Does the Bible Condone Slavery?

In this video I respond to some apologetic rhetoric attempting to deny that the Bible explicitly condones slavery.

[naysneedle]

Thank you for this very calm and rational rejection of the lies so often told about biblical slavery.

[evanpferguson]

Thanks Dan. This completley destroyed the standard apologetic argument on this subject that I'm embarassed to say that I parroted for some time. Really appreciate what you do and the clarity you bring to the religion of Christianty and the texts that we hold sacred. Love the youtube channel and the longer more involved content!!

[Basta]

Slavery as a universally bad thing is a relatively new idea. 200 years ago, the abolitionist in the United States were seen as crazy radicals. Even in places where slavery was abolished, people didn't think it was practical to be abolished everywhere in the world.

[DavidIacono]

Thank you for this video. I want to gain a deeper understanding of slavery in the bible. Both, its fundamental aspects and connections between english translations and oldest referential sources.

[russellmcdonald]

Thank you. How would you recommend to begin convincing fundamental believers of the Bible’s non-univocality as well as how we do and should negotiate with the Bible?

[dvonzosch]

YahwehJesus approved of humans owning other humans: Lev 25:44-46:
" Both your manslaves and womenslaves, which you shall have, shall be of the nations around you, of them you shall _buy_ manslaves and womenslaves "

46), And you [ the Israelites, " God's Chosen People ] shall take them as an inheritance [ as owned human property ] for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession, for your children after you...."


" ...but over your brethren, the children of Israel, you shall not rule over them ruthlessly "

Yes, the other nations which had the same DNA, but we're tribally different, somehow, were able to be owned by Hebrew men.

Yes, YahwehJesus hadn't discovered DNA yet.
--- what part of possession is" open to interpretation ?

".... they shall be your manslaves and womenslaves _forever_ "

--- what part of " forever " is unclear to Evangelicals ?

[minaguta]

Dan is doing a marvelous work and a wonder.

[philly]

Hello Dan. What do you think about the data of the "Minimal Facts" for the resurrection of Jesus presented by Gary Habermas?

[ranilodicen]

if a time machine will ever be invented we should let that guy go back and be a slave in ancient israel

[williamloy]

Dont know why people make excuses. I am a devout Catholic amd accept that there are things that were acceptable then and were still bad then as they are bad now

[bedzy]

One point that I'm curious about. The word condone (according to Merriam-Webster, Cambridge etc... All the dictonaries online I saw) is used specifically towards behaviour that is considered to breach a moral, ethical, and/or legal code. My point being that, to the people of the time it was not a breach of ethical code and moral + legal code came from God (Adopting an ancient Jewish viewpoint). Unless I'm confused on details here, (please let me know if I am) then the Bible does not condone slavery here, more accurately it would approve of slavery. To use the word condone here (even is potentially nit picky) seems incorrect. Look forward to replies and seeing people's thoughts😁

[reveivl]

You're good at this Dan. Thank you.

[chasson]

Condoning and regulating is what Moses said to have done with divorcing one’s wife. Yet many Christians will skirt this issue that Jesus addressed and do it anyway.
When one decides for oneself that this Bible was indeed a construct of men it puts all these hard and fast rules into the round file.
Yes there are truths in the book. However, there are many more inconsistencies.

[jamessylar]

Excellent video!

Another thing with the "God told them to not kidnap people" and their idea that the bible is a single cohesive book is that in Numbers 31, Moses himself commands his people to take all the virgin girls for themselves, after they had killed all of their families and even the animals. I don't know about you, but I don't think that means they took them for tea and cookies.

[WhichDoctor]

The bible is not shy about telling people what they shalt not do. And labelling things as abominations whether they be morally wrong or totally arbitrary. If god wanted people to know that slavery was bad I don’t see why he’d have been so shy about saying it when he was supposedly quite forward about labelling shellfish, a man letting a woman be on top durin sex, murdering the innocent, being a loan shark and looking haughtily at people as abominations. Pretty safe to say in my opinion, if god wanted you to know he didn’t like something you’d hear about it

[Leoji]

Just wondering if you consider the different books on the Book of Mormon speak "univocally?"

[charlestownsend]

The bible is very clear on this, yes it does condone slavery.
Also no where does the bible say don't own people as property (like non israelites or women, who were all slaves)

[notanemoprog]

Yep the Bible does condone slavery. And the Bible treats its "People", the Israelites, differently than it treats others. It's quite silly to try and deny these facts, I mean we have the text and we can read it. Perhaps the reason these facts are denied is that they're somewhat embarrassing to people who want to claim that it's "Divinely inspired" and should serve as both a _universal_ and _timeless_ guide for moral life

[scambammer]

should have given definitions for accept and condone

[dvonzosch]

Leviticus 25:44-46 is very clear about humans owning other humans in perpetuity
--- what part of " being an inheritance for your children after you " is " open to interpretation " "
There were two systems of humans owning other humans in ancient Israel, and most believers aren't told that by their pastors

To be fair, YahwehJesus hadn't discovered DNA yet.