Religion

edhopper

(33,484 posts) Sun Mar 28, 2021, 10:28 AM Mar 2021

Why does God condone slavery? [View all]

Last edited Sun Mar 28, 2021, 11:08 AM - Edit history (1)

Why does the God of the Old and New Testament condone and at times endorse slavery?
Surely this is one of humanities great sins. Won't a loving and just God condemn one person taking all freedom from another? Shouldn't one of the Ten Commandments, the basis of all of God's laws, be a prohibition of slavery. After all the story of Exodus is all about the Hebrews getting their freedom from Egypt through God's actions. Shouldn't all people be free? But the Hebrews are explicitly allowed to have slaves, and even sell their children into slavery.
Could this not have been a commandment if God was just and good?
"Thou shall not have slaves, nor allow others to be made slaves"

It also belies the whole argument of free will. Slaves cannot exercise free will.

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Why does God condone slavery? [View all] edhopper Mar 2021 OP

The Bible was written by people. Writers/transcribers were elitists. Eyeball_Kid Mar 2021 #1

This would be a historical / atheist view edhopper Mar 2021 #4

Anthropology, Music and Religion: She Blinded Me With Science. old as dirt Mar 2022 #60

"They just viewed it as a given" brooklynite Mar 2021 #47

Theft works both ways. old as dirt Mar 2022 #61

Could it be Thunderbeast Mar 2021 #2

That would be the historical/agnostic answer edhopper Mar 2021 #7

I find no obligation to provide an explanation to meet their delusions. Thunderbeast Mar 2021 #10

Well played edhopper Mar 2021 #12

The Bible is Morality version 1.0 Shermann Mar 2021 #3

So edhopper Mar 2021 #5

There is no creator God vlyons Mar 2021 #6

Sure edhopper Mar 2021 #8

You don"t have to believe in god to practice loving kindness vlyons Mar 2021 #19

I would submit edhopper Mar 2021 #21

read Trungpa's "Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism" vlyons Mar 2021 #25

Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. vlyons Mar 2021 #28

That is a great quote edhopper Mar 2021 #30

Theoretically, there were for stones of rules. LakeArenal Mar 2021 #9

Ah! edhopper Mar 2021 #16

"Oy!" He says, when he drops the third tablet. Cracks me up every time. EarnestPutz Mar 2021 #20

Please don't try to make sense of that novel. It will make your head explode. Ferrets are Cool Mar 2021 #11

I was raised Southern Baptist and you'd think that would give me some insight. Girard442 Mar 2021 #13

I have had these discussions edhopper Mar 2021 #15

Try reading Mark Twain's "The Mysterious Stranger" if you haven't already. Girard442 Mar 2021 #17

Same for me. I never bought into any of it as a child. The Bible stories seems just like Dream Girl Mar 2021 #22

I saw a werewwolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's edhopper Mar 2021 #31

Trader Vics? Pina Colada? What's that? Dream Girl Mar 2021 #33

Old enough to be edhopper Mar 2021 #34

I think some people are more attuned to spiritual presence. As I very young child I didn't find it Dream Girl Mar 2021 #35

It was a joke edhopper Mar 2021 #36

Ahh Ouuuu!! n/t DEbluedude Mar 2021 #37

What I want to know vlyons Mar 2021 #23

Those and Prof. Toru Tanaka Mar 2021 #26

I remember some similar experiences in the '60's Under The Radar Mar 2021 #29

Often wondered why Mary's father didn't beat the shit out of Joseph Under The Radar Mar 2021 #27

I see your responses edhopper Mar 2021 #14

Try to see the Bible stories as allegories vlyons Mar 2021 #24

I do edhopper Mar 2021 #32

and what moral hidden meaning is one supposed to obtain Voltaire2 Mar 2021 #43

Sadly, there is no answer satisfactory to the OP, but the believer does answer... sanatanadharma Mar 2021 #18

An understanding that cannot be explain edhopper Mar 2021 #38

As a practical matter, civilization such as it was could not have existed without slavery localroger Mar 2021 #39

But as always edhopper Mar 2021 #40

We are not too far from a situation where most human labor is really unnecessary localroger Mar 2021 #41

I fear those who rule us edhopper Mar 2021 #42

oh we have already chosen the former. Voltaire2 Mar 2021 #44

Read "Answer to Job" ismnotwasm Mar 2021 #45

A 13 billion year old diety edhopper Mar 2021 #46

I think this is another form of the question Steelrolled Mar 2021 #48

I disagree edhopper Mar 2021 #49

As you say, he could have prohibited slavery Steelrolled Mar 2021 #50

intersesting fact edhopper Mar 2021 #51

'Cause the guys who wrote the book say he does. (n/t) Iggo Apr 2021 #52

Speaking of free will, one of the first stories... old as dirt Dec 2021 #53

And did she? edhopper Dec 2021 #55

I guess I see it as an exercise of Free Will. old as dirt Dec 2021 #57

Someone chooses of their own free will edhopper Dec 2021 #58

What would those two philosophy classes... old as dirt Dec 2021 #59

Message auto-removed Name removed Dec 2021 #54

Message auto-removed Name removed Dec 2021 #56