Theists, what do you call a slave who kills his or her master?

Question

Leviticus 25:44-46. God, in the Old Testament, not only allowing the enslavement of non Hebrews, but encouraging it.
"'Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property. You can bequeath them to your children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life, but you must not rule over your fellow Israelites ruthlessly."

Exodus 21:20-21 God, in the Old Testament, saying that it is ok to beat your foreign slaves to within an inch of their life, as long as they don't die within the next 2 days from their injuries.
"Anyone who beats their male or female slave with a rod must be punished if the slave dies as a direct result, but they are not to be punished if the slave recovers after a day or two, since the slave is their property."

So my question is this: If a slave kills their master, is it murder or justice?

Answer 1

(1) Why are you asking Bible questions to Wiccans and Hindus and other religious people who don't have any reason to have any knowledge of the Bible??



A "theist" is one who believes in any god or gods.



(2) Your Bible translation is defective or you were not reading it attentively



Exodus 21:20 is the absolute opposite of what you would have it be --



It makes any killing of a servant into a Premeditated Murder conviction - even if the boss claims defense of accident or the like.



Thus -- it is actually a de-facto PROHIBITION of beatings.



This is actually one of the originating documents which led to the modern idea of equality irrespective of class and full responsibility for any crimes irrespective of class.



This is one of those things that Nazis complained about -- that the Jewish originated Bible transformed the Noble Warrior Europeans to egalitarian wimps.





(3) Just to expand your possible comprehension of the Biblical law regarding slavery:



"You shall not deliver a slave to his master if he seeks refuge with you from his master. He shall be allowed to reside among you, wherever he chooses within any of your cities, where it is good for him. You shall not oppress him."



(Deuteronomy 23:16, 17 - or in some of the bad Christian translations it may be off by one or two verses - maybe 23:15)



-- And the First Jewish War against Rome was largely fought because of this defense of fugitive slaves law (according to Tacitus)

Answer 2

This is what we call proof texting my friend. Did you read Exodus 1-11 for instance where God passes judgement on the nation of Egypt for enslaving the Israelites? Or Isaiah 58:6 where the prophet talks about loosing the chains of oppression and the yoke of injustice and setting the enslaved free?Or Job 31 where the prophet says that if he doesn't treat slaves with justice God is going to judge him?



What about Exodus 21:16 a few verses before the ones you quoted that says if you kidnap someone and make them a slave you receive the death penalty? On that law everyone in the Transatlantic slave trade would have faced capital punishment. What about Deuteronomy 23:15 which says that you are to give fugitive slaves safe haven? Under that law the fugitive slave acts in the American south would have been illegal and the underground railroad movement legal causing the collapse of slavery in the South.



Lastly, Exodus 21 is speaking about manslaughter and murder. If a master hits a slave and the slave dies instantly it is presumed to be first degree murder. The second case is presumed to be manslaughter and the punishment as prescribed in Numbers 33-35 is that they are banished to do hard labor.



To answer your question as a black person I confirm slavers are scum. And I confirm that with my ancestors who used the Biblical stories such as Exodus to fight for their freedom, doing so in the Caribbean where a Jamaican Baptist preacher and slave Samuel Sharpe inspired by the Bible revolted against the British Empire,causing the collapse of the slave trade in the British Empire in 1833.

Answer 3

Slaves were under the same laws as the Hebrews. It's still murder punishable the same way.

Answer 4

It's justified murder in my book. Any god condoning slavery is a sick and demented god.

Answer 5

Thanks for sharing so that we atheists can learn some true morale