Oops, my bad, as I didn't notice your use of a double-negative. Are you always so negative?
What makes you so positive that I'm being negative?
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Oops, my bad, as I didn't notice your use of a double-negative. Are you always so negative?
I would be pleased to consider that as a possibility. It is a very important document.The Emancipation Proclamation
I question whether owning another human being as property can ever be humane; regardless, you're saying that this is humane treatment?
After watching this video on FB, I had to share it. It is a very powerful indictment on today's society, based on its past attitudes. How do people end up hating others based on their race? The truth is....they have to be taught. Who taught them?
What has caused so much poverty and inequality in such a wealthy nation?
Some really eye-opening facts here!
Comments?
As has been said, I don't think the Christian religion promoted slavery BUT the Bible was certainly used by many Christians to defend it
Money and wealth were the motivators not religion.
In 1902 things were viewed a little differently to what they are now. At the time he wrote that, there were no great achievements made by blacks in white culture. Whites were superior, but not in "admirable ways"....only in aggressive dominance and prideful academic achievement, not necessarily in intelligence or in giving black people an opportunity to shine the way they have in more recent decades. They have proven themselves to be the equals God always knew they were. (Acts 10:24-25)Charles Taze Russell said:
While it is true that the white race exhibits some qualities of superiority over any other, we are to remember that there are wide differences in the same Caucasian (Semitic and Aryan) family; and also we should remember that some of the qualities which have given this branch of the human family its preeminence in the world are not such as can be pointed to as in all respects admirable...
The secret of the greater intelligence and aptitude of the Caucasian undoubtedly in great measure is to be attributed to the commingling of blood amongst its various branches; and this was evidently forced in large measure by circumstances under divine control."
I question whether owning another human being as property can ever be humane; regardless, you're saying that this is humane treatment?
Exodus 21:20-21 (NET)
So the Bible was not meant to be enduring? Which other divine commandments have become obsolete?You cannot put today's standards on yesterday's accepted norms.
So the Bible was not meant to be enduring? Which other divine commandments have become obsolete?
After watching this video on FB, I had to share it. It is a very powerful indictment on today's society, based on its past attitudes. How do people end up hating others based on their race? The truth is....they have to be taught. Who taught them?
What has caused so much poverty and inequality in such a wealthy nation?
Some really eye-opening facts here!
Comments?
Relative to what we saw happening with slaves here in the U.S., yes. Of course, I'm not advocating slavery in any way but was just making a comparison.I question whether owning another human being as property can ever be humane; regardless, you're saying that this is humane treatment?
The passage I quoted from Exodus implies otherwise. It explicitly gives permission to slave owners to beat their slaves as severely as they want, provided they don't die right away.Under Jewish Law, slaves could not be unfairly punished or killed,
... unless the slave agrees to stay, which is pretty likely if the slaver owns the slave's wife and children and can control access to them.must be fed before the owners could eat, could not be worked on the Sabbath, and some must be allowed to be freed on their 7th year as being a slave.
But this doesn't negate what I wrote.The passage I quoted from Exodus implies otherwise. It explicitly gives permission to slave owners to beat their slaves as severely as they want, provided they don't die right away.
... unless the slave agrees to stay, which is pretty likely if the slaver owns the slave's wife and children and can control access to them.
For THEM. They are fine with enslaving OTHERS.First its Jewish, and its central festival is called 'Pesach' in which Jews re-enact their exodus from slavery. Each father must tell his children about this experience at a meal which includes story, taste, smell and sound. It is extremely anti-enslavement.
Why play a long game at all?He is playing the long game against slavery and in favor of liberty.
I don't believe in using prisoners for de facto slavery. It's obvious it's the point and it's still slavery. If they are to work, they should get at least minimum wage. I also feel that way about any job that finds some weasel talk to get out of paying even the inappropriately low minimum wage.Then you do think that owning another human being can be humane in some cases. Even if you don't believe in jail but only fines for criminals, you are still then compelling them to work for the benefit of someone other than themselves.
None that any would admit to, anyway.At the time he wrote that, there were no great achievements made by blacks in white culture.
That's kinda pathetic, though.God uses the circumstances of the times to achieve his goals.
But not moral, especially if morality is objective.You cannot put today's standards on yesterday's accepted norms. Slavery was "normal" in those times.
See, I would consider that more of a bartering situation, much like how you could pay someone in fruit or something instead of cash. If you are not allowed to leave, if you are not allowed to see your family or even HAVE a family, if you are not getting paid for nonvolunteer work (or paid such a ridiculously low amount it might as well be for free) you are a slave.If an Israelite got into trouble financially, they could sell their services to the creditor for a period of time until the debt was paid. He was in the service of his creditor in that circumstance...."owned" until the debt was paid.
The Jubilee year, if I recall, is about canceling debts, so I guess there ARE other alternatives to slavery?The alternative was to go to jail, so what good would that have done anyone?
"So, slaves, instead of working just 20 hours for ME, you can, through the goodness of my heart, work another FOUR to feed yourselves. I won't be lifting a finger, of course."Even the poor were given gleaning rights in the fields of agricultural land owners. The perimeter of their fields was planted especially for the poor to work and glean their own food.
Let's be real here: the slave lost his value (because society has been historically unimaginative with the disabled). And set free to do WHAT? I doubt there were disability checks back then.For example, a slave who was maimed by his master would be set free.
Key word "could" noted.If a slave died because his master beat him, the master could be punished with death.
Tomato, tomahto.Women captives could become slaves, or they could be taken as wives.
Yes, they were also to do all of the housework, rear the kids, etc.But they were not to be used for mere sexual gratification.
Why not just make them hired laborers?The gist of the Law must have led righthearted Israelites to treat slaves with respect and kindness, as if these were hired laborers.
You said that slaves couldn't be "unfairly punished or killed." The Exodus quote says that slaves can be killed (provided they don't die right away) by virtue of the fact that the slave is the slaver's property... i.e. not related to any sort of punishment for an offense.But this doesn't negate what I wrote.
I don't believe in using prisoners for de facto slavery. It's obvious it's the point and it's still slavery. If they are to work, they should get at least minimum wage. I also feel that way about any job that finds some weasel talk to get out of paying even the inappropriately low minimum wage.
Yes, they were....but their convenient misinterpretation of scripture gave them the justification.
First, I am not kidding myself about explaining all of these laws in this format. There are laws stating exactly what I have said, but going into this in detail is too much. Second, there is a law against kidnapping. This means a couple of things, and while it is not provable (by me here at this time) the setup appears to be that they buy up slaves around them to make new citizens. Keep in mind Israel is all about reproduction and increasing population, about adoption and transformation from warlike culture to peaceful culture. In fact, the laws do state that they can purchase slaves from other countries, however the laws also state that those slaves must be naturalized and part of every Pesach festival. In other words I think it is reasonable to suspect they become family and therefore eligible for jubilee. So I do not see this as these laws being 'Fine' with enslaving others so much. What I see is a culture that is made up of slaves and that hates slavery and war equally. In addition they get pillaged regularly, which means they regularly lose citizens that way; so there is a sort of reverse reaction going on. Anyway it is a mistake under these circumstances to assume the worst.For THEM. They are fine with enslaving OTHERS.
Paul says "(NIV) For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. (2 Cor 10:3-4)" Paul here is making an observation about Judaism, and he is attaching its goal to the Christian nation. Despite having all of this 'Divine power' does he expect Rome to be conquered in his own lifetime? I don't think that he does.Why play a long game at all?