Slavery and the bible

[Altair]

Originally Posted by tchalla

Hello
I don't mean to disrespect anyone, I am only looking for answers. If I offend anyone please forgive me it was not my intention.
I was always captivated by the story of the bible that Moises frees his people from Egypt... first time I heard it was before I was 9, a boy around my age told me and touch me deeply. However last year I read on a post on a Facebook group that the bible was used to enslave people. First I defended that people used the bible to enslave, but they twisted things around, and that is not hat the bible says. But I read the verse that they posted from the bible and I got confused, can anyone explain me what Exudus 21:20-21 means? The verses:
"20Anyone who beats their male or female slave with a rod must be punished if the slave dies as a direct result, 21 but they are not to be punished if the slave recovers after a day or two, since the slave is their property.

Yes, some people have used the Bible to support slavery, but then there's been others that have used the Bible to say no to slavery. The Bible consists of many books that were written over a period of many centuries, by different authors, and in different times. Because of this people can cherry pick things from the Bible that match their own beliefs and values. But back in ancient times slavery was normal and global.

tchalla

I was surprised to find that the word slavery does not appear in the bible.

Slave only 1 time and slave(s) only 1 time.

I think servant and master are some commonly used words.

I am not sure that Christianity and the new testament are pro slavery.
But I do think Christianity is saying to consider your spiritual life and higher existence
for the after life,no matter what your physical position is.
Serve God the Father of All(who is Spirit and Light and Love) and do not serve the world but act and think out of Love and Spirit.

[jojo50]

Originally Posted by tchalla

Hello

first understand, Moses didn't "free HIS! ,people", because those people didn't belong to Moses. it was Jehovah God ,(Exo. 6:3). who used Moses to bring "HIS", (Jehovah God's people), out of bondage ,(Exo. 8:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and tell him that this is what the LORD says: 'Let My people go, so that they may worship Me). the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, and was mistreated. as well as being mistreated by other nations once the were freed from Egypt.

the "Bible" wasn't used to "enslave people", because there were NO Bibles in that time. also a book can't do anything to a human, ONLY humans can do harm to each other. here what you're reading in Exo. 21:20,21 isn't referring to slaves or slavery as we know it. (some versions says servants), where people were mistreated because they were different. this was concerning those of Jehovah's who owned Slaves. if they hit their slaves in a way that caused them to die, he has to be punished. but if they didn't cause dead.

then no one can take Vengeance against him ,since he did own the slave. verses 26,27 shows that if the owner hurt them in certain ways. they are free to leave because of that action. unlike the slave owners in the past, who legally had the right to do to a slave whatever they choose. those in the days of old, were to treat slaves as humans. in the days of old slaves were NOT to be mistreated.

and slaves were NOT meant to be kept forever, as MANY believed. after a certain period, they were to be set free, if they wanted to go ,(Exo.2:2 If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years; and in the seventh he shall go out free and pay nothing). these verses shows how a slave in those days were also to be treated ,(Deut. 23:15 “You shall not give back to his master the slave who has escaped from his master to you).

see also (Deut. 15:12-15 “If your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you. And when you send him away free from you, you shall not let him go away empty-handed. you shall supply him liberally from your flock, from your threshing floor, and from your winepress. From what the Lord your God has blessed you with, you shall give to him. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you; therefore I command you this thing today). peace

[sky]

Originally Posted by jojo50

first understand, Moses didn't "free HIS! ,people", because those people didn't belong to Moses. it was Jehovah God ,(Exo. 6:3). who used Moses to bring "HIS", (Jehovah God's people), out of bondage ,(Exo. 8:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and tell him that this is what the LORD says: 'Let My people go, so that they may worship Me). the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, and was mistreated. as well as being mistreated by other nations once the were freed from Egypt.

the "Bible" wasn't used to "enslave people", because there were NO Bibles in that time. also a book can't do anything to a human, ONLY humans can do harm to each other. here what you're reading in Exo. 21:20,21 isn't referring to slaves or slavery as we know it. (some versions says servants), where people were mistreated because they were different. this was concerning those of Jehovah's who owned Slaves. if they hit their slaves in a way that caused them to die, he has to be punished. but if they didn't cause dead.

then no one can take Vengeance against him ,since he did own the slave. verses 26,27 shows that if the owner hurt them in certain ways. they are free to leave because of that action. unlike the slave owners in the past, who legally had the right to do to a slave whatever they choose. those in the days of old, were to treat slaves as humans. in the days of old slaves were NOT to be mistreated.

and slaves were NOT meant to be kept forever, as MANY believed. after a certain period, they were to be set free, if they wanted to go ,(Exo.2:2 If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years; and in the seventh he shall go out free and pay nothing). these verses shows how a slave in those days were also to be treated ,(Deut. 23:15 “You shall not give back to his master the slave who has escaped from his master to you).

see also (Deut. 15:12-15 “If your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you. And when you send him away free from you, you shall not let him go away empty-handed. you shall supply him liberally from your flock, from your threshing floor, and from your winepress. From what the Lord your God has blessed you with, you shall give to him. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you; therefore I command you this thing today). peace

Slavery is abhorrent, physically or mentally .



' slaves were NOT meant to be kept forever, as MANY believed '

Gosh that's very kind of them, does it make it better or maybe it makes the owners feel better. I often wonder what the mindset of these slave owners had...

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by jojo50

first understand, Moses didn't "free HIS! ,people", because those people didn't belong to Moses. it was Jehovah God ,(Exo. 6:3). who used Moses to bring "HIS", (Jehovah God's people), out of bondage ,(Exo. 8:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and tell him that this is what the LORD says: 'Let My people go, so that they may worship Me). the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, and was mistreated. as well as being mistreated by other nations once the were freed from Egypt.

the "Bible" wasn't used to "enslave people", because there were NO Bibles in that time. also a book can't do anything to a human, ONLY humans can do harm to each other. here what you're reading in Exo. 21:20,21 isn't referring to slaves or slavery as we know it. (some versions says servants), where people were mistreated because they were different. this was concerning those of Jehovah's who owned Slaves. if they hit their slaves in a way that caused them to die, he has to be punished. but if they didn't cause dead.

then no one can take Vengeance against him ,since he did own the slave. verses 26,27 shows that if the owner hurt them in certain ways. they are free to leave because of that action. unlike the slave owners in the past, who legally had the right to do to a slave whatever they choose. those in the days of old, were to treat slaves as humans. in the days of old slaves were NOT to be mistreated.

and slaves were NOT meant to be kept forever, as MANY believed. after a certain period, they were to be set free, if they wanted to go ,(Exo.2:2 If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years; and in the seventh he shall go out free and pay nothing). these verses shows how a slave in those days were also to be treated ,(Deut. 23:15 “You shall not give back to his master the slave who has escaped from his master to you).

see also (Deut. 15:12-15 “If your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you. And when you send him away free from you, you shall not let him go away empty-handed. you shall supply him liberally from your flock, from your threshing floor, and from your winepress. From what the Lord your God has blessed you with, you shall give to him. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you; therefore I command you this thing today). peace

Our Bankruptcy Laws are based on these Laws. These particular Mosaic Laws were extremely progressive.

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by sky123

Slavery is abhorrent, physically or mentally .



' slaves were NOT meant to be kept forever, as MANY believed '

Gosh that's very kind of them, does it make it better or maybe it makes the owners feel better. I often wonder what the mindset of these slave owners had...

Which would be better:

Starve to death

or

Sell yourself into temporarily slavery?

[BigJohn]

Today, some claim we still have slavery.

How many people who work for an employer can say they are a 'free man'?

[sky]

Originally Posted by BigJohn

Which would be better:

Starve to death

or

Sell yourself into temporarily slavery?

Abhorrent.....

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by sky123

Abhorrent.....

Do you look at 'slavery' today as being an abhorrent?

For example, people that still work for the 'master'?

For those who do not own their 'own' home?

[davidmartin]

Originally Posted by sky123

Abhorrent.....

that's why Jesus wanted to abolished slavery, which you might not find explicitly said by him but it's obvious from his teachings. when he called his disciples they left everything to follow him. would he have not called someone who was a slave? of course he would, thus setting the slave free.
the fact that some later books of the NT are ambiguous is purely down to attempts to fit in with society of the day when you start getting into Jesus's teachings though they naturally result in contempt for slavery