The Bible actually does not support slavery as we would know it. This is why Christians do not support slavery.

Exo 22_23 “You shall neither mistreat a stranger nor oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Exo 21-16 “He who kidnaps a man and sells him, or if he is found in his hand, shall surely be put to death.

Deu 23:15-16 “You shall not give back to his master the slave who has escaped from his master to you. “He may dwell with you in your midst, in the place which he chooses within one of your gates, where it seems best to him; you shall not oppress him.

The verses above is what God says about slavery as we are familiar with here in this country. Those verses that would seem to condone slavery need to be understood in the context of the culture at that time. The Jews were at war with the neighboring peoples as they were traveling to their homeland. They did not have prisoner of war camps, so those people that were captured in these wars were allowed to be made slaves. This was also part of the judgments against those peoples for the evils they practiced. The practice of taking slaves from the surrounding peoples was only applicable in that time because of the circumstances the Jews were in with those wars. And it was only applicable to the Jews. Those verses cannot be used just by anyone that wanted slaves to justify themselves. The verses above would be applicable to them.

The other form of slavery people can get confused about was actually more of a work contract, not slavery as we would know it. These were bond servants that willingly became slaves, most of the time to pay off a debt, or because they had no other recourse because of the poverty of their situation. They did not have a welfare system like we do so sometimes the poor would become bond slaves to a wealthy family.

Exo 21-2 “If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years; and in the seventh he shall go out free and pay nothing.

These bond slaves were to be set free after their work contract was over.

Exo 21:5-6 “But if the servant plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ “then his master shall bring him to the judges. He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him forever.

A person could decide that they likes serving a master and could voluntarily become a slave for life.

Those verses concerning the proper treatment of slaves addressed the reality of slavery at that time as were given to that those that were in that situation would be assured of being treated humanly and with dignity. Again, this was not a blanket approval of slavery. Slavery of the type we had seen in this country was never condoned or approved of by the bible. The bible speaks of those type of slave traders deserving death.

@bforrester420: Just open your eyes. Can't do that for you.

@Maroxad: Atheism itself is a religious belief based on the religious notion of evolutionary theory. There is actually no evidence to support the evolutionary theory as evolutionists see it. All you have is assumption based on speculation and conjecture there.

As far as God's existence goes, just open your eyes. Complex design requires a designer.

@bforrester420: God's existence is obvious. That men and women were made for each other is obvious. That you are just trying to deflect from the obvious is obvious as well my friend.

@Maroxad: Actually no. Like all of your other false conclusions, you are stating an opinion based on your misunderstanding of scripture.

@bforrester420: Marriage predates the bible yes. God instituted marriage at the very beginning of mankind to be between a man and a woman only. We can see this in the very design of the human bodies and the psychological make up of the man and woman.

@Maroxad: Actually no... If I did those things, then I would be doing what you teach I should be doing according to your twisting scripture to fit your anti-Christian stance. If you are serious in wanting to know what scripture teaches then study the scriptures at a good Bible believing church. The information you get on those Atheist R Us type sites is twisted to conform with their ideology and does not represent what the scriptures actually teach at all.

@Maroxad: ROFL! Ah my friend... You are one that twists scripture to fit their world view, just so you can bring false accusations on others that don't share your ideology.

I will just stick to what the bible teaches. Take care. I hope you have a good day.

@Maroxad: I am a Christian. Again, I must point out that Jesus was speaking to Jews there in your quote regarding the law. And notice that He came to fulfill the law. Part of the Mosaic covenant included the animal sacrifices. Those that were guilty of sin could repent of it and offer up an animal sacrifice. The penalty of sin was transferred to the animal and the person that committed the sin would not die. Jesus fulfilled the law in that He was without sin and could not be condemned using the law. He then became the final sacrifice Himself. He died for the sins of all mankind.

Rom 8:1-8 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.