Would the world be a better place without Atheism/Religious-ism?
by AK - Jeff 98 Replies latest jw friends
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ZeusRocks
I do see what you're saying PS. Although I'm not talking about slaves of the romans. I'm talking about followers of jesus and the people he preached to. He didn't preach to the romans. The point is though, that even among the jews it wasn't mandatory to own an slave. In the bible, neither Jesus nor any of the apostles would have been going against any law in teaching their followers that it is not right to own another human being, especially a fellow believer.
The apostles I can understand in a respect as they were raised in that environment where owning slaves was the norm, but Jesus had no such excuse. Depending on someone's belief, he was either god or the son of god and as such would have known that it is wrong to own another person, yet never said a word to even his closest companions. Jesus supposed knowledge wasn't constrained to the times he was in, if he was who people said he was, yet his sense of of what was morally correct wasn't much different to anyone else at the time.
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PSacramento
You have a point Zeus, indeed Jesus could have made a more clearer statement then just love your enemies, oen that made it clear that slavery was bad, instead we got "render to Caesar the thinsg that are his", basically a condoning of taxes and established laws that did NOT go against the teachings of God.
He made a statement on divorce because he was asked, but no statement on slavery, that we know of.
A mistake on his part? and omission from the Gospels? or Jesus didn't think it was important enough at the time?
I don't know.
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tec
I don't think one's lot in life was/is more important than what you DO with it and how you treat others. That may have been the point. That's what I think, anyway.
Tammy
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whereami
ZeusRocks!!!! Thanks for clearly demonstrating what Atheism means. I find the vast majority of religious people are really misinformed on the subject. Here's a clear explanation for those that like videos:
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BurnTheShips
Zeus, none of your quotes advocate slavery. They deal with how to behave as Christians within that institution, which was universal and ancient.
BTS
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BurnTheShips
By the way, Zeus, you omit some NT passages regarding slavery:
1 Corinthians 7:21-23 (New International Version)
Were you a slave when you were called? Don't let it trouble you—although if you can gain your freedom, do so.
1 Timothy 1:8-10 (New International Version)
We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine
BTS
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ZeusRocks
Keep telling yourself that. If you know something is wrong, yet still encourage your followers to continue in that behaviour, you are infact immoral. Jesus was supposed to be superior in his wisdom and morality, yet never denounced slavery considering it was so widespread within the jewish community. There is absolutely no excuse for that. If he really came to teach truth, he missed a really big one. He obviously didn't consider it important to let people know that it is inhumane to own another person as property. His knowledge supposedly wasn't confined to what was known by mankind kind at that time, yet he displayed very little if any extra knowledge than what was known and believed by people at that time.
There is absolutely no justification for remaining silent on slavery if you know it is wrong. And if he was god or the son of god he would have known better. There is no excuse.
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ZeusRocks
Neither of those scriptures speak out against owning a slave.
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BurnTheShips
Keep telling yourself that.
Is that all you've got?
Your post is anachronistic.
Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."
The purpose that animated the first generation of Christians was to spread the Gospel, not to change the social order.
Christianity was called a "religion of slaves" in that place and time.
BTS