[Harmless Teddy Bear]

There were slaves in China. American (North South and Central) Indians had slaves. Romans had slaves. Norse had slaves. Indians (from India) had slaves. And so on.

In fact slavery has been an accepted part of every culture since pretty much time began.

The idea that slavery is wrong on the other hand is actually a Christian idea. It springs from the teaching that all men are brothers and if it is wrong to enslave your brother (normal tribal teaching. It was only outsiders who were enslaved usually) then it is wrong to enslave anyone.

Prior to that philosophy taking hold there was no teaching that slavery was wrong. Nobody wanted to be a slave. But slavery as an institution was not questioned much if at all.

[WinOne4TheGipper]

I reccomend the book of Philemon. It is a Pauline Epistle urging Philemon to accept Onesimus (?), his former slave, now a Christian, as a brother.