People see the word "slave" or "slavery" in the New Testament and immediately think of slavery as it was known in nineteenth century America. In Biblical times, "slave" is better seen as "indentured servant". It was one of the economic realities by which people lived.
People lack belief in many things: We don't believe we can be a famous painter or sculptor, a master gardener, a champion skater, jockey, scholar or write a best seller. As far as God, we are told if we seek, we will find, and that we can build a relationship with God.
Jesus never said slavery is okay.
Does the New Testament Support Slavery?
For many people, Christian or not, the failure of the New Testament to directly condemn slavery is deeply troubling. So what does it actually say?africa.thegospelcoalition.org
Secular philosophies are not entirely uplifting.
The Black Book of Communism — Harvard University Press
Already famous throughout Europe, this international bestseller plumbs recently opened archives in the former Soviet bloc to reveal the actual, practical accomplishments of Communism around the world: terror, torture, famine, mass deportations, and massacres. Astonishing in the sheer detail it...www.hup.harvard.edu
So you don’t know whether God exists. If objective reality does not exist (see links above) can anything be tested?
Multiple passages in the New Testament encourage slaves to respect or obey their masters. And from the list you can see it’s hardly once off: Ephesians 6:5-9; Colossians 3:22-25; 1 Timothy 6:1-2; Titus 2:9-10; 1 Peter 2:18-20; 1 Corinthians 7:20-24; as well as the entire book of Philemon. And more so, slave masters, even Christian ones, are never told to automatically free their slaves and be done with the institution of slavery.
So? I'm not here to defend every single Secular philosophy that ever was. I'm simple responding to your claim that the Bible from which you draw your belief are entirely uplifting. An appeal to hypocrisy doesn't work.
I never claimed I know anything. Neither do I know objective reality exist. "Knowing" something is incredibly hard if not impossible. However, there's lots of things I consider so unlikely, that it makes little to no practical difference from knowing it's untrue. One of these things is most human concepts of Gods, for a variety of reasons. Among them the statistical probability for any one of the literally thousands of completely different beliefs throughout history actually being correct. The clearly erroneous and easily disproven claims made in holy books. The changing nature of religions throughout time and geography. All pointing to the conclusion that religions are constructs of humans, not some "divine truth" send from upstairs.
The ten commandments? Make life easier? My dad was a dick, my mom was depressed. I ended up having to raise me and 3 siblings almost before my balls dropped. I sure as hell don't honor my parents. Nor do I worship a God who put me in that situation. What got me through it is belief in my own strength. Not some Commandments that at best are morals I can get from any other fable. And that's at best.
Saying we are indifferent gets you not an inch closer to proving God isn't. It's an appeal to hypocrisy. Humans make no claim to perfection. According to you God does. He has no excuse.
There's nothing easy about wanting proof before believing something. Believing in God doesn't risk anything. It's a belief that by definition is absolute. Anything I believe to be true has a danger of ending up being wrong.
Oh, boo-hoo. I was changing and rinsing out dirty diapers before I entered first grade. Seven siblings, not three. Teach your parents well...your parents' hell will slowly go by... Did you play with your siblings, read to them, have fun? Did you do all you could to help your mom? Do you have some good childhood memories, or are you still playing "Poor, pitiful me" well into adulthood? Having siblings isn't all dirty diapers. As far as God...He put me where he needed me to be, and frankly, where I needed to be to grow and to learn about the realities of life. I love all my sibs to this day. As for my parents: With all they carried (both in past baggage and then the present) they were working hard at doing their best. Kids have high expectations of their parents--better understanding of them comes later.
That doesn't make it better. If anything, you just made my point that the bible is a construct of man, not some God.
It's not hypocrisy. God is spirit and that is where he shines. We're physical, and that part is up to us. Are you sure you were the oldest child? Instead of wanting to do, you sure seem to think you should have been coddled.
Responding to me doesn't do a thing for you. Seek and find God, not someone on the Internet. We on the Internet will disappoint every time.
I not once felt sorry for myself, still don't. But you are making the claim that the ten commandments in some ways are a way to a better life. DEMONSTRABLY false. More than one of them, would have harmed me.
Lol. I know you think, trying to attack my character now will somehow make me upset and gets you out actually having to reply. It doesn't, I need not prove myself to some random guy on the internet, nor do I need your approval, I just want you to actually engage the premise, that's all. And YES, it is an appeal to hypocrisy. Instead of trying to support the position that God isn't indifferent you are trying to establish that people are.
How old are you? And did you just figure that out? The Bible is inspired by God, written by man. When man finds himself in an economic situation where the reality is servitude for many (just as it is today), customs and rules evolve with it. I'm betting the majority never had to lay a hand on those who served them. But there is always that "special" group who needs to be told/taught. People went around slapping people, drawing their swords, etc.--and that was among equals. That some had to be reminded there were limits--even in those times--in disciplining servants. Remember, many of these servants were probably teens.
The kind of "seeking" you are proposing is assuming something without proof. That's not seeking, that's called conformation bias.Responding to me doesn't do a thing for you. Seek and find God, not someone on the Internet. We on the Internet will disappoint every time.
Inspired by God. At what time? And why does the interpretation changes over time?
No Commandment said to suffer parental abuse. On the other hand, even abuse is no excuse for not honoring reasonable parental needs and directives. When it comes to those, everyone needs to consider, "If not me, then who?"
Don't think I am attacking your character. I am not. Suggesting you reconsider a stance on indifference is no attack. In other words, I doubt very much God was/is indifferent to your situation. Have you ever considered that you had all you needed to deal with the situation you were in? Reflect on your own definition of indifference. When you don't get what you want, is that indifference, no matter what being you believe should have provided what you want to you?
