[soc.religion.christian] Slavery condoned by God ?

jmoon@lehi3b15.csee.lehigh.edu (Jonggu Moon [890911]) (03/16/90)

Last night, my housemates and I got into a discussion about
slavery.

We knew that slaves were supposed to be obedient to their masters
and master were supposed to treat slaves with loving kindness.

Then the question was brought up: Does God think slavery is good ?

Unlike the other sins, we could not find a verse that specificly
commands us not to subjugate our fellow men.
 
There are plenty of commands to love one another and
treat each other as equals, but slavers can always work their way
around such ambiguous commands.

One in our group suggested that, just like death, slavery is
an unavoidable sin. God realized this and so did not bother
trying to stamping it out directly, since He knew it would just
alienate everyone in that time. Instead, He worked slowly and from
the inside, culminating in today's accepted view that slavery is wrong.
Similarly, God did not originally say that divorce was wrong. Only
until Jesus' arrival did he change His Law to make divorce wrong.

^>*<^jon

tbvanbelle@watcgl.waterloo.edu (Terry Van Belle) (03/19/90)

In article <Mar.16.03.47.23.1990.26573@athos.rutgers.edu> jmoon@lehi3b15.csee.lehigh.edu (Jonggu Moon [890911]) writes:
>Last night, my housemates and I got into a discussion about slavery.
>We knew that slaves were supposed to be obedient to their masters
>and master were supposed to treat slaves with loving kindness.
>Then the question was brought up: Does God think slavery is good ?

I was always under the impression that the reason Paul wanted slaves to
be obedient to their masters is that it is the highest state of
Christian ethics to be subservient to those who oppress you, hence
Jesus' statements about giving your cloak if someone sues you for your
tunic, etc...

Of course, that doesn't explain why Paul didn't ask the masters to free
their slaves, instead of merely being kind to them.  

>^>*<^jon

Terry Van Belle
tbvanbelle@watcgl.Waterloo.edu