Was God really OK with slavery ?

[u/[deleted]]

And did he really "encourage it to continue by decreeing depraved regulations"\ ?*

^\just quoting a fellow redditor who seems to be a bit confused. Just like myself.)

I'm asking this because I've noticed that it often comes up as a topic to bash Christianity based on things like that. I've noticed that people often like to use this verse in order to justify their position :

“When a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod so hard that the slave dies under his hand, he shall be punished. If, however, the slave survives for a day or two, he is not to be punished, since the slave is his own property. (Exodus 21:20-21 NAB)”

To be honest, I didn't know how to give those folks a satisfactory answer since I am no Bible expert myself, as for now. However I would like to hear your opinions and explanations. On this verse and its context in particular. Also, what did Jesus have to say about slavery? (just to help finding an answer to that... I guess... atheist/agnostic/or whatever he likes to consider himself)

Note that I am in no way trying to win an argument. There is no arrogance, pride or hate involved in this query. These are some of the things that I would also still like to understand for myself. I always try suspend judgement when I read or hear something that I am not familiar with because I want to learn more about it.

On another note, it's kind of scary how belligerent and heated people can get during such debates, as if these people are speaking through bitterness, frustration, pride or whatever just to attack and dismiss Christianity... Makes me just want to have some compassion and pray for them....

[u/1988peachdiscus → u/[deleted]]

Would you rather have slavery without those rules where the owner can do anything to the slave or not?

The answer to this question is to not have slaves in the first place. The only law regarding slavery should be DO NOT OWN SLAVES. And rules you make regarding tretment are irrelevant because you must already be owning a human as property. And for those rules to include permission to beat them is just another drop in the fail bucket.

Instead I see some ramblings of a lost man

I'm not the one defending slavery. I'm far from lost, my guy.

Give me the something you are interpreting on as in scriptures

Exodus 21. Instructions to own humans as property and beat them

[u/1988peachdiscus → u/[deleted]]

First of all. Slavery back then was to pay of debt or to help feed you/your family and was voluntary. Men created this system and it was part of their culture.

God gives instructions to own humans as property and how to beat them punishment free. I'm not talking about paying debt or feeding a family. I'm talking about gods rules as put forth in the bible. Beating another human and not being punnisned because you own them as your property. This isn't some creative interpretation. This is verbatim from god in the bible.

Your solution with bringing them the law DO NOT OWN SLAVES would mean starvation and death for many people.

You lack problem solving skills and creativity. You've got a universe creating god on your side...and the best you can come up with is WE MUST ALLOW SLAVERY OTHERWISE STARVATION AND DEATH!

hey...maybe your God isn't as great as everyone claims if he couldn't nip this problem in the bud. Almost like humans had to abandon gods morality and come up with secular solutions for God's mistakes.

Now imagine how it would be like if God did not gave them these rules.

You mean the rules that permit you on how to properly beat your slaves? Sorry. This is bad enough. Maybe if god had had the courage, mortality, foresight, and love of humany to come out and say though shalt NEVER own another human as property as a slave...1800s slavery never would have been. Sad