You do know that the concept of slavery here is towards a person who was in debt and couldn't pay it off. It's not the slavery they taught you about in history class.
I didn't see this until now, but this is another unscriptural whitewashing of biblical slavery. The Bibles are clear again and again that slavery is fine - and that slavery is exactly the type practiced in the old South.
This whitewash claims that Biblical slavery is kind, loving servitude for fellow Hebrews, who enter it voluntarily, are not harmed, and are set free after six years. However, reading the Bibles show two (2) separate and non-equal sets of parallel laws based on race/culture for Hebrew vs. non-Hebrew slaves (somewhat like Jim Crow laws). People advocating this or that position will often simply focus on one set and ignore the other set, which is of course picking and choosing again. Hebrew slaves were indeed treated better, as stated above.
Unlike Hebrews, non-Hebrews could legally be involuntarily, permanently enslaved through war (Dt 20), or through the slave trade (Lev 25:44). Long-lived slaves could also be bequeathed to the master’s heirs like other property (Lev 25:46). Non-Hebrew slaves could be beaten, as long as they weren’t killed, and didn’t lose an eye or tooth. Ex 21:21 states:
"If a man beats his male or female slave with a rod and the slave dies as a direct result, he must be punished, but he is not to be punished if the slave gets up after a day or two, since the slave is his property.” How severely must a man or woman be beaten to be unable to get up for many hours?
Slavery is the punishment meted out in Genesis 9, and that "curse of Ham" explicitly says that black people are to be enslaved. It is supported throughout the Bibles, an in addition to the verses above, the ten commandments approve of slavery twice (commandments 3/4 and 10), and Jesus himself talks about how some slaves are severely beaten, never saying anything is wrong with slavery. Paul too talks about slavery in many cases, never saying that slavery is wrong and should not be allowed. If they had any problem with it at all, they could have said "slavery is wrong - don't do it", in just 7 words or so. But of course, they didn't say that.
With the clear, repeated endorsement of slavery by both Protestant & Catholic Bibles, it’s no surprise that for centuries, slavery was supported by many Christians, including Augustine, Aquinas, Martin Luther, and of course, many Popes. Jefferson Davis, the President of the U. S. Confederacy, was just simply right when he said that: “
Slavery was established by decree of Almighty God. It is sanctioned in the Bible, in both Testaments, from Genesis to Revelation.”
Luckily, we Christians can see that God calls us to move past a literal reading of scripture, and reject slavery on the simple basis of compassion.
In Christ-
Papias
