Is slavery a sin?

[Elijah John]

For debate:

1) Is slavery a sin?
2) Has slavery always been a sin?
3) Does slavery harmonize with the Golden Rule?
4) How would you like to be kept as a slave? (related to question # 3)
5) Was slavery OK because it was practiced in Bible times, and the Law of Moses sanctioned and regulated it?
6) Does any amount of regulation make slavery OK? Or is slavery an inherently irredeemable institution?
7) Paul said "anything not of faith is sin". Is slavery "of faith"?
8) Is the Bible's seeming approval of slavery as an institution evidence of a Bible flaw?

Please address any combination of these debate questions.

[PinSeeker]

It's so interesting to me the mind-boggling obtuseness of those who would accuse God of condoning slavery and thus oppression and evil -- they either purposely ignore or are completely ignorant of the fact that one of the greatest themes throughout the Bible is freedom from slavery and oppression:

• * In Exodus 20, God says, through Moses, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery."
  
  * In Luke 4, at the beginning of Jesus's public ministry, He says, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord."
  
  * In John 8, Jesus says, "...if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed."

Part of the problem -- maybe most of it -- is this knee-jerk reaction to the term 'slavery.' Because of what has gone on in history -- like in the United States, the horrible oppression of Africans in the 18th and 19th centuries, and sexual slavery in various parts of the world even today (terrible things for sure) -- people's minds automatically gravitate toward that, and it's a flawed mindset that is really hard to escape.

'Slavery,' as defined in the Bible, is really ultimately somewhat synonymous with personal affection and even love, and -- instituted correctly and in a Godly manner -- is loving in nature and even redemptive.

Now, stepping back a bit, we are all slaves, either to sin or to righteousness (Romans 6):

• * Those who are enslaved to sin and death are those who, at least at the present time, because it may not always be so, set their affections on the world and even Satan, the father of lies (John 8:44) -- they have made themselves slaves to this end.
  
  * Those who are enslaved to righteousness, who have become bond servants of the Lord, have also become so willingly, setting their affections and love upon the Lord and submitting to His will and His commandments. This is exactly what Jesus Himself says -- "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments" (John 14:15). Paul speaks to this in Romans 8:28 -- "...we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God..." And the apostle John says it, too -- "We love, because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19).

One more thing: the piercing of the ear mandated in Exodus 21 is very much in keeping with all this; the resulting scar was an outward, permanent sign of affection of the slave for his master and vice-versa, basically saying from either the slave or the master, "I am his and he is mine." It very much points forward to the piercing of Jesus on the cross -- because God so loved the world, as John 3:16 says -- and the scars He bears even now are permanent marks of his great love and willing servanthood, far beyond any conceivable call of duty. It calls to mind the following great hymn;

• Jesus! What a friend for sinners!
  Jesus! Lover of my soul;
  Friends may fail me, foes assail me,
  He, my Savior, makes me whole.
  
  • Chorus: Hallelujah! What a Savior!
    Hallelujah! What a friend!
    Saving, helping, keeping, loving,
    He is with me to the end.
  Jesus! What a strength in weakness!
  Let me hide myself in Him.
  Tempted, tried, and sometimes failing,
  He, my strength, my victory wins. (Repeat chorus)
  
  Jesus! What a help in sorrow!
  While the billows oÂ’er me roll,
  Even when my heart is breaking,
  He, my comfort, helps my soul. (Repeat chorus)
  
  Jesus! I do now receive Him,
  More than all in Him I find.
  He hath granted me forgiveness,
  I am His, and He is mine. (Repeat chorus)

Maybe that will clear up some things. For some it will not, because they will choose to "stick to their guns." So it goes.

Grace and peace to you all.

[OnceConvinced]

We have the bible that tells us what it was like for slaves and servants in Israel:

Luke 12:47-48
47 “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

This is one of Jesus illustrations not a directive or a command. Yes there were slave masters who ignored the law and beat their slave, there are employers who ignore the law and rape their employees... your point Is? That people ignore the law?

From what I can see by what the bible says is they were beaten and abused just as they are anywhere else. And the bible allowed this. It was perfectly acceptable. It's just that there were rules in place if they were maimed or killed.

But no matter what spin you want to put on it, owning another human is immoral, no matter how well you may treat them.

To try to justify the slavery of the bible you need to compromise your own moral integrity.

[OnceConvinced]

[Replying to post 50 by 2timothy316]

Justifications, justifications.

Tell me, when has it ever been moral to own another human being?

How much do you know about the nations that surrounded Israel?

Oh! They were all so evil they deserived to be enslaved by God's chosen ones.

I'm done. I'm sickened by the justifications being made here. Owning another human being is immoral, full stop.

[Tcg]

To try to justify the slavery of the bible you need to compromise your own moral integrity.

Indeed. Rather than lifting moral integrity, it must be lowered to that of God's. As if that weren't enough, we are expected to pretend that his is a kinder, gentler method of owning fellow humans.


Tcg

[Menotu]

For debate:

1) Is slavery a sin?
2) Has slavery always been a sin?
3) Does slavery harmonize with the Golden Rule?
4) How would you like to be kept as a slave? (related to question # 3)
5) Was slavery OK because it was practiced in Bible times, and the Law of Moses sanctioned and regulated it?
6) Does any amount of regulation make slavery OK? Or is slavery an inherently irredeemable institution?
7) Paul said "anything not of faith is sin". Is slavery "of faith"?
8) Is the Bible's seeming approval of slavery as an institution evidence of a Bible flaw?

Please address any combination of these debate questions.

1) Never heard that
2) See #1
3) Doesn't seem to
4) No thank you
5) People can justify almost anything they want if the want/try/look hard enough
6) Seems as though it's not a good thing to be a slave if you're a slave - might not seem bad if you're benefiting from it
7) Don't much care what Paul is said to have said so this one's a no-go for me
8) Bible seems to be full of flaws/issues/errors/unbelievables/silliness - why would this issue be any different?

[2timothy316]

[Replying to post 50 by 2timothy316]

Justifications, justifications.

Tell me, when has it ever been moral to own another human being?

If you have read all the responses to this thread then you'd know it's not about justifying slavery and also know that the Bible's tone is not keen on it. It's not keen on many things that humans do yet they happen and the Mosaic Law was not about abolishing all the wrongs of mankind. Do you know what the Mosaic Law put in place to do?

How much do you know about the nations that surrounded Israel?

Oh! They were all so evil they deserived to be enslaved by God's chosen ones.

No. By this answer it's clear you don't do much historical study.

I'm done. I'm sickened by the justifications being made here. Owning another human being is immoral, full stop.

Your sickness doesn't change history. It also doesn't change the slavery that is still happening today. So if you think mankind's morals are so great and mankind is so powerful, why hasn't mankind stopped slavery yet? Did you know there are an estimated 40,000,000 slaves in the world today? The majority against their will.

I also find it interesting that people quote the 'Golden Rule' yet they do not follow it themselves. Especially when it comes to loving one's enemies. Man is quick to go war for resources even against a person that believes the same as they do. So if a person feels so strongly about slavery but not as strongly about violence towards their enemy, can we trust such a person who follows 'morals' when it's convenient for them?

Those that submit to the law of the Christ should all be slaves of God and slaves to each other. (Gal 5:13) This wording might stumble many but those that knows what it means to be a slave for God will not only embrace it but be joyous doing it. A person that understands these words knows this is not talking about the cruel European slave trade. it is not slavery by man's rules but by God's.

There is a fix coming. Revelations says that God will ruin those ruining the Earth. The slave trade that happens today most certainly ruins the Earth and the lives of people but so does war. So, those that think war is ok are no a better position than the slavers of the modern day slave trade. Both mankind's idea of slavery and war are both violations of the 'Golden Rule'. Yet slaving for God will bring happiness and life everlasting. "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own." 1 Cor 6:19.