Question:
Atheists did you even read the bible before?
anonymous
2015-10-19 07:32:37 UTC
If you did you would know slavery in the bible days is not the same as slavery today. Back then it was the same as if your working for someone, they would call you their slave. Today we just call them employees. God is not evil atheists just never understood what god meant.
41 answers:
Hal
2015-10-19 07:42:29 UTC
Please consider if you were asked this question yourself by someone, whether the wording would be ok with you: "Have you even read the Bible?" and then compare to a similar question with another wording: "Have you read the Bible?". I'm thinking of what Christ instructed us in Matthew 7:12.



About the interesting question of slavery in the Old Testament. We need really wide context to understand it well. Not only the rare and crucially needed act of reading an *entire* book in order to understand the context of verses and passages in it, but even more -- we need to consider the reality that slavery was universal throughout the world, in every nation. So that was the human condition. And then.....Israel in fact received laws (!) to regulate slavery, so that they were required by law to treat slaves better than other peoples in other nations in fact did. It was an incremental improvement. How many believers or atheists even know this? I wonder.
Gozefroos
2015-10-19 07:38:37 UTC
I read the bible in different guises a couple of times. The more I read it, the more hilarious it became. Slavery is when someone forces another to work for him, without compensation (pay). Even while I sometimes feel I am enslaved by my employer, I am not. I have a choice and I can leave without my employer trying to stop me. I also don't get sold, beaten, threatened or chained. Slavery is still the same, regardless of how people interpret the bible.
anonymous
2015-10-19 08:40:15 UTC
Yes, I read the Bible many times. I spent 20 years studying the Bible, going to church, believing in God.

I probably read the Bible more times than many theists have.



Most atheists know exactly what God is - its theists that seem deluded about reality.



But if you want to believe slavery in the Bible was okay, well you go right ahead and believe that.

Then do a bit of research to learn the truth.
Simon T
2015-10-19 07:39:32 UTC
Yes.



Hebrews could keep other Hebrews as indentured servants, today that is considered slavery.



Exodus 21:2-6

Exodus 21:20-21





1 Timothy 6:1-2 Shows that it was fine for Christians to own other Christians. In fact the slave should work even harder than normal and be happy that their owner is a Christian.



Hebrews could keep non-Hebrews as outright slaves.



Leviticus 25:44-46
?
2015-10-19 07:35:17 UTC
It's not biblical slavery that's the issue, idiot. The issue is that your inbred ancestors used that book and those words to justify treating their fellow men worse than animals.



Your god is easily The most evil, narcissistic megalomaniac that has ever poisoned the well of fictional reading.



And for the record, we've read ALL of the bible. Not just the 'good' parts.
Doug Freyburger
2015-10-19 14:42:58 UTC
A higher percentage of atheists have read the Bible than Christians.



Stories on how to dodge what the book actually says as a source of great entertainment. Keep at it.
Chances68
2015-10-19 07:40:17 UTC
1. Of course I've read the bible, numerous times in fact.



2. Your claim that slavery in the bible is essentially like indentured servitude is not true. If it was, one could not have married slave women, for example. Moreover, however you wish to try to paint a rosy picture, the bible very clearly allows for and even encourages the taking of slaves, especially in time of war.



If you want to follow an ancient book of middle-eastern mythology, that's your choice, but lets not pretend that the book in question is the basis of morality, for heaven's sake.
king_davis13
2015-10-19 08:58:37 UTC
The truth is that the bible tells people how it is acceptable to OWN other humans as property not just as employees. I have read the bible and carefully examined the claims it makes for any justification and I am not afraid to expose it for what it is. Theists love to evade the slavery portion of the bible and make the claim that it was different than we think of it today but the bible actually says that you can own people from other tribes forever and even pass them on to your children as property. It also says that if you have a slave from your own society and give him a wife the slave will have the option to leave after 6 years but his wife and kids will remain your property. If the slave wants to stay with his wife and kids you can take him in front of the elders and let him declare that he wants to stay then drive an awl through his ears and they will remain your property forever. It also says that it is a crime to beat your slaves to death but if he is able to get up after a few days it's all good.

Honestly that's what the bible claims is moral conduct and theists making excuses for it is just wrong. To make it clear these passages are found in the "old testament" but in the "new testament" Jesus never corrects this claim, in fact he says that the old testament is just was valid before as it was then and claimed it would be forever. In another passage he heals a slave because the master really liked the slave and wanted him back, then Jesus heals the slave and orders him to return to his master and continue his good work rather than free the slave. If your gawd was the loving deity you claim he would have made a commandment saying that it is wrong to own other humans as property rather than saying it is a sin to make a carving of another gawd or something.

When you consider the claims made in the bible honestly it is hard to determine which deity is the good one and which is the bad because if the bible is to be believed the gawd they claim is good killed the entire population of the planet, ordered the slaughter of entire tribes including the men, women and children and allowed them to take the young virgin girls as sex slaves for their own pleasure and the bad deity supposedly talked a woman into eating a piece of fruit when she had no idea of right and wrong before eating the fruit. This good gawd is also reported to desire animal sacrifices and even human sacrifice as the ultimate means of forgiveness and has his own son sacrificed to stroke his own ego. Another horrible idea that the bible claims is good is the punishment of the child for the sins of the parent by claiming that everyone born after Adam and Eve deserves to be sent to hell for eternity because they ate a forbidden fruit.

If you want to accept these claims as true it is up to you but I don't see anything logical or reasonable about the claims it makes. Hope this helps.
anonymous
2015-10-19 07:39:19 UTC
Yes, I read the Bible.



Now, have you read any history books about the Roman Empire? You can get a great education on what slavery meant by reading Caesar's own writings on what he did to the people of Gaul to find out how wonderful slavery is, or you can remain wallowing in your own ignorance, which is where I expect you wil remain.
?
2015-10-19 10:34:29 UTC
If you did you would know slavery in the bible days is not the same as slavery today.



- It is, should you actually read the bible, but OWNING ANOTHER PERSON, is psychotic.



Back then it was the same as if your working for someone,



- Except that you could beat them until their eyes fall out, you could nail their ear to the door and you could sell them to whomever you wanted and it was a permanent condition.



God is not evil atheists just never understood what god meant.



- we do understand what he said, you obviously don't.
anonymous
2015-10-20 15:32:02 UTC
All of them over and over. What is the point? You read them and it is a form of brainwashing designed specifically to make you a follower of a boring church that preaches to you the same thing every single Tuesday and Sunday. I would rather live my life and do good things with it than spend most of my life focused on the bible and going to church. I have a life you know. I love the life lessons and the morals every man should know. It is a good concept and all and very interesting stories btw, but I am tired of reading them over and over. Church can become hell if you stay there long enough. The women don't live up to their vows, they ask you for money all the time, and they preach the same verses over and over again for the rest of your life. So as you can see, I bailed out of religion because of living my own life free of propaganda, lies, fictional stories with morals, and servitude to not being able to be a living human being with the double standard of what women do against their
?
2015-10-19 13:22:05 UTC
Atheist did you EVER read the Bible before ?



Please NOTE the following The MITZVOT 613 Commandments of God Law # 199 Thy Shall KEEP a Canaanite SLAVE FOREVER very specific



Google it Judaism 101 Heading EMPLOYEES SERVANTS and SLAVES there were laws for each Type of person



You may wish to rationalize it but it is a fact that OWNING a person FOREVER is not an EMPLOYEE defined as a person employed for salary or wages and has free will to leave employment Law # 199 definitely contradicts your claim



law # 199 is Lev 25:46 Laws for the ones i named are laws 184 to 202 . Law # 184 states Do not delay PAYMENT of a HIRED man's wages Lev 19:13 ...please read the Mitzvot it is VERY clear that slavery was ownership ,



servant was an indentured servant that COULD be released in the 6th year but if given a wife and that women bore children to the servant they Were the property of the slave owner who then tricked the servant to remain in servitude . to maintain the family



Ponder that arrangement your god or the people who claim the god gave them the laws Were and did Advocate slavery owning another human being , Just as your god claims he owns followers



as I am your lord and god you shall worship me and follow my commands If you do not you will be punished .. The religious are a mouse in a maze and do not even admit it they twist it to say that god loves them ,



most theist remain theist out of FEAR of punishment and Religion dangles a carrot They instill in you the fear of non obedience ( hell) and a promise of an afterlife and then say oh by the way we gave you the FEARS and we have the Cure for your fear our religion
kev
2015-10-19 08:15:32 UTC
Sadly most Christians haven't read the Bible either.



What does it mean to be Christian? Many think it's just a belief in God or Christ. It is much more. 2 Corinthians 5:14,15
?
2015-10-19 16:09:38 UTC
The question should be how many Christians actually read the Bible and how many times and different ways the Bible has been changed or interpreted differently by different Christians to justify their immoral acts and prejudices.
SeabourneFerriesLtd
2015-10-19 07:38:38 UTC
yes, i have read the bible through several times front to back, and dipped into it (books, chapters or verses) many thousands of times.



Your apologetics for biblical slavery is wrong, and is contradicted hundreds of ways



for example

you are allowed to beat a slave to death, as long as s/he survives a day or two, after the beating it's all ok, because s/he is your property

Exodus 20:21
TrustMe
2015-10-19 07:44:15 UTC
No, your interpretation of the Bible to those who believe otherwise is what pushes people toward Athiesm.



You know nothing about slavery, you weren't there, and you didn't live it. It doesn't mean anyone else does, either.



What it means, is that you have been *taught* something which you believe to be correct, and you are *presuming* to teach others, who don't believe.



THAT'S what Athiests (and agnostics) object to.
?
2015-10-19 09:25:24 UTC
atheist logic - I don't go to church, pray, or go to a some sort of faith group, BUT I do read the bible with a biased opinion looking for good comebacks, so that automatically means I know more about Christianity than you
?
2015-10-19 07:44:54 UTC
Errr...



Nope



As in, Yes I've read the Bible and No that is not how it defines slavery.



It specifically talks about ownership of people, not employing them.
?
2015-10-21 06:10:15 UTC
Yes....I certainly did.....can't dismiss anything without doing proper research...that would be silly....



Mo University Lecturer Atheist with degrees in Theology, Comparitive Religious Studies and Philosophy..
anonymous
2015-10-19 07:35:42 UTC
Yes, and slave has always meant a person who is owned and not paid. The Bible does not explain that either. Read a book with real information.
Squidmaster
2015-10-19 07:34:56 UTC
I have read the Bible.



It define slavery as OWNING a person for a period of time, and then being forced to let them go.

During that time of ownership you are allowed to do ANYTHING to them, even beat them as long as it doesn't kill them.

The Bible also makes it clear you don't have to pay them anything, and can force them to marry a person of your choice. If they have a child whilst under your ownership, you own that child FOREVER.



Thats what the Bible says.
anonymous
2015-10-19 09:29:50 UTC
Some atheists ahve read the Bible more than most Christians have. Your argument is wrong. You only discredit Christianity with such absurd "balle".
Archer
2015-10-19 12:05:36 UTC
You flounder in your ignorance and desperation. You admit that the Jews were not actually slaves as depicted in the bible which renders the collection of short stories as valid as the Harry Potter books.
Maurog IV
2015-10-19 07:35:10 UTC
Yeah, slaves in the bible are just workers whose children are also automatically workers, and if you have a worker woman, you can just give it to your worker man, and if you beat up your worker and he can't stand up for two days but doesn't die, then it's just fine, because he's your property.



Pull the other one, dude. Slavery is slavery.
Dennis
2015-10-19 13:10:32 UTC
Yes, i laughed so much, seriously a good read, i should read it again, funniest **** because not only is the bible stupid but people believe it, gonna go read it again now.... the laughs i get.
anonymous
2015-10-19 07:39:40 UTC
yes I stole a bible from a hotel room some years ago and read it

also had religious education at school when I was younger
?
2015-10-19 07:39:59 UTC
Later versions of the bible changed the word slave to servant. However, within the context, a servant is clearly a slave by any definition.
Ceisiwr
2015-10-19 09:13:29 UTC
You're using only the way Israelites were commanded to behave toward other Israelites. And even then, I vey much doubt that it was just like working for someone; Israelites were to be freed in the 7th year unless he chose not to - such as wanting to keep his wife and child who belong to the slave owner.



Biblically slavery was part of the way people lived, took for granted, and believed was one of the practises ordained by God. Nowadays, of course, we are horrified by this (but only for the last 200 years).



For the people who wrote the Bible, enslaving others was part of their culture. The Bible explains that conquered peoples are to be enslaved (or just the virgins if all others are slain), other ways of enforced slavery, or people presenting themselves as slaves if they can't discharge debt. Here are just a few examples, including a couple from the New Testament:



Leviticus 25:44-46, "However, you may purchase male or female slaves from among the foreigners who live among you. You may also purchase the children of such resident foreigners, including those who have been born in your land. You may treat them as your property, passing them on to your children as a permanent inheritance. You may treat your slaves like this, but the people of Israel, your relatives, must never be treated this way."



Exodus 21:2-6, "If you buy a Hebrew slave, he is to serve for only six years. Set him free in the seventh year, and he will owe you nothing for his freedom. If he was single when he became your slave and then married afterward, only he will go free in the seventh year. But if he was married before he became a slave, then his wife will be freed with him. If his master gave him a wife while he was a slave, and they had sons or daughters, then the man will be free in the seventh year, but his wife and children will still belong to his master. But the slave may plainly declare, 'I love my master, my wife, and my children. I would rather not go free.' If he does this, his master must present him before God. Then his master must take him to the door and publicly pierce his ear with an awl. After that, the slave will belong to his master forever."



Ephesians 6:5, "Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ."



1 Timothy 2:1-2, "All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered. Those who have believing masters should not show them disrespect just because they are fellow believers. Instead, they should serve them even better because their masters are dear to them as fellow believers and are devoted to the welfare of their slaves."



“Having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:18).



“Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God” (1 Peter 2:16).



While in prison, Paul met a runaway slave, Onesimus, the property of a Christian, presumably Philemon. He sent the slave back to his owner (Philemon 1:10-16).

However, 1 Timothy 1:10 seems to go against most of the Bible and actually condemns “enslavers”.
Who
2015-10-19 08:50:42 UTC
"If you did you would know slavery in the bible days is not the same as slavery today. Back then it was the same as if your working for someone, they would call you their slave"



Did you every study history? - cos this is bulsh//t
anonymous
2015-10-20 19:40:49 UTC
Yes



that's kinda why we are atheists
anonymous
2015-10-20 08:12:43 UTC
White atheists just project at christians because they feel terrible for what their ancestors did.
?
2015-10-20 23:27:00 UTC
When I was 7-8yrs. old a lot of kids my age read comics, I didn't.
?
2015-10-19 07:35:45 UTC
So... the bible gives direction on how to treat your slave/employee and it was ok to beat them?
Steve B
2015-10-19 09:04:42 UTC
You gotta love this web site:

http://www.evilbible.com/Slavery.htm



Let me know which part I don't understand.
It Is Always Now
2015-10-19 07:40:22 UTC
Unfortunately I did have to read parts of it as I went to a religious school.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MFmC6BD1B4
anonymous
2015-10-19 07:35:22 UTC
Psss



We secretly worship Satan
?
2015-10-19 09:24:59 UTC
Your explanation is excellent. Many slaves of thousands of years ago would have starved if they had not been slaves.



http://www.joel2army.simplesite.com
?
2015-10-19 13:08:51 UTC
I know believe or burn is an ultimatum and not a choice.
anonymous
2015-10-19 16:23:56 UTC
I did
?
2015-10-19 07:35:00 UTC
you do know where the word slave comes from don't you ?
?
2015-10-19 07:33:15 UTC
no


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