Its quiet: here's a problem. 

Can we as Christians, in the year 2005 AD own slaves? 

I raise this question because of: 

 Leviticus 25:45 Moreover of the children of the strangers that do
sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy  and they shall be your
possession they shall be your bondmen forever.  

Genesis 9:25 And he [Noah] said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of
servants shall he be unto his brethren.  

Exodus 21:2 & 7 If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall
serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing  And if a
man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the
menservants do.  

Joel 3:8 And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand
of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to
a people far off: for the Lord hath spoken it. 

 Luke 12:47-48 [Jesus speaking] And that servant, which knew his
lords will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his
will, shall be beaten with many stripes.  But he that knew not, and
did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few
stripes.  

Colossians 3:22 Servants, obey in all things your masters.  So
obviously the Biblical God thinks slavery is right, right?  Just look
at these: Isaiah 58:6  Undo the heavy burdens... let the oppressed go
free, ... break every yoke. 

 Matthew 23:10 Neither be ye called Masters: for one is your Master,
even Christ.  (Also see Exodus 22:21 & 21:16) 

It is my understanding, after a careful historical study of the
periods and countries in question, that pro-slavery Bible verses were
cited by many churches in the South during the Civil War, and were
used by some theologians in the Dutch Reformed Church to justify
apartheid in South Africa.  There are more pro-slavery verses than
cited here.

"Edward"  wrote in message
news:66q0d15h5f89noiacdks1qjm55iug0g140@4ax.com...

> Its quiet: here's a problem.
>
> Can we as Christians, in the year 2005 AD own slaves?


SNIPPED a myriad of quotations from the Bible



> It is my understanding, after a careful historical study of the
> periods and countries in question, that pro-slavery Bible verses were
> cited by many churches in the South during the Civil War, and were
> used by some theologians in the Dutch Reformed Church to justify
> apartheid in South Africa.  There are more pro-slavery verses than
> cited here.


I for one am not a Christian so I am therefore excluded from this debate by
the original poster.  However I would make the following point.  The
instances cited from the Bible  simply serve to underline the complete
absurdity of anyone assigning revelatory status to a mythological literature
created by primitive humans as they struggled to find some sort of reason
behind their existence and an explanation for the natural occurences in
their environment.  The views espoused by this bible are now followed only
by those unable to face the fact that humans are not the centre of the
universe and that there is no discernible reason for us being here.

Tamzin

"Edward"  wrote in message
news:66q0d15h5f89noiacdks1qjm55iug0g140@4ax.com...

> Its quiet: here's a problem.
>
> Can we as Christians, in the year 2005 AD own slaves?


SNIPPED a myriad of quotations from the Bible



> It is my understanding, after a careful historical study of the
> periods and countries in question, that pro-slavery Bible verses were
> cited by many churches in the South during the Civil War, and were
> used by some theologians in the Dutch Reformed Church to justify
> apartheid in South Africa.  There are more pro-slavery verses than
> cited here.


I for one am not a Christian so I am therefore excluded from this debate by
the original poster.  However I would make the following point.  The
instances cited from the Bible  simply serve to underline the complete
absurdity of anyone assigning revelatory status to a mythological literature
created by primitive humans as they struggled to find some sort of reason
behind their existence and an explanation for the natural occurences in
their environment.  The views espoused by this bible are now followed only
by those unable to face the fact that humans are not the centre of the
universe and that there is no discernible reason for us being here.

Tamzin

"Tamzin"  wrote in message
news:dauqft$u6j$1@newsg3.svr.pol.co.uk...

> "Edward"  wrote in message
> news:66q0d15h5f89noiacdks1qjm55iug0g140@4ax.com...
> > Its quiet: here's a problem.
> >
> > Can we as Christians, in the year 2005 AD own slaves?
>
> SNIPPED a myriad of quotations from the Bible
>
>
> > It is my understanding, after a careful historical study of the
> > periods and countries in question, that pro-slavery Bible verses were
> > cited by many churches in the South during the Civil War, and were
> > used by some theologians in the Dutch Reformed Church to justify
> > apartheid in South Africa.  There are more pro-slavery verses than
> > cited here.
>
> I for one am not a Christian so I am therefore excluded from this debate
by
> the original poster.  However I would make the following point.  The
> instances cited from the Bible  simply serve to underline the complete
> absurdity of anyone assigning revelatory status to a mythological
literature
> created by primitive humans as they struggled to find some sort of reason
> behind their existence and an explanation for the natural occurences in
> their environment.  The views espoused by this bible are now followed only
> by those unable to face the fact that humans are not the centre of the
> universe and that there is no discernible reason for us being here.
>
> Tamzin


Why are all his posts set up so replies will go to alt.uk.essx as default?

"neutron" <neutron(not real)@a.b.c.co.uk> wrote in message
news:db1468$krq$1@nwrdmz02.dmz.ncs.ea.ibs-infra.bt.com...

>

>
> Why are all his posts set up so replies will go to alt.uk.essx as default?
>


I've no idea.  Perhaps it's a conspiracy......Or perhaps not :o)

Tamzin