[exmarine]

Oh, have you decided to talk to me again? I thought donh was the only one left who bothered with me? When you can't win the arguments, attack the man, right?

People like you are not interested in the truth behind scripture, you are interested only in teraring it down because you are threatened by it. But better men than you have tried – way better – and all have failed. The bible stands the test of time. Here is some background for you on the Exodus passages from commentary on it:

"The first words of God from Sinai had declared that He was Jehovah Who brought them out of slavery. And in this remarkable code, the first person whose rights are dealt with is the slave." (Chadwick)

b. There were four basic ways a Hebrew might become a slave to another Hebrew: in extreme poverty, they might sell their liberty (Leviticus 25:39); a father might sell his children into servitude (Exodus 21:7); in the case of bankruptcy, a man might become servant to his creditors (2 Kings 4:1); if a thief had nothing with which to pay proper restitution (Exodus 22:3-4)

c. In such cases, the servitude was never obligated to be life-long; the Hebrew servant would work for six years and then be set free. At the end of the six years, he only goes out with what he came in with - if the master had provided a wife (and therefore children), the wife and children had to stay with the master or be redeemed

3. (5-6) The bond-slave: a willing slave for life a. If, after the six years of servitude, a servant wished to make a life-long commitment to his master - in light of the master's goodness and his blessings for the servant - he could, through this ceremony, make a life-long commitment to his master

i. This was a commitment not motivated by debt or obligation, only love for the master

In order for you to understand these passages, you have to understand the jewish culture of the time and God’s relationship with them – which you obviously don’t. The type of “slavery” practiced by the Hebrews was not really slavery at all – it was bond servanthood. Thus, the bible is not condoning slavery, God is making rules for bondservants and masters.

[js1138]

You ignored my question. If you want to say the Bible has it right then respond directly to the words of the Bible, not some intrepreter. The words in the Bible are clear enough for a child to understand. Now forget all your fancy professors and explain why it is OK to beat a slave to the point he is disabled for two days, and why this is described as a loss to the one doing the beating.

Personally I don't care what you think about indentured servant. Talk to me about slavery. And about how non-Hebrew slaves were aquired and treated.

I have made my argument from the words of the Bible itself. Do the same for me or drop the discussion.