Posted on 06/25/2020 8:02:41 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
No.
Sinners are Slaves until they become washed in the Blood of Jesus Christ, by accepting the Sacrifice made on the Cross.
RE: Sinners are Slaves until they become washed in the Blood of Jesus Christ, by accepting the Sacrifice made on the Cross.
This article is not talking about slavery to our sinful nature. It’s talking about human beings enslaving other human beings. Let’s stick to that particular definition of slavery.
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage”.
Just the first part, “I am the Lord your God”, would have been sufficient. But he adds the second part — “out of the house of bondage”.
The author states that some parts of the bible are allegory. This is dangerous. You can believe in the bible, or accept it as allegory. To mix it is to think that you can translate it better than anyone else.
It’s ok to not live biblically. It’s ok to alter your views from those that came before you.
Were the jews slaves in Egypt?
Did God tell them to stay as slaves?
Slavery was (and still IS) an economic condition imposed upon a group of people by another. Back then by class, today by communist and socialist governments. One man’s freedom fighter is another man’s terrorist and all that.
Communism’s ultimate goal is to make everyone a slave.
That’s why capitalism is a GOOD thing.
RE: The author states that some parts of the bible are allegory.
But what the author’s saying is true.
Jesus’ parables are allegories ( the Sower and the Seed, The Prodigal Son, the Good Samaritan, etc. ).
Figure of Speech and Metaphors are used freely in the Bible.
Jesus calls Himself, The Door, The Good Shepherd, The Vine, He calls His disciples the Branches, etc.
Probably a LOT of people of all colors are slaves to their passions, to their addictions, to their jobs. Slavery exists in MANY forms, to enslave someone for pigment tones is horrible, but some people who have refused to pay their bills, getting up and go to work, be responsible to clean up their own messs..... probably need to go be slaves and have a whip taken to their back. If you PROMISE to pay, and can’t fulfill your obligations, you probably will be indebted, enslaved to the person from which you went to mortgage your future.
Exactly right. It’s a silly conundrum.
Just because there is sin in the Bible that doesn’t mean that the Bible condones sin.
Sinners (i.e., all of us) have the sin virus. It follows that sin is everywhere. Slavery is a sin in itself; but it is a by-product of inherent sin.
Does the Bible condone leprosy? No. But does the Bible condemn it? Again, no. It is a part of the human condition and the Bible gives a work-around for it. Same with slavery.
May I ask you this -— Did the Patriarch Abraham own slaves?
Was Hagar his slave?
If not, how could Sarah tell her to have sexual relations with Abraham to sire Ishmael?
RE: Does the Bible condone leprosy? No. But does the Bible condemn it? Again, no
I would not go that far in making this parallel.
Someone being stricken by leprosy is a tragic condition which he did not freely choose ( just an innocent person coming down with the flu or Covid-19 or cancer did not freely choose to have it ).
But one can FREELY choose NOT to enslave another person, or even buy a slave, or if one inherits such a slave, one can FREELY choose to set him free.
The two are simply not comparable.
So I think looking at the Bible for commentary on slavery is like comparing apples to oranges because the Jews simply did not practice slavery as we think of it today.
Define Slave. Once you start to do that, you realize everyone is a Slave too something.
Some will say yes. The Bible does condone slavery.
And point to the book of Philemon as evidence.
Just saying.
RE: Define Slave
For the purpose of this discussion, let’s stick to this NARROWER definition:
“One who is owned as the property of someone else, especially in involuntary servitude or as a chattel to another person.”
RE: Back in those days under the law someone could take another person as a “slave” for an unpaid debt, but it wasn’t slavery as we think of it today as they could only be kept in servitude until the debt was paid or 7 years whichever came first.
Let’s take the case of Hagar the servant of Abraham and Sarah for instance... she was told to have sexual relations with Abraham to sire a child ( Ishmael ) by Sarah. Did she have a choice in the matter? What if she said no?
Could someone who was in servitude for say, 7 years be forced to do what Hagar was told to do?
Depends on the laws at the time.
Recall that, even OUTSIDE of slavery, at that point in time women were property of their husbands.
Jesus’ mission on earth was focused on dying on the Cross. He also did not condemn abortion, homosexuality, robbing banks or a number of other things we know God does not approve but were not His purpose in appearing in the flesh.
In those days, many people went into and out of slavery. It was a means of repaying debts. It did not have the stigma we assign to it today where slavery is considered perpetual.
Imagine if everyone today with credit card debt were forced into slavery until their debts were forgiven. You’d be a virtual slave to Citibank or Bank of America or Capital One or whomever.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.