The husband/wife relationship dynamics transcend inequality issues. While the husband has authority, he is instructed to die for the wife if need be (modeling how Christ died for the Church). This is not expected of the wife. Some men may be willing to give up their authority over this sacrifice. So, this is different from the master/slave relation though some men could twist the husband/wife relationship this way.
The slavery we think of today such as stealing and selling people, human trafficking, etc. was in fact outlawed in the Bible ("anyone who kidnaps someone is to be put to death, whether the victim has been sold or is still in the kidnapper's possession." - Exodus 21:16). God also led the Jews out of Egypt out of slavery. The slavery situation was such that one could sell themselves into slavery to pay debt. Slaves were also obtained in other ways, such as through war, jails (thieves), buying and selling slaves who have not completed their "sentence", or children born into slavery. There were rules on how slaves should be treated, in extreme cases of abuse they can be freed. Also, they can buy their freedom or another person could buy their freedom. However, unfortunately, corporal punishment was allowed which can turn into abuse.
Well you are contradicting yourself or the Bible is. You are claiming the Bible outlaws slavery, then you are acknowledging that the Bible lays down rules on how slaves should be treated. We can find this in Exodus:
Exodus 21:20-21
"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 it is OK to beat a slave as long as the slave does not die. It also acknowledges that the owner has a right - to a point - to do what he/she wants with their property.
What God should be saying is :"thou shalt not own other people as property."
The kidnapping verse clearly means kidnapping is forbidden. It does not mean slavery is forbidden. It implies that people were being kidnapped and sold into slavery - which still happens today.
So God is evidently OK with slavery as long as slaves were not too severely beaten.
Not only is slavery not outlawed in the Bible - it is regulated as we have seen in Exodus - and supported in the New Testament:
Ephesians 6:5
"Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear and sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ."
Well there we have it - do you want me to start showing you where it tells fathers to beat and even stone unruly sons?
Or the parts where God tells Jews to kill all the boys and take the virgins of the conquered Midianites for themselves.
We see the Jews keeping slaves throughout the whole of the Old Testament and the New Testament too and nothing was done about it. Clearly the God of the Bible supported slavery.
The Bible has plenty of evidence to prove its authenticity, one is the Gospels. All of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John give an account of His existence and of the miracles that Jesus performed as God in the flesh.
There are true facts in the Bible. We know that Jerusalem exists, for example. But then New York exists too - but that does not mean Spiderman is real.
The Bible cannot be evidence for itself. The Bible makes claims of a supernatural nature. We need some way outside of the Bible to corroborate these claims. Otherwise we would have to believe any book which makes any claim. You would need to be a Muslim, Hindu etc. because they all have holy books too and those faiths make the same circular claims that you are making. The Bible is true - why? Because the Bible says it is true.
So what is your evidence outside of the Bible which can support belief in the existence of God, miracles and the resurrection?
One question, honestly... with all due respect.
Who are we to say what God should and would not do? That's using our own made up morals. Where do we get our morals from, if not by God?
So if God told you to go and kill your child - as he did with Abraham - you would do it, right? Anything God says makes it ok?
Thankfully I do not believe in a God so do not keep slaves - I never stoned my son for being unruly - and I was not master over my wife - we were equals. I use the wellbeing and empathy model to decide what is right and wrong. I believe in situational morality - there may be circumstances in which killing and stealing, for example, are moral acts.
Morals are rules about what is right and wrong. Societies have found over the millennia that having rules benefits the community so it benefitted all to forbid murder - stealing - bearing false witness etc. There is no reason to believe morals come from any deity.
Christians kept slaves in the USA well into the 19th century because they were using the bible's support for slavery as justification. Yes, the God of the Bible does support slavery - see my other post - the Jews kept slaves throughout the Old Testament and New Testament and God never said don't keep slaves. He said - don't beat them so hard that they die. But beating slaves otherwise was sanctioned. The New Testaments says - slaves, obey your masters, as we obey Christ. You don't know your own Bible.
This verse is talking about women in the church, specifically Corinth.
And why do women have to be silent in church but not men?
Timothy 2
"Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. 15 Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control."
So women should not then be priests after all. And we should not see women teaching men in any capacity. It was the woman who was tricked, not the man - she can only be saved by being a bearer of children so that's her place. Eve's gullibility or willingness to be tricked has been very costly for women ever since.
Personally I can't subscribe to anything so repugnant and misogynistic - but if that's your religion - good luck to you.
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