re: #131 DaddyG

Putting those who kidnap into slavery to death didn’t seem merely regulatory to me?!

Don’t forget the context of the Bible as a text for an ancient nomadic and agrarian society that already practiced indentured servitude and slavery.

Others have already explained the difference between the Bible’s definition and more modern race based slavery.

If you are going to argue someone’s beliefs at least represent them correctly. I have yet to meet in real life one Christian who defends race based slavery using the Bible and even on the web those kooks are few and far between. Using slavery to condemn the Bible is approaching argument from extremes or even a straw man.

The fact is that in the 19th century, religious leaders did argue that the bible supported slavery. Many people believed it to be so. The fact that not too many people today believe that slavery is moral is precisely why I think the folks who want to govern from the bible should be asked about this.

Even is someone is willing to sell himself into slavery today, we do not allow it, so whether it is indentured servitude, which the two quotes I gave earlier clearly show could be permanent, or outright slavery, I don’t think this is a viable position for conservatives to hold.