. Like Idk listening to music. Instead of saying don't.. He said don't as much.

 

[Earthling]

Sorry oh wise one my answer did not meet thou requirements to produce efficient answer oh great judge have mercy.

Remember the part where I said try not to get emotional? You ****ed that up. All I want you to do is tell me what you think is bad about slavery.

Do you think that it's wrong to kidnap a person to sell or keep them in slavery? Well, that's a crime punishable by death in the Bible.

Do you think that it's disrespectful to keep a slave? Well, slaves were often respected members of the family.

Maybe you think that it's wrong to keep a person from advancing on their own - making their own way, becoming rich. Joseph, a slave in Egypt, was the second most powerful and rich man in the entire country. A slave could have his own business, and even buy back his freedom back if he was a Jew.

How were slaves to be gotten if they couldn't be kidnapped and forced into slavery. Prisoners of war, thieves until they paid back the amount of their theft, or debtors until they paid back their indebtedness. They didn't have prisons for that sort of thing.

Now, aside from the Bible, what people throughout history have had slaves, often not nearly as protected as those in the Bible? Any?

Don't blame God for slavery. It's the workings of man. Especially don't blame a God you don't think exists because that would be stupid.

 

[Trip Bapho]

Remember the part where I said try not to get emotional? You ****ed that up. All I want you to do is tell me what you think is bad about slavery.

Do you think that it's wrong to kidnap a person to sell or keep them in slavery? Well, that's a crime punishable by death in the Bible.

Do you think that it's disrespectful to keep a slave? Well, slaves were often respected members of the family.

Maybe you think that it's wrong to keep a person from advancing on their own - making their own way, becoming rich. Joseph, a slave in Egypt, was the second most powerful and rich man in the entire country. A slave could have his own business, and even buy back his freedom back if he was a Jew.

How were slaves to be gotten if they couldn't be kidnapped and forced into slavery. Prisoners of war, thieves until they paid back the amount of their theft, of debtors until they paid back their indebtedness. They didn't have prisons for that sort of thing.

Now, aside from the Bible, what people throughout history have had slaves, often not nearly as protected as those in the Bible? Any?

Don't blame God for slavery. It's the workings of man. Especially don't blame a God you don't think exists because that would be stupid.

I'm not gonna listen to the justification of slavery. If it has to be explained to you why it's bad then you have certainly found your perfecr match for religion. I do blame your god and people like you for keeping the nonsense going. You god didn't invent slavery but made it more than clear its ok.