(December 30, 2011 at 3:58 am)chipan Wrote: biblical slavery- when people sold themselves (more accurately their services) for a temporary amount of time in order to earn money so they may purchase land or pay off debts.
You ignore at least three other classes of slavery endorsed in your bible.
1) Slaves taken as spoils of war, and
2) Children sold into servitude by their parents.
3) Free men sentenced to servitude/slavery under court order (e.g. for indebtedness).
None of those three cases involve voluntary servitude (not that there is anything moral about selling one's self into slavery).
Slavery/servitude, whether compelled by force, or by "kinder and gentler" means is morally wrong, and no amount of apologetic bullshit on your part is going to change that.
Wikipedia Wrote:Slavery was customary in antiquity, and it is condoned by the Torah, which occasionally compels it.[10][11] The Bible uses the Hebrew term ebed to refer to slavery; however, ebed has a much wider meaning than the English term slavery, and in several circumstances it is more accurately translated into English as servant.[12] It was seen as legitimate to enslave captives obtained through warfare,[13] but not through kidnapping.[14][15] Children could also be sold into debt bondage,[16] which was sometimes ordered by a court of law.[17][18][19]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_and..._the_Bible
P.S. If you're going to challenge the authority of a Wikipedia article, I would challenge you to check the references - all but two of which are from your precious bible. The other two reference text that can be found here.
