Did Christianity back the ideals of slavery in America?

I am a Christian. Let for the sake of discussion take out the Exodus and Leviticus passages. These laws were given to the Hebrews at Sinai.

These laws were not for Christians and were never intended for Christians. In addition, the Hebrews when they went into the land of Canaan enslaved men, women, and children. God gave the Hebrews laws not only morally but laws as a nation.

These laws included how the Hebrews were to treat slaves. Starting in the New Testament, which for the most part was the start of Christianity, there is not one scripture that would command that Christian must hold or obtain slaves. Again, there is not one commandment for Christians to enslave another man.

Next, let me deal with your verses: In Ephesian 6:5, Christian slaves and servant were encouraged to obey their masters. Christianity purpose was not to necessarily tear down those institutions through direction action but indirection as love. Perhaps you overlook the true wisdom of God in that this scripture is timeless.

For in the workplace today, there are workers and supervisors, similarly to slave/servant to master, Paul wrote that we as Christian must obey those masters. Paul also wrote to the master/slaveholder, "And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him" (Eph. 6:9).

The master/slaveholder has a head that rules and watch of them and it is Jesus Christ. Any mistreatment of the maste/slaveholder is answerable to Jesus Christ. Regarding Col 3:22, remember what I wrote above about masters/slaveholders.

Do not overlook what this passage is truly talking about. This passage is speaking on submission. Go a few verses up and you will see in verse 18 that wives need to submit to their husband, in verse 20 that children should submit to their parents, and in verse 22 that servants should submit to their masters.

Also, if you go further back in chapter 3, you find Paul is talking how Christians are to submit to one another in forbearing one another and forgiveness in verse 13. Titus 2:9-10 is a part of an exhortation that Paul was making to Titus. That is, Titus was teach sound doctrine, husbands to sober, young men to sober, wives to obey their husband, and servants to obey their masters.

There is no endorsement of slavery. 1 Peter 2:18 is dealing with the respect that slaves/servant should have. The word "fear" means "respect" not the fear as in dred.

In other words, a servant/slave should respect their leadership chain especially a Christian servant/slave. 1 Timothy 6:1 teaches a wonderful lesson in that the Christian slave/servant when working for a Christian slaveholder/master should render service that is above and beyond. Read verse 2 of chapter 6.

Those masters are to enbrace their brethren servants/slaves and do them benefit. I ask that you read 1 Timothy 1:9-11. You will notice a term in verse 10 "menstealers."

If men were taken and sold into slavery, that is menstealing and God did not approve of it. During the slavery days of the South, many African were stolen from the continent and brought to America. Those men that participated in the trade and maintained it will see Jesus Christ for their judge on Judgment Day. In Christ's name.

First of all, slavery *was* different in those times. Those who were slaves were generally enslaved for specific reasons: 1) they sold themselves and/or their family into slavery because of debt; 2) they were prisoners of war; or 3) they were criminals. According to the OT, kidnapping someone to sell them into slavery was worthy of the death penalty.

Any slave who sought sanctuary from an unmerciful master was to be given sanctuary. Any slave master who severely injured a slave was to let his slave go free. Any slave master who killed a slave was to be put to death.

If a woman was purchased as a slave and her master later married her, she was no longer to be considered a slave, even if at some point her master no longer wanted her. If that happened, she was to go free; he was not allowed to sell her to someone else. If she married his son, she was to be freed.

Now, as for your allegation that all of the passages above are "shockingly pro-slavery", I disagree. The passages from Ephesians, Colossians, Titus, 1 Peter, and 1 Timothy don't say that slavery is okay; instead, they tell those who are slaves who become Christians to submit to their masters and be kind to them. It's interesting to note that in Philemon, Paul actually urges someone to free his slave, Onesimus, and accept him as a brother in Christ.

Pro-slavery? No. The other three passages (from Exodus 21 and Leviticus 25) can be taken as being pro-slavery, but even those had many restrictions that modern slavery did not have.

However, to say that Christianity is pro-slavery because of those passages is dishonest, since those passages were addressed to the Israelites, not to Christians. For the record though, slaves at that point could buy their freedom. They could also intermarry with the Israelites, which would free them.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.