OVO

This is an issue I feel I have to address for many reasons. [...] With the issue of Slavery Christians are often put in a corner because they are trying to defend God and at the same time the bible nowhere directly attacks slavery. The bible does not condemn slavery. So Christians try to act like Job’s friends and try to defend God in a rather foolish way by condemning slavery, as if God forgot to do it Himself in the bible. I think this is a very unwise thing for a Christian to do because if slavery was wrong, God would have said so himself. But He doesn’t say its wrong. [...] So many Christians find it hard to deal with this book and they cant understand why Paul never condemns slavery. I understand that there is so much evil in slavery, when masters abuse their slaves. That is wrong. The bible condemns treating others in an evil way. So this is not the issue. But slavery in itself is not wrong. Just as husbands can abuse wives, does it mean marriage is evil? Or parents can abuse their children, does it mean parenting is wrong? Because masters can be evil to their slaves, it doesn’t mean that slavery is wrong. Just as wives are to be submissive to their husbands, likewise slaves are to be submissive to their masters.

[Article continues at link. Jean is, of course, entirely correct. The Bible contains rules for how to treat slaves, and rules for how to act if you are a slave, and a few instances of specific slaves being set free, but nowhere does the Bible condemn slavery. Christianity has never stopped advocating slavery on paper, rather that advocating slavery isn't discussed out loud in polite company these days. But here is one proud Black woman with the courage to speak the truth about her religion. - Trevor Blake]