George
2007-06-25 23:59:43 UTC
http://www.religioustolerance.org/sla_bibl.htm
Quotations by learned men from the 19th century:
"[Slavery] was established by decree of Almighty God...it is sanctioned in
the Bible, in both Testaments, from Genesis to Revelation...it has existed
in all ages, has been found among the people of the highest civilization,
and in nations of the highest proficiency in the arts." Jefferson Davis,
President of the Confederate States of America. 1,2
"There is not one verse in the Bible inhibiting slavery, but many
regulating it. It is not then, we conclude, immoral." Rev. Alexander
Campbell
"The right of holding slaves is clearly established in the Holy Scriptures,
both by precept and example." Rev. R. Furman, D.D., Baptist, of South
Carolina
"The hope of civilization itself hangs on the defeat of Negro suffrage." A
statement by a prominent 19th-century southern Presbyterian pastor, cited
by Rev. Jack Rogers, moderator of the Presbyterian Church (USA).
"The doom of Ham has been branded on the form and features of his African
descendants. The hand of fate has united his color and destiny. Man cannot
separate what God hath joined." United States Senator James Henry Hammond.
3
Quotation from the 21st century:
"If we apply sola scriptura to slavery, I'm afraid the abolitionists are on
relatively weak ground. Nowhere is slavery in the Bible lambasted as an
oppressive and evil institution: Vaughn Roste, United Church of Canada
staff.
Overview:
The quotation by Jefferson Davis, listed above, reflected the beliefs of
many Americans in the 19th century. Slavery was seen as having been
"sanctioned in the Bible." They argued that:
Biblical passages recognized, controlled, and regulated the practice.
The Bible permitted owners to beat their slaves severely, even to the point
of killing them. However, as long as the slave lingered longer than 24
hours before dying of the abuse, the owner was not regarded as having
committed a crime, because -- after all -- the slave was his property. 4
Paul had every opportunity to write in one of his Epistles that human
slavery -- the owning of one person as a piece of property by another -- is
profoundly evil. His letter to Philemon would have been an ideal
opportunity to vilify slavery. But he wrote not one word of criticism.
Jesus could have condemned the practice. He might have done so. But there
is no record of him having said anything negative about the institution.
Eventually, the abolitionists gained sufficient power to eradicate slavery
in most areas of the world by the end of the 19th century. Slavery was
eventually recognized as an extreme evil. But this paradigm shift in
understanding came at a cost. [some] Christians wondered why the Bible was
so supportive of such an immoral practice. They questioned whether the
Bible was entirely reliable. Perhaps there were other practices that it
accepted as normal which were profoundly evil -- like genocide, torturing
prisoners, raping female prisoners of war, executing religious minorities,
burning some hookers alive, etc. The innocent faith that Christians had in
"the Good Book" was lost -- never to be fully regained. [Others still don't
get it.]
Passages from the Hebrew Scriptures which sanction slavery:
There are many Bible passages which directly sanction and regulate slavery.
Quoting from the KJV (except as noted) some of these passages are:
The Ten Commandments: Rabbi M.J. Raphall (circa 1861) commented that
the 10th commandment places slaves "under the same protection as any other
species of lawful property...That the Ten Commandments are the word of G-d,
and as such, of the very highest authority, is acknowledged by Christians
as well as by Jews...How dare you, in the face of the sanction and
protection afforded to slave property in the Ten Commandments--how dare you
denounce slaveholding as a sin? When you remember that Abraham, Isaac,
Jacob, Job--the men with whom the Almighty conversed, with whose names he
emphatically connects his own most holy name, and to whom He vouchsafed to
give the character of 'perfect, upright, fearing G-d and eschewing evil'
(Job 1:8)--that all these men were slaveholders, does it not strike you
that you are guilty of something very little short of blasphemy?" 1 Exodus
20:17"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy
neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor
his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor's."
Deuteronomy 5:21"Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbor's wife,
neither shalt thou covet thy neighbor's house, his field, or his
manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is
thy neighbor's.
Beating and Killing Slaves: Although an owner could beat a male or
female slave, she/he would have to avoid serious injury to eyes or teeth.
The owner would have to avoid beating the slave to death. But it was
acceptable to beat a slave so severely that it only disabled him or her for
two days: Exodus 21:20-21 "And if a man smite his servant, or his maid,
with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished.
Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for
he is his money [property]."
Exodus 21:26-27 "And if a man smite the eye of his servant, or
the eye of his maid, that it perish; he shall let him go free for his eye's
sake. And if he smite out his manservant's tooth, or his maidservant's
tooth; he shall let him go free for his tooth's sake."
Emancipation of Slaves: Slaves in ancient Israel were automatically
emancipated after 6 years of slavery, but only if they were Jewish.
However, if the slave owner "gave" the slave a wife, the owner could keep
the wife and any children as his property. Passages in Exodus state that
female slaves who were sold into slavery by their fathers would be slaves
forever. A corresponding passage in Exodus contradicts this; it required
female slaves to be given their freedom after 6 years. One could purchase a
slave from a foreign nation or from foreigners living with them. These
slaves would remain in slavery forever, unless the owner chooses to frees
them An Israelite who was a slave could be freed by a family member or by
himself if he had the money. The cost of freeing a slave was computed on
the basis of the number of years to the next Jubilee Year; this could be 1
to 50 years. Male Israelite slaves were automatically freed during the
Jubilee Year. Depending upon which verse was being followed, female
Israelite slaves might also have been freed at that time. Foreign slaves
were out of luck. Exodus 21:1-4: "If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years
he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing. If he
came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then
his wife shall go out with him. If his master have given him a wife, and
she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her
master's, and he shall go out by himself."
Deuteronomy 15:12-18: "And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an
Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the
seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee.And when thou sendest him
out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty: Thou shalt
furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of
thy winepress: of that wherewith the LORD thy God hath blessed thee thou
shalt give unto him."
Exodus 21:7: "And if a man sell his daughter to be a
maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do."
Leviticus 25:44-46: "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." (NIV)
Leviticus 25:48-53: "After that he is sold he may be redeemed
again; one of his brethren may redeem him: Either his uncle, or his uncle's
son, may redeem him, or any that is nigh of kin unto him of his family may
redeem him; or if he be able, he may redeem himself. And he shall reckon
with him that bought him from the year that he was sold to him unto the
year of jubilee: and the price of his sale shall be according unto the
number of years, according to the time of an hired servant shall it be with
him."
Restrictions on the Re-selling of Slaves: A slave was considered a
piece of property, and thus could normally be resold to anyone at any time
for any reason. However, special rules applied for Hebrew slaves. If a
person bought a female slave from her father and she displeased him, he had
no right to sell her to a foreign owner. If the owner required her to marry
his son, then the owner was required to treat her like a daughter-in-law.
If the owner marries his slave and later marries another woman, he was
required to treat his slave as he previously had. If he violates any of
these requirements, then she must be emancipated. But she would leave
without any money or means of supporting herself; she would be free, but
abandoned. Exodus 21:8: "If she please not her master, who hath betrothed
her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a
strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully
with her.And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her
after the manner of daughters. If he take him another wife; her food, her
raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish. And if he do not
these three unto her, then shall she go out free without money."
Sexual Activity with an Engaged Female Slave: A man who rapes or
engages in consensual sex with a female slave who is engaged to be married
to another man must sacrifice an animal in the temple in order to be
forgiven. The female slave would be whipped. There is apparently no
punishment or ritual animal killing required if the female slave were not
engaged; men could rape such slaves with impunity. Leviticus 19:20-22:
"And whosoever lieth carnally with a woman, that is a bondmaid, betrothed
to an husband, and not at all redeemed, nor freedom given her; she shall be
scourged; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free. And he
shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD, unto the door of the
tabernacle of the congregation, even a ram for a trespass offering. And the
priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass
offering before the LORD for his sin which he hath done: and the sin which
he hath done shall be forgiven him."
Purchasing a Brother as a Slave: If a man is sold into slavery due to
poverty and his brother purchases him, then the man must be treated as a
hired hand or as a guest of the brother. He would be not be free to leave,
but was required to serve until the Jubilee Year, which occurs every 50
years. This would often require him to serve his brother for the rest of
his life. Some translations (e.g. Living Bible) refer to"a fellow
Israelite" rather than "brother." The fate of a woman being bought by her
brother is unclear. Leviticus 25:39: "And if thy brother that dwelleth by
thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to
serve as a bondservant: But as an hired servant, and as a sojourner, he
shall be with thee, and shall serve thee unto the year of jubilee: And then
shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and shall
return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he
return."
Punishment for Criminals or Debtors: A person who kidnaps a fellow
Israelite and makes him a slave or sells him into slavery would be stoned
to death. If a thief is caught and cannot make full restitution, he would
be sold as a slave. A debtor who could not pay back creditors might be sold
into slavery or have his children sold. Exodus 21:16: "And he that
stealeth [kidnaps] a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand,
he shall surely be put to death."
Deuteronomy 24:7: "If a man be found stealing any of his
brethren of the children of Israel, and maketh merchandise of him, or
selleth him; then that thief shall die; and thou shalt put evil away from
among you."
Exodus 22:3: "...he should make full restitution; if he have
nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft."
II Kings 4:1: "Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of
the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is
dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor
is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen."
Enslaving Women Captives: In a foreign war, an Israelite could take
any woman as a slave-wife, even if it were against her will. He would put
her through what could be regarded as a period of ritual abuse. If he later
dislikes her, he can grant her freedom, but cannot sell her to another
slave owner. Deuteronomy 21:10-14: "When thou goest forth to war against
thine enemies, and the LORD thy God hath delivered them into thine hands,
and thou hast taken them captive, And seest among the captives a beautiful
woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife;
Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house; and she shall shave her
head, and pare her nails; And she shall put the raiment of her captivity
from off her, and shall remain in thine house, and bewail her father and
her mother a full month: and after that thou shalt go in unto her [i.e.
rape her or engage in consensual sex], and be her husband, and she shall be
thy wife. And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt
let her go whither she will; but thou shalt not sell her at all for money,
thou shalt not make merchandise of her, because thou hast humbled her."
Deuteronomy 20:14"But the women, and the little ones, and the
cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou
take unto thyself"
Runaway Slaves: If a slave runs away from his owner and comes to you,
then you are not to return the slave to his owner. Rather, you are to let
him live in any town in your area. Deuteronomy 23:15-16: "Thou shalt not
deliver unto his master the servant which is escaped from his master unto
thee: He shall dwell with thee, even among you, in that place which he
shall choose in one of thy gates, where it liketh him best: thou shalt not
oppress him."
Circumcision of Slaves: A male slave would be required to undergo
circumcision. This would be a very painful operation for an adult. It was
life-threatening in the days before modern medical techniques. A small
percentage of slaves would die from infection caused by the operation.
Genesis 17:13: "He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with
thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your
flesh for an everlasting covenant."
Genesis 17:27: "And all the men of his house, born in the house,
and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him."
Priests as Slave Owners: God ordered Moses to wage war against the
Midianites, because the latter had attempted to convert the Israelites to
their religion. They Israelite soldiers killed every male Midianite, but
initially spared the lives of the women and children. Moses was angry at
this act of mercy, and in an act of near genocide, ordered that all of the
women and children be murdered in cold blood, allowing only 32,000 female
virgins to live. All of the booty, including the surviving girls and virgin
women, was then divided into two equal portions: one for the soldiers and
the rest for the people of Israel. 0.1% of the slaves from the first half
and 2% of the slaves from the second half were considered the Lord's share.
i.e. they were to be given to the priests. The priests ended up with 365
female virgins; one for each day of the year. Numbers 31:28-47: "And levy
a tribute unto the LORD of the men of war which went out to battle: one
soul of five hundred, both of the persons, and of the beeves, and of the
asses, and of the sheep: Take it of their half, and give it unto Eleazar
the priest, for an heave offering of the LORD.And of the children of
Israel's half, thou shalt take one portion of fifty, of the persons, of the
beeves, of the asses, and of the flocks, of all manner of beasts, and give
them unto the Levites, which keep the charge of the tabernacle of the
LORD."
Slaves Owning Slaves: Saul's slave Ziba owned 20 slaves of his own: 2
Samuel 9:10: "...Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants."
Raping Slaves: Being property, female slaves could be required to
engage in sexual intercourse and become pregnant against their will. The
perpetrator could be their owner, or anyone that their owner designates:
Genesis 16:1-2: "Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had
an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said unto Abram,
Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in
unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram
hearkened to the voice of Sarai."
Genesis 30:3-4: "And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto
her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by
her. And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto
her."
Genesis 30:9-10: "When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she
took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife. And Zilpah Leah's maid
bare Jacob a son."
Slaves Given the weekly Sabbath off: Slaves were not required to work
on Saturday. Exodus 20:10: "But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD
thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy
daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy
stranger that is within thy gates:"
Passages from the Christian Scriptures which Sanction Slavery
You would think that Jesus and the New Testament would have a different
view of slavery, but slavery is still approved of in the New Testament, as
the following passages show.
Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them
sincerely as you would serve Christ. (Ephesians 6:5 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. (1 Timothy
6:1-2 NLT)
In the following parable, Jesus clearly approves of beating slaves even if
they didn't know they were doing anything wrong.
The servant will be severely punished, for though he knew his duty, he
refused to do it. "But people who are not aware that they are doing wrong
will be punished only lightly. Much is required from those to whom much is
given, and much more is required from those to whom much more is given."
(Luke 12:47-48 NLT)
Neither Jesus nor St. Paul, nor any other Biblical figure is recorded as
saying anything in opposition to the institution of slavery. Slavery was
very much a part of life in Palestine and in the rest of the Roman Empire
during New Testament times. Quoting Rabbi M.J. Raphall, circa 1861,
"Receiving slavery as one of the conditions of society, the New Testament
nowhere interferes with or contradicts the slave code of Moses; it even
preserves a letter [to Philemon] written by one of the most eminent
Christian teachers [St. Paul] to a slave owner on sending back to him his
runaway slave." 1
People in debt (and their children) were still being sold into slavery in
New Testament times:
Matthew 18:25: "But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded
him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and
payment to be made."
Priests still owned slaves:
Mark 14:66: "And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one
of the maids of the high priest:"
Jesus is recorded as mentioning slaves in one of his parables. It is
important to realize that the term "servant" in the King James Version of
the Bible refers to slaves, not employees like a butler, cook, or maid.
Here, a slave which did not follow his owner's will would be beaten with
many lashes of a whip. A slave who was unaware of his owner's will, but who
did not behave properly, would also be beaten, but with fewer stripes.
This would have been a marvelous opportunity for Jesus to condemn the
institution of slavery and its abuse of slaves. But he is not recorded of
having taken it:
Luke 12:45-48: "The lord [owner] of that servant will come in a day
when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will
cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself,
neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But
he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten
with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much
required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the
more."
One of the favorite passages of slave-owning Christians was St. Paul's
infamous instruction that slaves to obey their owners in the same way that
they obey Christ:
Ephesians 6:5-9: "Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters
according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your
heart, as unto Christ; Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the
servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will
doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatsoever good
thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be
bond or free. And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing
threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there
respect of persons with him."
Other passages instructing slaves and slave owners in proper behavior are:
Colossians 4:1: "Masters, give unto your servants that which is just
and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven."
1 Timothy 6:1-3 "Let as many servants as are under the yoke count
their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and his
doctrine be not blasphemed. And they that have believing masters, let them
not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service,
because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These
things teach and exhort. If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to
wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the
doctrine which is according to godliness;"
In his defense, St. Paul incorrectly expected that Jesus would return in
the very near future. This might have demotivated him from speaking out
against slavery or other social evils in the Roman Empire. Also he regarded
slaves as persons of worth whom at least God considers of importance. St.
Paul mentioned that both slaves and free persons are sons of God, and thus
all part of the body of Christ and spiritually equal.
1 Corinthians 12:13: "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one
body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have
been all made to drink into one Spirit."
Galatians 3:28: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond
nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ
Jesus."
Colossians 3:11: "Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision
nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all,
and in all."
St. Paul apparently saw no evil in the concept of one person owning another
as a piece of property. In his Letter to Philemon, he had every opportunity
to discuss the immorality of slave-owning, but declined to do so.
Deuteronomy 23:15-16, cited above, requires a Jew to protect a runaway
slave, and to not return him/her to their owner.. However, St. Paul
violated the law. While in prison, he met a runaway slave, Onesimus, the
slave of a Christian. He was presumably owned by Pheliemon. Rather than
give the slave sanctuary, he returned him to his owner. Paul seems to hint
that he would like Pheliemon to give Onesimus his freedom, but does not
actually request it. See the Letter to Philemon in the Christian
Scriptures.
______________________________________
A simple message for all you believers who think that a literal
interpretation of the Bible is the way to go. A literal interpretation of
the Bible is wrong, has always been wrong, and always will be wrong. If
you believe in a literalist interpretation (aka, creationism, Dominionism,
Southern Baptists, etc) of the Bible, then you also believe that slavery is
morally justified. And if so, then I might remind you that the Civil War is
over: Your side lost. If you don't believe that slavery is morally
justified, then you should stop with the literalist intepretations of the
Bible. You cannot have it both ways.
Cheers,
George
Quotations by learned men from the 19th century:
"[Slavery] was established by decree of Almighty God...it is sanctioned in
the Bible, in both Testaments, from Genesis to Revelation...it has existed
in all ages, has been found among the people of the highest civilization,
and in nations of the highest proficiency in the arts." Jefferson Davis,
President of the Confederate States of America. 1,2
"There is not one verse in the Bible inhibiting slavery, but many
regulating it. It is not then, we conclude, immoral." Rev. Alexander
Campbell
"The right of holding slaves is clearly established in the Holy Scriptures,
both by precept and example." Rev. R. Furman, D.D., Baptist, of South
Carolina
"The hope of civilization itself hangs on the defeat of Negro suffrage." A
statement by a prominent 19th-century southern Presbyterian pastor, cited
by Rev. Jack Rogers, moderator of the Presbyterian Church (USA).
"The doom of Ham has been branded on the form and features of his African
descendants. The hand of fate has united his color and destiny. Man cannot
separate what God hath joined." United States Senator James Henry Hammond.
3
Quotation from the 21st century:
"If we apply sola scriptura to slavery, I'm afraid the abolitionists are on
relatively weak ground. Nowhere is slavery in the Bible lambasted as an
oppressive and evil institution: Vaughn Roste, United Church of Canada
staff.
Overview:
The quotation by Jefferson Davis, listed above, reflected the beliefs of
many Americans in the 19th century. Slavery was seen as having been
"sanctioned in the Bible." They argued that:
Biblical passages recognized, controlled, and regulated the practice.
The Bible permitted owners to beat their slaves severely, even to the point
of killing them. However, as long as the slave lingered longer than 24
hours before dying of the abuse, the owner was not regarded as having
committed a crime, because -- after all -- the slave was his property. 4
Paul had every opportunity to write in one of his Epistles that human
slavery -- the owning of one person as a piece of property by another -- is
profoundly evil. His letter to Philemon would have been an ideal
opportunity to vilify slavery. But he wrote not one word of criticism.
Jesus could have condemned the practice. He might have done so. But there
is no record of him having said anything negative about the institution.
Eventually, the abolitionists gained sufficient power to eradicate slavery
in most areas of the world by the end of the 19th century. Slavery was
eventually recognized as an extreme evil. But this paradigm shift in
understanding came at a cost. [some] Christians wondered why the Bible was
so supportive of such an immoral practice. They questioned whether the
Bible was entirely reliable. Perhaps there were other practices that it
accepted as normal which were profoundly evil -- like genocide, torturing
prisoners, raping female prisoners of war, executing religious minorities,
burning some hookers alive, etc. The innocent faith that Christians had in
"the Good Book" was lost -- never to be fully regained. [Others still don't
get it.]
Passages from the Hebrew Scriptures which sanction slavery:
There are many Bible passages which directly sanction and regulate slavery.
Quoting from the KJV (except as noted) some of these passages are:
The Ten Commandments: Rabbi M.J. Raphall (circa 1861) commented that
the 10th commandment places slaves "under the same protection as any other
species of lawful property...That the Ten Commandments are the word of G-d,
and as such, of the very highest authority, is acknowledged by Christians
as well as by Jews...How dare you, in the face of the sanction and
protection afforded to slave property in the Ten Commandments--how dare you
denounce slaveholding as a sin? When you remember that Abraham, Isaac,
Jacob, Job--the men with whom the Almighty conversed, with whose names he
emphatically connects his own most holy name, and to whom He vouchsafed to
give the character of 'perfect, upright, fearing G-d and eschewing evil'
(Job 1:8)--that all these men were slaveholders, does it not strike you
that you are guilty of something very little short of blasphemy?" 1 Exodus
20:17"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy
neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor
his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor's."
Deuteronomy 5:21"Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbor's wife,
neither shalt thou covet thy neighbor's house, his field, or his
manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is
thy neighbor's.
Beating and Killing Slaves: Although an owner could beat a male or
female slave, she/he would have to avoid serious injury to eyes or teeth.
The owner would have to avoid beating the slave to death. But it was
acceptable to beat a slave so severely that it only disabled him or her for
two days: Exodus 21:20-21 "And if a man smite his servant, or his maid,
with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished.
Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for
he is his money [property]."
Exodus 21:26-27 "And if a man smite the eye of his servant, or
the eye of his maid, that it perish; he shall let him go free for his eye's
sake. And if he smite out his manservant's tooth, or his maidservant's
tooth; he shall let him go free for his tooth's sake."
Emancipation of Slaves: Slaves in ancient Israel were automatically
emancipated after 6 years of slavery, but only if they were Jewish.
However, if the slave owner "gave" the slave a wife, the owner could keep
the wife and any children as his property. Passages in Exodus state that
female slaves who were sold into slavery by their fathers would be slaves
forever. A corresponding passage in Exodus contradicts this; it required
female slaves to be given their freedom after 6 years. One could purchase a
slave from a foreign nation or from foreigners living with them. These
slaves would remain in slavery forever, unless the owner chooses to frees
them An Israelite who was a slave could be freed by a family member or by
himself if he had the money. The cost of freeing a slave was computed on
the basis of the number of years to the next Jubilee Year; this could be 1
to 50 years. Male Israelite slaves were automatically freed during the
Jubilee Year. Depending upon which verse was being followed, female
Israelite slaves might also have been freed at that time. Foreign slaves
were out of luck. Exodus 21:1-4: "If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years
he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing. If he
came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then
his wife shall go out with him. If his master have given him a wife, and
she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her
master's, and he shall go out by himself."
Deuteronomy 15:12-18: "And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an
Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the
seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee.And when thou sendest him
out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty: Thou shalt
furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of
thy winepress: of that wherewith the LORD thy God hath blessed thee thou
shalt give unto him."
Exodus 21:7: "And if a man sell his daughter to be a
maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do."
Leviticus 25:44-46: "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." (NIV)
Leviticus 25:48-53: "After that he is sold he may be redeemed
again; one of his brethren may redeem him: Either his uncle, or his uncle's
son, may redeem him, or any that is nigh of kin unto him of his family may
redeem him; or if he be able, he may redeem himself. And he shall reckon
with him that bought him from the year that he was sold to him unto the
year of jubilee: and the price of his sale shall be according unto the
number of years, according to the time of an hired servant shall it be with
him."
Restrictions on the Re-selling of Slaves: A slave was considered a
piece of property, and thus could normally be resold to anyone at any time
for any reason. However, special rules applied for Hebrew slaves. If a
person bought a female slave from her father and she displeased him, he had
no right to sell her to a foreign owner. If the owner required her to marry
his son, then the owner was required to treat her like a daughter-in-law.
If the owner marries his slave and later marries another woman, he was
required to treat his slave as he previously had. If he violates any of
these requirements, then she must be emancipated. But she would leave
without any money or means of supporting herself; she would be free, but
abandoned. Exodus 21:8: "If she please not her master, who hath betrothed
her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a
strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully
with her.And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her
after the manner of daughters. If he take him another wife; her food, her
raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish. And if he do not
these three unto her, then shall she go out free without money."
Sexual Activity with an Engaged Female Slave: A man who rapes or
engages in consensual sex with a female slave who is engaged to be married
to another man must sacrifice an animal in the temple in order to be
forgiven. The female slave would be whipped. There is apparently no
punishment or ritual animal killing required if the female slave were not
engaged; men could rape such slaves with impunity. Leviticus 19:20-22:
"And whosoever lieth carnally with a woman, that is a bondmaid, betrothed
to an husband, and not at all redeemed, nor freedom given her; she shall be
scourged; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free. And he
shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD, unto the door of the
tabernacle of the congregation, even a ram for a trespass offering. And the
priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass
offering before the LORD for his sin which he hath done: and the sin which
he hath done shall be forgiven him."
Purchasing a Brother as a Slave: If a man is sold into slavery due to
poverty and his brother purchases him, then the man must be treated as a
hired hand or as a guest of the brother. He would be not be free to leave,
but was required to serve until the Jubilee Year, which occurs every 50
years. This would often require him to serve his brother for the rest of
his life. Some translations (e.g. Living Bible) refer to"a fellow
Israelite" rather than "brother." The fate of a woman being bought by her
brother is unclear. Leviticus 25:39: "And if thy brother that dwelleth by
thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to
serve as a bondservant: But as an hired servant, and as a sojourner, he
shall be with thee, and shall serve thee unto the year of jubilee: And then
shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and shall
return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he
return."
Punishment for Criminals or Debtors: A person who kidnaps a fellow
Israelite and makes him a slave or sells him into slavery would be stoned
to death. If a thief is caught and cannot make full restitution, he would
be sold as a slave. A debtor who could not pay back creditors might be sold
into slavery or have his children sold. Exodus 21:16: "And he that
stealeth [kidnaps] a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand,
he shall surely be put to death."
Deuteronomy 24:7: "If a man be found stealing any of his
brethren of the children of Israel, and maketh merchandise of him, or
selleth him; then that thief shall die; and thou shalt put evil away from
among you."
Exodus 22:3: "...he should make full restitution; if he have
nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft."
II Kings 4:1: "Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of
the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is
dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor
is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen."
Enslaving Women Captives: In a foreign war, an Israelite could take
any woman as a slave-wife, even if it were against her will. He would put
her through what could be regarded as a period of ritual abuse. If he later
dislikes her, he can grant her freedom, but cannot sell her to another
slave owner. Deuteronomy 21:10-14: "When thou goest forth to war against
thine enemies, and the LORD thy God hath delivered them into thine hands,
and thou hast taken them captive, And seest among the captives a beautiful
woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife;
Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house; and she shall shave her
head, and pare her nails; And she shall put the raiment of her captivity
from off her, and shall remain in thine house, and bewail her father and
her mother a full month: and after that thou shalt go in unto her [i.e.
rape her or engage in consensual sex], and be her husband, and she shall be
thy wife. And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt
let her go whither she will; but thou shalt not sell her at all for money,
thou shalt not make merchandise of her, because thou hast humbled her."
Deuteronomy 20:14"But the women, and the little ones, and the
cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou
take unto thyself"
Runaway Slaves: If a slave runs away from his owner and comes to you,
then you are not to return the slave to his owner. Rather, you are to let
him live in any town in your area. Deuteronomy 23:15-16: "Thou shalt not
deliver unto his master the servant which is escaped from his master unto
thee: He shall dwell with thee, even among you, in that place which he
shall choose in one of thy gates, where it liketh him best: thou shalt not
oppress him."
Circumcision of Slaves: A male slave would be required to undergo
circumcision. This would be a very painful operation for an adult. It was
life-threatening in the days before modern medical techniques. A small
percentage of slaves would die from infection caused by the operation.
Genesis 17:13: "He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with
thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your
flesh for an everlasting covenant."
Genesis 17:27: "And all the men of his house, born in the house,
and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him."
Priests as Slave Owners: God ordered Moses to wage war against the
Midianites, because the latter had attempted to convert the Israelites to
their religion. They Israelite soldiers killed every male Midianite, but
initially spared the lives of the women and children. Moses was angry at
this act of mercy, and in an act of near genocide, ordered that all of the
women and children be murdered in cold blood, allowing only 32,000 female
virgins to live. All of the booty, including the surviving girls and virgin
women, was then divided into two equal portions: one for the soldiers and
the rest for the people of Israel. 0.1% of the slaves from the first half
and 2% of the slaves from the second half were considered the Lord's share.
i.e. they were to be given to the priests. The priests ended up with 365
female virgins; one for each day of the year. Numbers 31:28-47: "And levy
a tribute unto the LORD of the men of war which went out to battle: one
soul of five hundred, both of the persons, and of the beeves, and of the
asses, and of the sheep: Take it of their half, and give it unto Eleazar
the priest, for an heave offering of the LORD.And of the children of
Israel's half, thou shalt take one portion of fifty, of the persons, of the
beeves, of the asses, and of the flocks, of all manner of beasts, and give
them unto the Levites, which keep the charge of the tabernacle of the
LORD."
Slaves Owning Slaves: Saul's slave Ziba owned 20 slaves of his own: 2
Samuel 9:10: "...Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants."
Raping Slaves: Being property, female slaves could be required to
engage in sexual intercourse and become pregnant against their will. The
perpetrator could be their owner, or anyone that their owner designates:
Genesis 16:1-2: "Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had
an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said unto Abram,
Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in
unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram
hearkened to the voice of Sarai."
Genesis 30:3-4: "And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto
her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by
her. And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto
her."
Genesis 30:9-10: "When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she
took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife. And Zilpah Leah's maid
bare Jacob a son."
Slaves Given the weekly Sabbath off: Slaves were not required to work
on Saturday. Exodus 20:10: "But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD
thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy
daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy
stranger that is within thy gates:"
Passages from the Christian Scriptures which Sanction Slavery
You would think that Jesus and the New Testament would have a different
view of slavery, but slavery is still approved of in the New Testament, as
the following passages show.
Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them
sincerely as you would serve Christ. (Ephesians 6:5 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. (1 Timothy
6:1-2 NLT)
In the following parable, Jesus clearly approves of beating slaves even if
they didn't know they were doing anything wrong.
The servant will be severely punished, for though he knew his duty, he
refused to do it. "But people who are not aware that they are doing wrong
will be punished only lightly. Much is required from those to whom much is
given, and much more is required from those to whom much more is given."
(Luke 12:47-48 NLT)
Neither Jesus nor St. Paul, nor any other Biblical figure is recorded as
saying anything in opposition to the institution of slavery. Slavery was
very much a part of life in Palestine and in the rest of the Roman Empire
during New Testament times. Quoting Rabbi M.J. Raphall, circa 1861,
"Receiving slavery as one of the conditions of society, the New Testament
nowhere interferes with or contradicts the slave code of Moses; it even
preserves a letter [to Philemon] written by one of the most eminent
Christian teachers [St. Paul] to a slave owner on sending back to him his
runaway slave." 1
People in debt (and their children) were still being sold into slavery in
New Testament times:
Matthew 18:25: "But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded
him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and
payment to be made."
Priests still owned slaves:
Mark 14:66: "And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one
of the maids of the high priest:"
Jesus is recorded as mentioning slaves in one of his parables. It is
important to realize that the term "servant" in the King James Version of
the Bible refers to slaves, not employees like a butler, cook, or maid.
Here, a slave which did not follow his owner's will would be beaten with
many lashes of a whip. A slave who was unaware of his owner's will, but who
did not behave properly, would also be beaten, but with fewer stripes.
This would have been a marvelous opportunity for Jesus to condemn the
institution of slavery and its abuse of slaves. But he is not recorded of
having taken it:
Luke 12:45-48: "The lord [owner] of that servant will come in a day
when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will
cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself,
neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But
he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten
with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much
required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the
more."
One of the favorite passages of slave-owning Christians was St. Paul's
infamous instruction that slaves to obey their owners in the same way that
they obey Christ:
Ephesians 6:5-9: "Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters
according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your
heart, as unto Christ; Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the
servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will
doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatsoever good
thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be
bond or free. And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing
threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there
respect of persons with him."
Other passages instructing slaves and slave owners in proper behavior are:
Colossians 4:1: "Masters, give unto your servants that which is just
and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven."
1 Timothy 6:1-3 "Let as many servants as are under the yoke count
their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and his
doctrine be not blasphemed. And they that have believing masters, let them
not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service,
because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These
things teach and exhort. If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to
wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the
doctrine which is according to godliness;"
In his defense, St. Paul incorrectly expected that Jesus would return in
the very near future. This might have demotivated him from speaking out
against slavery or other social evils in the Roman Empire. Also he regarded
slaves as persons of worth whom at least God considers of importance. St.
Paul mentioned that both slaves and free persons are sons of God, and thus
all part of the body of Christ and spiritually equal.
1 Corinthians 12:13: "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one
body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have
been all made to drink into one Spirit."
Galatians 3:28: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond
nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ
Jesus."
Colossians 3:11: "Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision
nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all,
and in all."
St. Paul apparently saw no evil in the concept of one person owning another
as a piece of property. In his Letter to Philemon, he had every opportunity
to discuss the immorality of slave-owning, but declined to do so.
Deuteronomy 23:15-16, cited above, requires a Jew to protect a runaway
slave, and to not return him/her to their owner.. However, St. Paul
violated the law. While in prison, he met a runaway slave, Onesimus, the
slave of a Christian. He was presumably owned by Pheliemon. Rather than
give the slave sanctuary, he returned him to his owner. Paul seems to hint
that he would like Pheliemon to give Onesimus his freedom, but does not
actually request it. See the Letter to Philemon in the Christian
Scriptures.
______________________________________
A simple message for all you believers who think that a literal
interpretation of the Bible is the way to go. A literal interpretation of
the Bible is wrong, has always been wrong, and always will be wrong. If
you believe in a literalist interpretation (aka, creationism, Dominionism,
Southern Baptists, etc) of the Bible, then you also believe that slavery is
morally justified. And if so, then I might remind you that the Civil War is
over: Your side lost. If you don't believe that slavery is morally
justified, then you should stop with the literalist intepretations of the
Bible. You cannot have it both ways.
Cheers,
George