Bronze-level articleSlavery in the Bible

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Revision as of 01:18, 22 September 2011

For it is so written in

The Bible

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Scriptures
Reference
Analysis
In modern times, slavery is generally considered a “bad thing”. Historically speaking, on the other hand, in first-century Rome, in the Bible and the United States of America, it was usually considered a quite "good thing" (except possibly by the slaves). Despite this change in attitude, it sadly still exists in this world in many forms.

Both the Old and the New Testaments have instructions regarding slaves which most Christians now, thankfully, disregard.

However some Christian biblical literalists such as those who believe in Dominionism feel that the instructions regarding slavery and its institutions are still relevant today.[1] [2]

Contents

Slavery in the Old Testament

The bible identifies two kinds of slaves – Hebrew and non-Hebrew and these were treated differently. Hebrew slaves were usually released after a period of time and were treated better.

Obtaining Slaves:

If the Israelites wanted slaves they were instructed in Leviticus 25:

Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property. You can will them to your children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life, but you must not rule over your fellow Israelites ruthlessly.

Beating slaves:

Beating slaves was perfectly allowable under the following rules:

(Exodus 21:20-21 NAB) When a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod so hard that the slave dies under his hand, he shall be punished. If, however, the slave survives for a day or two, he is not to be punished, since the slave is his own property.

Male Hebrew slaves were treated as follows:

“If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free, without paying anything. If he comes alone, he is to go free alone; but if he has a wife when he comes, she is to go with him. If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free.

But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free, then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the door-post and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life.

It is interesting to note that if a slave wishes to remain with his wife and family he must submit to his master for life.

Female Hebrew slaves

Female Hebrew slaves were to be treated differently from males. Parents could sell their daughters into slavery. (Exodus 21:7-11 NLT)

When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she will not be freed at the end of six years as the men are. If she does not please the man who bought her, he may allow her to be bought back again. But he is not allowed to sell her to foreigners, since he is the one who broke the contract with her. And if the slave girl's owner arranges for her to marry his son, he may no longer treat her as a slave girl, but he must treat her as his daughter. If he himself marries her and then takes another wife, he may not reduce her food or clothing or fail to sleep with her as his wife. If he fails in any of these three ways, she may leave as a free woman without making any payment.

Slavery in the New Testament

The New Testament makes no condemnation of slave ownership but does have advice for Christian slaves and also regulates how Christian slave owners should treat the slaves they own.

(Ephesians 6:5 NLT) Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ.

Christian slaves whose master is also Christian are told:

(1 Timothy 6:1-2 NLT) Christians who are slaves should give their masters full respect so that the name of God and his teaching will not be shamed. If your master is a Christian, that is no excuse for being disrespectful. You should work all the harder because you are helping another believer by your efforts. Teach these truths, Timothy, and encourage everyone to obey them.

There are instructions for Christian slave owners to treat their slaves well.

Eph 6:9 ) And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favouritism with him. (See also Ephesians 6:7-8)

(Coll 4:1 ) Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.

Nevertheless in other parts of the New Testament slave traders were considered "lawless and rebellious," and categorized with homosexuals, liars and promise breakers.

"(1Timothy 1:9-10 NLT) For the law was not intended for people who do what is right. It is for people who are lawless and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy, who kill their father or mother or commit other murders. The law is for people who are sexually immoral, or who practice homosexuality, or are slave traders, liars, promise breakers, or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching that comes from the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessed God."

Moral relativism

This is probably one of the clearest example of religious moral relativism.

Most modern Christians prefer to avoid those sections of the Bible. If forced to explain Biblical justification for slavery, they may come up with something, but fortunately Christians as a group think it would be wrong to reintroduce slavery. Christian attempts to justify what is in the Bible can lead to them sanctioning things that most moral humanists would say are wrong. As can be seen from the quote below.

Here is a recent Christian attempt to justify slavery:

"They 'shall be of the heathen' is the key phrase here. God approved of slavery in this instance only because it was His hope that those who became slaves of the Israelites from foreign nations might "be saved." Even though they would lose their earthly freedom, God hoped that they would gain eternal freedom by coming to know Him, which is far more important." [3]

See also

Footnotes

  1. http://www.religioustolerance.org/reconstr.htm
  2. http://www.theologyonline.com/DEATH.HTML
  3. http://christianity.wikia.com/index.php?title=Atheism&oldid=14592#Atheists_may_say_the_Bible_is_morally_deficient
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