"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.'

[POI]

Unless it goes against the "love your neighbor as yourself", which you try to ignore as hard as you can.

LOL! I find it ironic you accuse me of ignoring things, when it is quite evident, in the last response alone, that you ignore a vast majority of my points which debunks all your responses. I've also been addressing the 'golden rule' since the original post. Way before you ever brought it up.

Could that explain why we don't nominally have chattel slaves anymore...

The reason we do not have chattel slaves anymore is that human societies have surpassed the 'moral codes' of our ancient ancestors and their claimed 'holy book'.

and that they are nowadays called tax payers so that they would not feel like they are chattel slaves for life?

I've already addressed your diversion ad nauseum.

[ledgeRAILz]

.

  The catholic   -  translation    Exo 21:20  -  21  

Exo  21:20    He that striketh his bondman, or bondwoman, with a rod, and they die under his hands, shall be guilty of the crime. 
:21  But if the party remain alive a day or two, he shall not be subject to the punishment, because it is his money. 

The protestant -  translation  - K.J.V translates  Exo 21:20  -  21  - as

Exo 21:20  And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished. 
 :21  Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money. 

The Translators indeed make it sound like that the MANUSCRIPTS are actually saying that someone is allowed to beat their slave to death - just so long as it takes longer than a day for the death
But when we look at the Hebrew manuscripts, this is not at all the message - here is exactly word for word the exact message in the manuscript.

Exo 21:20 

      וכי FOR    -    יכה STRIKING     -     אישׁ A MAN     -     את HIMSELF     -     עבדו A SERVANT     -     או OR     -     את HIMSELF     -     אמתו A MAID     -     בשׁבט WITH A ROD     -     ומת AND DIES     -     תחת UNDER     -     ידו HIS HAND     -     נקם AVENGE     -     ינקם׃ THIS VENGANCE
:21 


  אך BUT     -     אם IF     -     יום A DAY     -     או OR     -     יומים TWO DAYS     -     יעמד HE RISE     -     לא NOT - יקם AVENGE / ESTABLISH     -     כי THAT     -     כספו HIS MONEY     -     הוא׃ IS  HIS

In fact - the manuscripts are saying that if a worker is hurt because he is being abused by his boss and become injured for just a brief day or two - and is unable to work, the boss is obligated and Commanded to Pay The Worker The Wages For The Days He Is Unable To Work. 

This is exactly what the manuscripts are saying - word for word…….

Exo 21:20 FOR STRIKING A MAN HIMSELF A SERVANT OR HIMSELF A MAID WITH A ROD AND DIES UNDER HIS HAND AVENGE THIS VENGANCE

:21 BUT IF A DAY OR TWO DAYS HE RISE NOT, AVENGE / ESTABLISH THAT HIS MONEY IS HIS

The previous verses above are saying the exact message - confirming the same exact EXAMPLE referring to two men who are fighting among one another and one of the men becomes injured.
Exo 21:18 And if men strive together, and one smite another with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keepeth his bed:   :19 If he rise again, and walk abroad upon his staff, then shall he that smote him - ………. ……… HE SHALL PAY FOR THE LOSS OF HIS TIME, AND SHALL CAUSE HIM TO BE THOROUGHLY HEALED.

And then the very next :21     -  is referring to A BOSS injuring his worker - AGAIN explaining - IF A DAY OR TWO DAYS HE RISE NOT, AVENGE / ESTABLISH THAT HIS MONEY IS HIS

To establish that the workers money and wages are paid to him - the worker - who was unable to work BECAUSE HIS BOSS INJURED HIM.   

The translation is making it seem to say that SOMEONE is allowed to beat their worker to death - AND IT IS ALL OK - JUST AS LONG AS THE WORKER DIES A SLOW PAINFUL DEATH OVER THE COURSE OF A DURATION OF A FEW DAYS –

if it takes TWO DAYS FOR THE WORKER TO SLOWLY DIE - THEN THE BOSS HAS NO LIABILITY - nor responsibility for killing and murdering his worker.

[Difflugia]

In fact - the manuscripts are saying that if a worker is hurt because he is being abused by his boss and become injured for just a brief day or two - and is unable to work, the boss is obligated and Commanded to Pay The Worker The Wages For The Days He Is Unable To Work.

One major problem with this understanding is that an עָֽבֶד isn't a paid worker, but a slave. Leviticus 25:39-42 spells this out. A "brother" isn't to be treated as a slave, but as a fellow traveller that is paid wages. The word there for slave is עָֽבֶד.

[POI]

[Replying to ledgeRAILz in post #662]


If you re-read my original post, you will see I'm arguing that the Bible condones two things:

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?

Would you agree?

[A Freeman]

People today prefer the term "employee" but that is simply a modern-day word for "slave".

We are ALL living under slavery, and don't seem to realize it, even though we have to work for 40-50 years (or more) to pay for basic needs, e.g. food, shelter and transportation (just to get to and from work).

"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free".
-- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The reason people today are "employees", i.e. SLAVES is very simple: they cannot afford to be otherwise.

Most cannot afford to put a roof over their heads without taking out a mortgage, and spending the next 30 years paying 3x the asking price for a house they are still paying taxes on in perpetuity. Similarly, most cannot afford to pay cash for a car, to transport them back and forth to work, much less everywhere else they may want or need to go in their "free-time".

The banking industry was created to make everyone slaves to debt. And the governments, who also borrow from and work for the banks, make it exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, for people escape the debt slavery they are thrust into at birth. And even after working for 40-50 years, and trying to save money, many retire only to find they cannot make ends meet in a world where the cost of living is almost constantly increasing.

In stark contrast, the Bible addresses poverty through a comprehensive short-term and long-term debt relief program which would END poverty, and the crime associated with poverty, IF it was followed.

That way, even if someone had to sell their ancestral lands (which is the real wealth that has been stolen from the people), and forced to go to work for someone else, they not only should be back on their feet and have enough to "retire" on within 7 years, but should also have their ancestral lands returned to them during the 50-year Jubilee.

Deuteronomy 15:1-15
15:1 At the end of [every] seven years thou shalt make a release.
15:2 And this [is] the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth [ought] unto his neighbour shall release [it]; he shall not exact [it] of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the "I AM"'s release.
15:3 Of a Gentile (someone who is not an Israelite) thou mayest exact [it again]: but [that] which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release;
15:4 TO THE END THAT THERE BE NO POOR AMONG YOU; for the "I AM" shall greatly bless thee in the land which the "I AM" thy God giveth thee [for] an inheritance to possess it:
15:5 Only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the "I AM" thy God, to observe to do all these Commandments which I command thee this day.
15:6 For the "I AM" thy God blesseth thee, as He promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee [if ye keep The Covenant].
15:7 If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the "I AM" thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:
15:8 But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, [in that] which he wanteth.
15:9 Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the "I AM" against thee, and it be sin unto thee.
15:10 Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the "I AM" thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto.
15:11 For [otherwise] the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.
15:12 [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.
15:13 And when thou sendest him out FREE from thee, thou shalt NOT let him go away empty:
15:14 Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress: [of that] wherewith the "I AM" thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him.
15:15 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a slave in the land of Egypt, and the "I AM" thy God redeemed (released) thee: therefore I command thee this thing to day.

Leviticus 25:10-18
25:10 And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and PROCLAIM LIBERTY THROUGHOUT [ALL] THE LAND AND UNTO ALL THE INHABITANTS THEREOF: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.
25:11 A jubile shall that fiftieth year be unto you: ye shall not sow, neither reap that which groweth of itself in it, nor gather [the grapes] in it of thy vine undressed.
25:12 For it [is] The Jubile; it shall be holy unto you: ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field.
25:13 In the year of this jubile ye shall return every man unto his possession.
25:14 And if thou sell ought unto thy neighbour, or buyest [ought] of thy neighbour's hand, ye shall not oppress one another:
25:15 According to the number of years after The Jubile thou shalt buy of thy neighbour, [and] according unto the number of years of the fruits he shall sell unto thee:
25:16 According to the multitude of years thou shalt increase the price thereof, and according to the fewness of years thou shalt diminish the price of it: for [according] to the number [of the years] of the fruits doth he sell unto thee.
25:17 Ye shall NOT therefore oppress one another; but thou shalt fear thy God: for I [am] the "I AM" your God.
25:18 Wherefore ye shall do My Statutes, and keep My Judgments, and do them; and ye shall dwell in the land in safety.

Are there any careers these days where people only need to work for six years after which they are provided with everything they need to survive and thrive for the rest of their lives? Are there any jobs where you are given back any land you or your parents had to sell to make ends meet?

The reason we are all living in slavery is because we haven't kept The Law our Creator gave us to protect us from all of this evil and oppression, and to set and keep us FREE.

[POI]

In stark contrast, the Bible addresses poverty through a comprehensive short-term and long-term debt relief program which would END poverty, and the crime associated with poverty, IF it was followed.

That way, even if someone had to sell their ancestral lands (which is the real wealth that has been stolen from the people), and forced to go to work for someone else, they not only should be back on their feet and have enough to "retire" on within 7 years, but should also have their ancestral lands returned to them during the 50-year Jubilee.

Ah, I see you opted to go with option d) from post 626. There is a large difference between 1) volitional 'servants' (verses) a 2) 'chattel slave(s)'. The Bible condones both 1) and 2). The original post explains further. Sure, some lucky folks, who are deemed lifetime property, may be released during the 50-year jubilee. But remember, life as a slave is hard and short. Many won't make it.

None of what you speak about above addressed this topic. Below, again, are the two debate questions:

For debate:

By applying common sense, does/did the Bible ever, and/or currently still sanction chattel slavery? The answer is yes.

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

You see "Freeman", not only does the Bible instruct how one can go about removing debt, as a volunteer servant, but, the Bible ALSO instructs how a slave master can take chattel slaves as property for life, and, also breed chattel slaves as property for life.

Deuteronomy 15 speaks about how someone in debt can remove their debt. This is not what I'm talking about, at all. Again, if you read the OP, you will see what I'm actually talking about.

Further, Leviticus 25 speaks about differing situations as well. The bottom line is, there is a big difference between 'servants', (who wish to pay off debt), verses, deemed lifetime chattel slaves, which are passed down as human property. The Bible welcomes both 1) 'servants' and 2) 'chattel slaves'.

The reason we are all living in slavery is because we haven't kept The Law our Creator gave us to protect us from all of this evil and oppression, and to set and keep us FREE.

The 'law' states a slave master can also keep some humans as property for life.

[A Freeman]

When someone sees everything upside down and backwards, through human eyes instead of spiritual eyes, they mistakenly believe that freedom is allegedly slavery, war is allegedly peace and that good is allegedly evil, etc., as evidenced from their Orwellian newspeak.

Isaiah 5:20-21
5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for Light, and Light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
5:21 Woe unto [them that are] wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

The Law promises that anyone who follows it will be rewarded with God's Blessings in abundance (Deuteronomy 28:1-14), and that those who refuse will suffer the consequences of their actions in successive punishments (Deuteronomy 28:15-68).

This manifests itself on both individual and national levels, and includes first and foremost spiritual blessings (inner peace, joy, wisdom, understanding and compassion for others, etc.), followed by physical blessings (health, wealth from natural sources and the assurance that every need will be met).

Today, because we've chosen to disregard and disobey The Law, and mistakenly believe it's supposedly oppressive (when the exact opposite is true), we're all suffering under the injustice and oppression that are part of the punitive measures meant to correct our errant behaviour.

Hence the reason greed is held in high esteem in this world, where material wealth is obtained through theft and fraud, which has impoverished and enslaved the entire world. It couldn't be any more obvious that we are on the wrong path, and even when we watch the filthy rich suffer in their attemots to extend their pathetic lives with medical procedures and pharmaceutical drugs that poison them further, most still don't get it.

James 5:1-8
5:1 Go to now, [ye] rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon [you].
5:2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
5:3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness AGAINST you, and shall eat your flesh (cancer etc.) as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the Last Days.
5:4 Behold, the hire (pay) of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped [and not been justly paid] are entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth/Hosts.
5:5 Ye [rich] have lived in pleasure on the Earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.
5:6 Ye [rich] have condemned [and] murdered the just; [and] he [the poor labourer] doth not resist you.
5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
5:8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

True freedom and true justice can only be found by returning to God's Law. We have exhausted every avenue of trying things our own way, and all it has ever brought us is corporate fictional debt slavery, oppression and injustice.

For those who wish to ignore the fact that the term "employee" is just a modern day word for "slave", and don't believe that someone else using up their life energy for decades and decades, until they have no more to give and are thrown away, their scorn for truth and light is merely a reflection of their personal preferences.

John 3:19-21
3:19 And this is the condemnation, that Light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than Light, because their deeds were evil.
3:20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the Light, neither cometh to the Light, lest his deeds should be revealed.
3:21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the Light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

[POI]

When someone sees everything upside down and backwards, through human eyes instead of spiritual eyes, they mistakenly believe that freedom is allegedly slavery, war is allegedly peace and that good is allegedly evil,

No, "A Freeman". I explained what Deuteronomy 15 is addressing, and you simply moved on. I also explained the intricacies of Deuteronomy 25 as well, and you simply moved on again. You are the one who is mistaken. The book you believe in specifically tells the readers that slave masters may own humans, as property, for life. Furthermore, the Bible also tells readers that slave masters may also keep slave offspring. This is made clear in the original post. You conveniently skipped those texts, to cherry pick other irrelevant and/or contradictory texts. The Bible is clear. Slave masters may keep slaves, as human property, for life, as well as breed them to have new slaves.

The Law promises that anyone who follows it will be rewarded with God's Blessings in abundance (Deuteronomy 28:1-14), and that those who refuse will suffer the consequences of their actions in successive punishments (Deuteronomy 28:15-68).

Today, because we've chosen to disregard and disobey The Law, and mistakenly believe it's supposedly oppressive (when the exact opposite is true), we're all suffering under the injustice and oppression that are part of the punitive measures meant to correct our errant behaviour.

Hence the reason greed is held in high esteem in this world, where material wealth is obtained through theft and fraud, which has impoverished and enslaved the entire world. It couldn't be any more obvious that we are on the wrong path, and even when we watch the filthy rich suffer in their attemots to extend their pathetic lives with medical procedures and pharmaceutical drugs that poison them further, most still don't get it.

True freedom and true justice can only be found by returning to God's Law. We have exhausted every avenue of trying things our own way, and all it has ever brought us is corporate fictional debt slavery, oppression and injustice.

Right. And under "Biblical law", slave masters may keep humans, as slave property, for life, and also breed them as well. See the original post Bible verses, for which you continue to skip. Maybe since most humans reject such allowances, and have decided to do things their own way, is why things have now gone astray? Maybe it displeases God that such given allowances are now revoked or denounced by most humans. Maybe the Bible God has now cursed humanity? Maybe sanctioned chattel slavery, for some, is the way it is supposed to be?

For those who wish to ignore the fact that the term "employee" is just a modern day word for "slave", and don't believe that someone else using up their life energy for decades and decades, until they have no more to give and are thrown away, their scorn for truth and light is merely a reflection of their personal preferences.

You are clearly using more word play here, and nothing more. The verses in the original post are quite clear, and are not interchanging the term "employee" with the term "slave". The term 'slave', in the context for which is being given, instead refers to chattel slavery. I explained in the OP.

[A Freeman]

When someone sees everything upside down and backwards, through human eyes instead of spiritual eyes, they mistakenly believe that freedom is allegedly slavery, war is allegedly peace and that good is allegedly evil,

No, "A Freeman". I explained what Deuteronomy 15 is addressing, and you simply moved on. I also explained the intricacies of Deuteronomy 25 as well, and you simply moved on again. You are the one who is mistaken. The book you believe in specifically tells the readers that slave masters may own humans, as property, for life. Furthermore, the Bible also tells readers that slave masters may also keep slave offspring. This is made clear in the original post. You conveniently skipped those texts, to cherry pick other irrelevant and/or contradictory texts. The Bible is clear. Slave masters may keep slaves, as human property, for life, as well as breed them to have new slaves.

The Law promises that anyone who follows it will be rewarded with God's Blessings in abundance (Deuteronomy 28:1-14), and that those who refuse will suffer the consequences of their actions in successive punishments (Deuteronomy 28:15-68).

Today, because we've chosen to disregard and disobey The Law, and mistakenly believe it's supposedly oppressive (when the exact opposite is true), we're all suffering under the injustice and oppression that are part of the punitive measures meant to correct our errant behaviour.

Hence the reason greed is held in high esteem in this world, where material wealth is obtained through theft and fraud, which has impoverished and enslaved the entire world. It couldn't be any more obvious that we are on the wrong path, and even when we watch the filthy rich suffer in their attemots to extend their pathetic lives with medical procedures and pharmaceutical drugs that poison them further, most still don't get it.

True freedom and true justice can only be found by returning to God's Law. We have exhausted every avenue of trying things our own way, and all it has ever brought us is corporate fictional debt slavery, oppression and injustice.

Right. And under "Biblical law", slave masters may keep humans, as slave property, for life, and also breed them as well. See the original post Bible verses, for which you continue to skip. Maybe since most humans reject such allowances, and have decided to do things their own way, is why things have now gone astray? Maybe it displeases God that such given allowances are now revoked or denounced by most humans. Maybe the Bible God has now cursed humanity? Maybe sanctioned chattel slavery, for some, is the way it is supposed to be?

For those who wish to ignore the fact that the term "employee" is just a modern day word for "slave", and don't believe that someone else using up their life energy for decades and decades, until they have no more to give and are thrown away, their scorn for truth and light is merely a reflection of their personal preferences.

You are clearly using more word play here, and nothing more. The verses in the original post are quite clear, and are not interchanging the term "employee" with the term "slave". The term 'slave', in the context for which is being given, instead refers to chattel slavery. I explained in the OP.

One cannot explain that which they clearly do not understand.

[Difflugia]

When someone sees everything upside down and backwards, through human eyes instead of spiritual eyes, they mistakenly believe that freedom is allegedly slavery, war is allegedly peace and that good is allegedly evil, etc., as evidenced from their Orwellian newspeak.

QFT

For those who wish to ignore the fact that the term "employee" is just a modern day word for "slave", and don't believe that someone else using up their life energy for decades and decades, until they have no more to give and are thrown away, their scorn for truth and light is merely a reflection of their personal preferences.

Regardless of your personal philosophy, this claim isn't biblical.

The distinction between a slave and employee is made absolutely explicit in Exodus 12:43-49 as part of the command about who may eat the Passover. A "slave that was bought with money" may eat of it, but an employee may not. The word for slave is עֶ֥בֶד, ebed, and the word for employee is שָׂכִ֖יר, sakir. The person that Exodus 21:20 says that one is allowed to beat nearly to death is עַבְדֹּ֜ו, which means "his slave;" it's עבד with a suffix that means "his."