Marlon, this is one of the most misunderstood issues in the Torah, but I have no time to respond right now because I'm working on the issue.

Aargh!! Why do I read CF-Community when I'm working on my magazine?

Judith
----- Original Message -----

> So, I guess if we're going to live by the bible, I guess we can all start
> having slaves again!
>
> http://www.carm.org/questions/slavery.htm
>
>       Slavery was permitted in the Bible because of sin in the world.  It
> existed before the Jews were formed as a nation and it existed after Israel
> was conquered.  God allows many things to happen in the world such as
> storms, famine, murder, etc.  Slavery, like divorce, is not preferred by
> God.  Instead, it is allowed.  Where many nations treated their slaves very
> badly, the Bible gave many rights and privileges to slaves.  So, even though
> it isn't the best way to deal with people, because God has allowed man
> freedom, slavery then exists.  God instructed the Israelites to treat them
> properly.   
>
>     * The Bible acknowledged the slave's status as the property of the
> master (Ex. 21:23; Lev. 25:46),
>     * The Bible restricted the master's power over the slave. Ex. 21:20).
>     * The slave was a member of the master's household (Lev. 22:11)
>     * The slave was required to rest on the Sabbath (Exodus 20:10; Deut.
> 5:14)
>     * The slave was required and to participate in religious observances
> (Gen. 17:13; Exodus 12:44; Lev. 22:11).
>     * The Bible prohibited extradition of slaves and granted them asylum
> (Deut. 23:16-17).
>     * The servitude of a Hebrew debt-slave was limited to six years (Ex.
> 21:2; Deut. 15:12).
>     * When a slave was freed, he was to receive gifts that enabled him to
> survive economically (Deut. 15:14)
>
>      The reality of slavery cannot be denied.  Slaves were "slave labor
> played a minor economic role in the ancient Near East, for privately owned
> slaves functioned more as domestic servants than as an agricultural or
> industrial labor force."1  
>
>
> But on another note, why should the *bible* have any influence on the
> government regulating marriage?
>
> Marlon
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