Is Slavery an Acceptable Practice?

[jimmyjimmy]

Defining slavery as the forceful use of one person to serve the purpose of another, is slavery an acceptable practice?

Does God approve of it?

Is it acceptable under certain circumstances?

Why is it wrong?

 

[Paul of Eugene OR]

Defining slavery as the forceful use of one person to serve the purpose of another, is slavery an acceptable practice?

Does God approve of it?

Is it acceptable under certain circumstances?

Why is it wrong?

In former times, slavery might have been excusable due to the ignorance of those who employed it. Today people should know better. Slavery is hurtful and evil to the slave, and therefore it is wrong.

 

[LinkH]

God allowed slavery in the Old Testament, but regulated. In the New Testament, we see that Christians were allowed to own slaves, but were commanded to treat their slaves justly. It is possible for a slave owner to love the brethren. Philemon owned a slave and Paul wrote that he loved the brethren.

Slavery is not forbidden in the Bible. That doesn't mean that slavery in Biblical times was the same as slavery in the American South in the 1800's or that it fit the description portrayed in the mini-series Roots (or that that was typical of slavery in the American South.)

 

[jimmyjimmy]

In former times, slavery might have been excusable due to the ignorance of those who employed it. Today people should know better. Slavery is hurtful and evil to the slave, and therefore it is wrong.

What if a government made it legal? What if the US made it legal?

 

[jimmyjimmy]

God allowed slavery in the Old Testament, but regulated. In the New Testament, we see that Christians were allowed to own slaves, but were commanded to treat their slaves justly. It is possible for a slave owner to love the brethren. Philemon owned a slave and Paul wrote that he loved the brethren.

Slavery is not forbidden in the Bible. That doesn't mean that slavery in Biblical times was the same as slavery in the American South in the 1800's or that it fit the description portrayed in the mini-series Roots (or that that was typical of slavery in the American South.)

You don't think that there was an chattel slavery in biblical times?

 

[Winken]

Defining slavery as the forceful use of one person to serve the purpose of another, is slavery an acceptable practice?

Does God approve of it?

Is it acceptable under certain circumstances?

Why is it wrong?

Our University professor has returned. One longs for final exams.

 

[Paul of Eugene OR]

What if a government made it legal? What if the US made it legal?

What was it about the abolitionists that caused them to realize they needed to rise up against the laws of slavery as they were and cause slavery to be abolished? They saw the moral right in spite of the legality of slavery under US law. It would be wrong to go backwards. It was wrong to oppose the abolitionists before they managed to change the law.

 

[jimmyjimmy]

What was it about the abolitionists that caused them to realize they needed to rise up against the laws of slavery as they were and cause slavery to be abolished? They saw the moral right in spite of the legality of slavery under US law. It would be wrong to go backwards. It was wrong to oppose the abolitionists before they managed to change the law.

So outside of any laws which a government might make to support the practice, it's inherently wrong, is what you are saying.

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

10 bucks an hour is slavery anyway.

 

[Paul of Eugene OR]

So outside of any laws which a government might make to support the practice, it's inherently wrong, is what you are saying.

Of course.

 

[LivingWordUnity]

Read Philemon in the New Testament. It's a letter from St. Paul to a slave master who had converted to Christianity. St. Paul encourages him to treat his escaped slave as a Christian brother. It was an indirect way of telling him that he should set the slave free.

 

[Paul of Eugene OR]

10 bucks an hour is slavery anyway.

Not so, if the person is free to hire on and free to quit. It might still be wrong but it isn't slavery.

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

[Truth is hate, to those who hate the truth.]

Hate is for people who are too lazy or stubborn to attempt love.
Hate is the soft option.

 

[thelordskingdom777]

Yes it is always wrong and always has been.

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

Not so, if the person is free to hire on and free to quit. It might still be wrong but it isn't slavery.

It feels like slavery when cost of living is high.

 

[Paul of Eugene OR]

Read Philemon in the New Testament. It's a letter from St. Paul to a slave master who converted to Christianity. In the letter, St. Paul encourages Philemon to treat an escaped slave as a Christian brother.

And Moses wrote a law that allowed divorce, due to the hardness of men's hearts. St Paul pushed as far as he could in that day and age. Or do you argue for the reinstation of slavery laws in order to make legal the slavery that still exists?

 

[jimmyjimmy]

10 bucks an hour is slavery anyway.

Slavery, according to the OP is: the forceful use of one person to serve the purpose of another.

 

[jimmyjimmy]

Of course.

The forceful use of one person to serve the purpose of another is dead wrong under any circumstances, even if the law encourages it?

 

[LivingWordUnity]

And Moses wrote a law that allowed divorce, due to the hardness of men's hearts. St Paul pushed as far as he could in that day and age. Or do you argue for the reinstation of slavery laws in order to make legal the slavery that still exists?

The first part of what you said. I edited my post to make it more clear.

 

[Sheep4Christ]

What if a government made it legal? What if the US made it legal?

Interesting.