The Bible Allows slavery
After reading an article titled The Bible is clear: God endorses slavery, by the publisher Michael Pahl I found that there are about seven passages in the bible that talk about how God accepts slavery.
Law of Moses
In the New Revised Standard version of the Old Testament, readers notice many quotes from the bible that show that God permits slavery. For example in Exodus 21:2-11 it reads “When you buy a male Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years”, showing that you are allowed to buy a person and use them for labor.
Both the Old and the New Testament both describe how harshly slaves were treated including being beaten, but received little to no consequences for how they treated them.
The Israelites are Oppressed
In Exodus 1:1-22 It talks about how the Egyptians owned Israelite slaves to hold power over them, but later the Israelites left Egypt and had their own laws.
While coming up with rules that are concerning slavery, in Leviticus 25:44-46 God talks about what the Israelites are allowed to do, saying, “As for the male and female slaves whom you may have, it is from the nations around you that you may acquire male and female slaves. You may also acquire them from among the aliens residing with you and from their families who are with you who have been born in your land; they may be your property. You may keep them as a possession for your children after you, for them to inherit as property. These you may treat as slaves, but as for your fellow Israelites, no one shall rule over the other with harshness.”
This demonstrates that Israel was permitted by God to own foreign slaves, and that owning slaves was a sign of God’s blessing.
Religious Argumentation Against Slavery
In the Christian Bible, Exodus 21:16 states that “And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.” This means that, in the views of the bible, whoever takes a person should be put to death, whether the victim is sold or kept by the thief.
This presents a clear outline against the slave trade, by condemning the taking of people and selling them into slavery (as property to somebody else).
Another source regarding abolition and religion going hand in hand is “The Black Hearts Of Men” by John Stauffer. This text examines the lives of 4 radical abolitionists; two black, and two white. Talking about the division of race and how these men overcame racial and social barriers to work toward the end of slavery and racial oppression, Stauffer writes that these men unite “…in order to usher in a kingdom of God on earth.” This describes how these four religious men all believe in their union under Christ, adding to the idea that the bible believes in the equality among men, regardless of skin color or social status.
In the same way as the Christina Bible, the Islamic Quran also has verses about slavery and its religious stigma; Quran 24:33 and Philemon 1:16: “And those who seek a contract [for eventual emancipation] from among whom your right hands possess — then make a contract with them if you know there is within them goodness and give them from the wealth of Allah which He has given you”
This passage outlines the moral obligation to free a slave if they contract to do so, and you find them a (man) of good faith. Though it does not directly oppose slavery it is evidence of the Islamic religion and the morals it promotes being empathetic towards slavery, releasing one's slaves, and also demotes the kidnapping of people for slavery.
Conclusion and reflection:
After looking at the two opposite sides in which religion views slavery, we can clearly see that in the eyes of religion there is no objectively “correct answer” to slavery. Religious texts show empathy to slaves and condemn poor treatment of slaves, but at the same time they never teach followers to not practice slavery. And in ways promote slavery. This does make sense though; because religious texts are meant to be interpreted by the reader and are not written law, we will not be able to find a concise answer for or against slavery.
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