A brief summary of Christian Abolitionists’ arguments against enslavers’ appeals to the Scripture (18th & 19th c).
(Note: they DO NOT EVER just say, “the Bible is errant here.” Also, these are not my arguments, just conveying the info.)
Thread:
[Claim: “Abraham owned slaves”]
a. We do not know the exact character of this “slavery.”
b. The actions of the saints recorded are not prima facie normative.
c. God often allowed for actions and institutions which were contrary to His own moral Law and natural law, they He
...regulated with the end to (1) diminish its abuses, then (2) eliminate the practice (see marriage in OT vs. Jesus in NT; “because of the hardness of their hearts, Moses allowed it…”).
[Claim: “Israel was allowed to own slaves and the Law of Moses sanctioned it”]
d. All indenture among Hebrews was to be temporary, primarily for the sake of paying debts, injury was prohibited, breaking up families prohibited, diminishing resources prohibited, the poor of all classes were to be relieved, etc.
e. Permanent slavery was solely to be in lieu of war and as the only alternative to death. Only the nations of Canaan were under the “ban” and therefore to be conquered. War, beyond this redemptive historic commission, was ONLY to be defensive. (Many examples given.)
f. Thus, “slaves” were temporary indentures among Israel, permanent only among those “under the ban” in one-time commissioned warfare, or those spared their life when unjustly attacking Israel.
g. Further, as Israel kept the Law and trusted in the promises of God, each of these categories would become increasingly unnecessary, ultimately eliminating the institution altogether.
h. Israel began to enslave even their own brethren, through fraud and violation of God’s commandments, in part leading to Israel’s punishment and exile to be “slaves” yet again for a time in a foreign land.
i. In short, Israel was once enslaved, slavery is bad, redemption would eliminate both war and slavery.
[Claim: “Neither Christ nor the Apostles condemned slavery”]
j. The coming of Christ, His death, resurrection, and ascension obliterated the wall of separation, thereby forever abolishing the distinction between Israel and the Nations. Hence the only allowable permanent slavery in the Old Covenant is forever abolished. As redeemer, He
ended slavery, as was the intent from the beginning.
k. The Apostle Paul did not desire for a small group of people, within a vast empire that sanctioned slavery, to attempt to subvert the social order by force, but rather to destroy the institution through gospel and ideology.
l. Thus, he declared no difference between Master and Slaver before God, all one in Christ, that Masters were slaves to Christ, and Slaves freeman in Christ; he encouraged Philemon to release Onesimus and called out his hypocrisy; he told Christians to get their freedom if they
...could; etc. All of which did in fact destroy the institution among Christians.
m. The new African Slavery little resembles OT slavery or even Roman slavery.
n. Slavery is not natural to any “race” or people group; all are equal by birth.
o. Manstealing warrants death.
p. Those who buy, sell, or harbor stolen human property are guilty of manstealing.
q. The current institution violates EVERY SINGLE commandment and is a “National Sin” which will lead to God’s hot judgment.
r. The Scripture, the arc of redemptive history, the laws of nature, the Gospel, and the command to “do unto others as you’d have them do unto you” condemn the institution and all Christian men everywhere ought to oppose it.
s. Some, not all: Those suffering under the institution can by right rebel and revolt, since, being contrary to both God and Nature, Masters and Governors have no right to enforce. (“To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world,” *wink, wink*)
t. The West is destroying Africa, turning peoples against each other, filling them with alcohol, corrupting them with greed, and pilfering and exploiting both their resources and people, all due to unrestrained, unchristian, avarice.
Is this all fresh news in 2020?
/End/
*Slave
An example:
Ugh, so many typos. Sorry, done on the fly.
So messy that I cleaned it up and posted here:
m.facebook.com/story.php?stor…
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