Christianity For And Against Slavery

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  Christianity For And Against Slavery


Christianity is a very complex religion, with its followers interpreting the Bible in many different ways. Throughout the Bible, it explains life before and after Jesus Christ, and in simple terms how you should live to receive everlasting life with God. But what happens when there are stories that justify actions that in the present day are not condoned, even something as bad as slavery. Did Christians who lived strictly by the bible take these stories and apply them to their life, or did they shame slavery and disallow practicing those Biblical stories.

During ancient times, Christians who lived strictly with Biblical interpretations tended to look at who main text, one from the beginning of the Old Testament, and the other from the end of the New Testament. In the King James version, in Genesis chapter 9, verses 18-27, The Bible tells a story of Noah getting too drunk and passing out nude in his tent. His second-born son Ham walks in and sees his father lying naked, the other two sons walk in backward to avoid seeing Noah nude and place a blanket over him to cover him. The next day Noah curses Ham's son, Canaan as a slave and all his descendants to come.

  The story is very confusing and unknown as to why exactly Noah was so furious, however, this does prove that Noah, who is basically like a second Adam to the Bible, did curse someone into slavery and was okay with it. However, back then people would alter the story and take Canaan out, make Ham black, and have his descendants Africans. This illusion people would play on this Biblical story was able to work only for the simple fact many were illiterate, and very few were able to interpret the Bible and its stories.

Many also argued that Jesus never condemns slavery, therefore suggesting he was fine with it. Ephesians 6, verses 5-7, states that slaves should obey their masters with respect and fear like they would obey Christ.

On the other side, many Christians were using the Bible as a way to detest slavery. Just as there are passages in the Bible talking about owning slaves, there are many more saying that no man should be held as a slave or do slave-like work. Throughout the Bible states slavery is against God's will, in Galatians 5 verse 1 stating "For freedom, Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." Many Christians at the time used the fact that Jesus Christ typically surrounded himself with "peasants", showing that all are equal and everyone is a human being at the end of the day. Why would Jesus surround himself with those of low status, because in the Bible it states the God loves all things and people, regardless of their social status.


Sources:

Rae, Noel. “How Christian Slaveholders Used the Bible to Justify Slavery.” Time, Time, 23 Feb. 2018, time.com/5171819/christianity-slavery-book-excerpt/.

“Does the Bible Condone Slavery?” Emergence Church - New Jersey, emergencenj.org/blog/2019/01/04/does-the-bible-condone-slavery.

“100 Bible Verses about Anti-Slavery.” What Does the Bible Say About Anti-Slavery?, www.openbible.info/topics/anti-slavery.

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