"Slavery" in the Bible

[POI]

Allow us readers to be very careful. We must make sure we identify the proper context here, to assure against hasty and/or self-serving conclusions.

Exodus 21:2-3:

"2 “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. 3 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." <-- Okay, this seems clear enough, if you are a purchased Hebrew, with a wife, you are both to go free in year 7.

Exodus 21:4:

"4 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." <-- Here is where things start to look sketchy for the modern-day believer. If the slave is provided with a wife, and they have kids, the wife and kids are to stay with the slave master. They are not to go free.

Exodus 21:5-6:

"5 “But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,’ 6 then his master must take him before the judges.[a] He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life." <-- More uncomfortability for the Christian here. Without getting into the weeds, common sense suggests a special rule is made to trick the male Hebrew into remaining a slave for life.

Leviticus 25:44-46:

"44 “‘Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. 45 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. 46 You can bequeath them to your children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life, but you must not rule over your fellow Israelites ruthlessly." <-- More awkwardness for the believer, as the Bible reader clammers to find a rationale to make this passage not read the way it does.

Here is a basic definition of chattel slavery --> "Chattel slavery is full slavery in its traditional form whereby slaves are the complete property of their master, can be bought and sold by him and treated in any way that he wishes, which may include torture and other brutality, excessively bad working conditions, and sexual exploitation"

Looks like all the ingredients fit the given Bible description here, minus the torture. Wait a minute, this is covered in the rest of Exodus 21. (i.e.):

"20 “Anyone 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." <-- So basically, since the slave is your property, beatings with impunity are acceptable. Just don't kill them.

For debate:

By applying common sense, does/did the Bible ever, and/or currently still sanction chattel slavery?

Again, by using common sense, can a believer effectively use the Bible in support of breeding chattel slaves?

************************

Before you answer, consider this.... Since the NT does not mention the abolition of 'slavery', and yet the Bible makes further proclamation(s) and/or addendums (in favor of retaining 'slavery',) this means the Bible is not against chattel slavery either. Further, the Christian may want to introduce the importance of the 'golden rule'. However, the specifics outweigh the generals. The specifics of the rules for engagement of slavery are outside the 'golden rule'. Otherwise, the Bible would be a one-pager. 'Slavery' is an expressed exception to the general rule. Thus, anytime a specific scenario is not invoked, yes, 'golden rule.'

[JehovahsWitness]

I can't figure out if you are being facetious, as voluntary slavery for life is an oxymoron. What? If the slave decide he doesn't was to be a slave anymore the master can be like, 'Sorry, you volunteered for life.'

Under the HEBREW system the master could not keep a slave against his will. That was God's law. So.. . if a slave ran away he ran away; there was no provision to hunt him down, bind, imprisoned or beat him under the Mosaic law.

All abusive oppressive and inhumaine treatment of slaves is manmade in origin.

[POI]

No its not! I myself am more than happy to be a slave of Gid and would wish it no other way.

You are clearly obverting what your interlocutor is saying. The topic encompasses chattel slavery and slave breeding. And by chattel slavery, I mean as it is defined in the OP.

[terrydactyl]

I can't figure out if you are being facetious, as voluntary slavery for life is an oxymoron. What? If the slave decide he doesn't was to be a slave anymore the master can be like, 'Sorry, you volunteered for life.'

I suggest, if you have some down-time, to grab some popcorn, and sift through all of the Christian responses, up to this point. You will read through quite a bit of mental gymnastics.

Yes, as the post above shows

[terrydactyl]

It is safe to say no one would want to be a slave for life.

No its not! I myself am more than happy to be a slave of God and would wish it no other way.

First, this comment is disingenuous. You know full well the discussion is about one human owning another.

This illustrates that the owner and the terms and conditions are what influence whether one wants to be a slave or not. Indeed there was a clause in the Hebrew system that allowed for those that voluntarilynchose slavedom over freedom.

That having been said, the need for Slavey to another human is a lamentable thing but lamentable conditions ultimately lie at the feet of humans who have and continue to ignore Gods standards.

JW

Slavery to another human is a lamentable, yet this deity endorses it. So by definition, it is 'Gods standard.'

And as has been pointed out to you by others, you are conflating the indentured servitude of Hebrews with the forced slavery in Leviticus.

"Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves."

[The Nice Centurion]

No its not! I myself am more than happy to be a slave of Gid and would wish it no other way.

You are clearly obverting what your interlocutor is saying. The topic encompasses chattel slavery and slave breeding. And by chattel slavery, I mean as it is defined in the OP.

But, following the meaning of what our gal JW says and what we know about her sect, Jehovahs Witnesses indeed do produce Chattel Slavery by using child indoctrination.

But it may be rather chattel slavery for their Governing Body than their god.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governi ... _Witnesses

[1213]

I can't figure out if you are being facetious, as voluntary slavery for life is an oxymoron. What? If the slave decide he doesn't was to be a slave anymore the master can be like, 'Sorry, you volunteered for life.'

Apparently some had an idea that person can want to be a slave for life.

And if the slave truly says, I love my master, my wife and my children; I do not desire to go out free, his master shall bring him to God, and one shall bring him to the door, or to the doorpost; and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl, and he shall serve him forever.
Ex. 21:5-6

I don't know how common that was. However, i understand Bible so that the owner should release his slave even in the case if the slave would have voluntarily agreed to be slave for life, if the slave changes his mind.

[TRANSPONDER]

I can't figure out if you are being facetious, as voluntary slavery for life is an oxymoron. What? If the slave decide he doesn't was to be a slave anymore the master can be like, 'Sorry, you volunteered for life.'

Under the HEBREW system the master could not keep a slave against his will. That was God's law. So.. . if a slave ran away he ran away; there was no provision to hunt him down, bind, imprisoned or beat him under the Mosaic law.

All abusive oppressive and inhumaine treatment of slaves is manmade in origin.

Yes hey could .Absolutely. Leviticus 25.44 ‘Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. 45 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. 46 You can bequeath them to your children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life, but you must not rule over your fellow Israelites ruthlessly

This us absolutely the same lifetime chattel slavery as it was elsewhere later on.

You may fool yourself, but you can't fool me.

Deuteronomy 23.15 “You shall not give up to his master a slave who has escaped from his master to you. 16 He shall dwell with you, in your midst, in the place that he shall choose within one of your towns, wherever it suits him. You shall not wrong him".

The Southern states of course expected the law to have a escaped slave returned to them, but the Bible didn't so there is that. But the fact remains that ownership of foreign slaves was chattel slaver. And it gives the game away. What slave would need to escape if it was a benign and limited system? The stuff about treating your foreign residents kindly is misdirection. They were not slaves. You may fool yourself, but you can't fool me.

[POI]

I can't figure out if you are being facetious, as voluntary slavery for life is an oxymoron. What? If the slave decide he doesn't was to be a slave anymore the master can be like, 'Sorry, you volunteered for life.'

Apparently some had an idea that person can want to be a slave for life.

And if the slave truly says, I love my master, my wife and my children; I do not desire to go out free, his master shall bring him to God, and one shall bring him to the door, or to the doorpost; and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl, and he shall serve him forever.
Ex. 21:5-6

I don't know how common that was. However, i understand Bible so that the owner should release his slave even in the case if the slave would have voluntarily agreed to be slave for life, if the slave changes his mind.

I explained this in another thread. Not all know the whole of the Bible, or, read fully many/most/all contracts prior to signing on the dotted line. This would include a lease agreement, financing terms, rent terms, or any other legal document. Heck, we also know that in politics, politicians admit they do not read the entire document prior to signing. Now just imagine if an illiterate ancient simply wants to pay off their debt. I'm sure there exists individuals, (slave masters for profit), who would be more than happy to take them on... Get them to sign, later give them 'companionship', and wait until she gets pregnant. Guess what, the one in debt has now been legally bamboozled. They did not read the fine print. After year six, the slave master states, 'okay, you are now free to go but the companion I gave you, and your offspring are to stay with me." What person would abandon their family? They wouldn't. It's obvious a trixter wrote these pages to swindle cheap/free labor for life. At the very worst, the one who clears their debt simply abandons their given family, but the master at least still keeps the kid(s) as free lifetime labor.

[JehovahsWitness]

Slavery to another human is a lamentable, yet this deity endorses it. ...

God endorses a method of controling a lamentable situation that He himself did not cause.

Is a Doctor who prescribes treatment for a sexually transmitted disease endorsing disease?

If mankind treated others with kindness and respected his laws and standard, the lamentable conditions that give rise to slavery would there would not exist. As it is it does, so God kindly provided a system for the ancient Israelites that was both positive and beneficial.

... you are conflating the indentured servitude of Hebrews with the forced slavery in Leviticus.

On the contrary, I am pointing out to those that make sweeping statements in the absolute ("nobody would choose to be a slave") do well to modify and qualify their statements or be called out on them.

.

"Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves."

Again, a lamentable situation (not caused but tolerated and regulated) by the God of the bible. That foreigners chose to sell their own brothers and sisters to non natives (something outlawed under the Hebrew system) was not God's doing. But since they did, foreign slaves were arguably much better off in Israel, where physical and sexual abuse, kidnapping and bodily mutilation and human sacrifice, were prohibited and where they came under the Hebrew judiciary sysem. There was also the added benefit of their being able to learn about and even worship the True God.

[TRANSPONDER]

Slavery to another human is a lamentable, yet this deity endorses it. ...

God endorses a method of controling a lamentable situation that He himself did not cause.

Is a Doctor who prescribes treatment for a sexually transmitted disease endorsing disease?

If mankind treated others with kindness and respected his laws and standard, the lamentable conditions that give rise to slavery would there would not exist. As it is it does, so God kindly provided a system for the ancient Israelites that was both positive and beneficial.

... you are conflating the indentured servitude of Hebrews with the forced slavery in Leviticus.

On the contrary, I am pointing out to those that make sweeping statements in the absolute ("nobody would choose to be a slave") do well to modify and qualify their statements or be called out on them.

.

"Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves."

Again, a lamentable situation (not caused but tolerated and regulated) by the God of the bible. That foreigners chose to sell their own brothers (aand sisters) to non natives (somethjng outlawed under the Hebrew system) was not God's doing. But since they did, foreign slaves were arguably much better off in Israel, where physical and sexual abuse, kidnapping and bodily mutilation and human sacrifice, were prohibited and where they came under the Hebrew judiciary sysem. There was also the added benefit of their being able to learn about and even worship the True God.

Terrible excuses. I know of three points

(1) Foreign slaves (in Jewish eyes) are chattel slaves for life. No rights mentioned.

If the slave runs away he is not to be returned.

Israelite slaves (indentured servitude) had to be let go with a grubstake after 7 years. But his wife and children areleft behind. Slaves for life. If the husband elects to stay, he is a slave for life, too.

Lamentable situation or not, God could have put it right for Jews and Christians alike.

"Thou shalt not own another human being as property." Instead he (supposedly) gave instructions not to treat Israelite slaves like Foreign ones.

If you that is no Biblical condoning of slavery, then I am very glad not to be a Bible believer.