How religion has been used to promote slavery

Which revered religious figure – Moses, Jesus, or the Prophet Mohammad – spoke out boldly and unambiguously against slavery?

Answer: None of them.

One of these men owned slaves, another created laws to regulate – but not ban – slavery. The third’s chief spokesman even ordered slaves to obey their masters, religious scholars say.

Most modern people of faith see slavery as a great evil. Though the three great Western religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – disagree on many matters, most of their contemporary followers condemn slavery.

Yet there was a time when Jews, Christians and Muslims routinely cited the words and deeds of their founders to justify human bondage, scholars say.

At times, religion was deployed more to promote the spread of slavery than to prevent it.

“The lesson in all this is we need historical humility,” says Daniel C. Peterson, author of “Muhammad, Prophet of God.” “It’s stunning for us to look back now and say, how can people face themselves in the mirror after doing what they did, but they did.”

Continue reading at religion.blogs.cnn.com

« Previous Article

Posting Policy

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, vulgarity, profanity, all caps, or discourteous behavior. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain a courteous and useful public environment where we can engage in reasonable discourse. Read more.

Bobseeks

Typical CNN lieberal/atheist trash. The fact is, Jesus came to get people to be concerned about the life to come rather than the present life. He was not concerned with this life, and the lieberals have tried to make Him a social crusader rather than a Redeemer. Get over it lieberals, Jesus came to free us from far worse masters than human masters; He came to free us from slavery to sin. As far as those who used Christianity as "justification" to enslave others, they are long gone and have nothing to do with the present. If I were one of CNN's propagandists, I would be more worried about being a part of the anti-Christian movement that hides the truth of Christ from the lost, ensuring that they remain slaves to sin. Their judgment is also coming.
- Ken
  
  And I notice that this blog makes no mention of people like William Wiberforce, John Newton , William Lloyd Garrison or Harriet Beecher Stowe (try reading Uncle Tom's Cabin without the Christian references).
  
  But you're right, this is only a problem for people who have no concept of historical context and who, either willfully or out of ignorance, totally misunderstand Jesus' ministry and message.
  
  If these people are really concerned about slavery, then why don't they attack it in the places where it's still going on today?
  - Bobseeks
    
    Ken: Because those places are in islamic cesspools and islam is the ally of lieberals.
    - Ken
      
      Yes, it wasn't until the 1960s that Saudi Arabia officially did away with slavery — I say officially because it still goes on there. And then there are places like Thailand where child sex trafficking is a going concern.
      
      But for CNN, of course, it's much more important to focus on pre-Civil War America or the Roman Empire.
      - Bobseeks
        
        True, CNN cares nothing for what is true or relevant.
      - msjallen
        
        Actually it is the Roman Republic that the liberals like not the Roman Empire that gave Christianity the opportunity to spread rapidly regardless of the killing and torchering of Christians.
  - Myrtle
    
    Ken, I don't know, if you know that GOD and HIS SON allow us to repent, turn our lives around and live for THEM. We are forgiven of our sins. That is what happened to John Newton. He repented, turned his life around and lived a Christian life. He is the writer of AMAZING GRACE, one of the most touching and beloved hymns ever written. Sometimes someone who has lived in such a way, where all they ever wanted was to please them selves, live closer to the LORD than those that have lived as Christains, all their lives. They can understand better the different in the two ways of living. I have nothing but praise for John Newton because you see, I am not perfect either.
Steve03

"There can be but little liberty on Earth while men worship a tyrant in heaven."
- Bobseeks
  
  The lieberal liars are up early today.
  - http://conservativebyte.com Michael G.
    
    Here is somebody who doesn't know God at all. He'll think "tyrant" when he meets a real one.
    - Bobseeks
      
      Yes he will, I keep steve03 on our prayer list with the hopes that GOD huimbles his arrogant, ignorant self and brings him to repentance.
- keyboardshark
  
  "There can be but little liberty on Earth while men worship another man, or a secular ideology, as God, rather than the one true God of the Bible, in whom real liberty is found." (The shark)
  - Myrtlelinder
    
    AMEN!!!!
- Myrtlelinder
  
  Steve….Why do you call HIM a tyrant?? HE has never done you any harm, I am relatively sure. All HE has done with you in mind, has been good. What would YOU do, about someone who constantly cuts you down and speak evil of you, not only every chance they get, but seek ways to cut you down. Now, if you think HE is a tyrant, you must believe HE is alive and well. . Since every time we get on one of these blogging sites, we see this rubbish and lies about one that we love dearly and trust completely, we would like to know why you hate HIM so. What has HE done to you. If you want us to believe you , we must know what it is that makes you think HE is a tyrant, if you want to convince us that is what HE IS.
  
  Have you ever consider the fact that one day you will meet HIM face to face. If you believe HE is there watching you, listening to you, and reading the evil you write, surely you think of that from time to time!!!!
  - Steve03
    
    I didn't call God a tyrant — the quote doesn't mean that God is a tyrant, only that men who imagine him as one are apt to oppress one another in his name.
    I have trouble imagining God as a sort of cosmic Mr. Magoo, who is easily annoyed but a bit nearsighted, so he becomes so enraged at the homosexuals in San Francisco that he raises up Arabs to crash airplanes into buildings in New York, and so mad at those liberals in Washington that he sends droughts and wildfires to ravage Texas. But if that's your image of God you're welcome to it. Just don't try to convince me that the thing you worship is loving, kind, and just.
Ken

Right, people like Wilberforce brought down slavery in the British Empire against all odds after listening to "Imagine" by John Lennon.

Just because you put quotation marks around something doesn't make it authoritative.
- Bobseeks
  
  Steve03 like to "impress" us with his quotes because he has nothing but foolishness and lies to offer. He doesn't realize that we know he is just copying and pasting his quotes from a website.
- Myrtle
  
  Ken, for a second there, I thought I was reading one of Steve's comments. Don't follow Steve, he will lead you astray, away from GOD!!!
  - Ken
    
    Myrtle, sorry for the confusion — I was attempting to use the absurd to make a point, but it looks like I did it rather clumsily.
    - Bobseeks
      
      No, you said it quite well, mrytle often misunderstands and comes at people through ignorance.
dougj

It stems from the early OT. Note this from Genesis 9 (KJV):

22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.
23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness.
24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.
25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.
26 And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
Genesis 9:22-26
- msjallen
  
  Actually that passage speaks of the first known sin of homosexuality. That is why Ham was cursed to be of lower quality of life and the area where his desendants was Africa, India, Polynesian, etc. since Shem would be the line of Christ and Japeth the line of the Indo-European.
  - http://www.missiontoisrael.org Ted R. Weiland
    
    According to Leviticus 18 and 20, "the nakedness of your father" is an idiom referring to incest with your father's wife, not homosexuality. This is why Ham's offspring Canaan and his lineage were "cursed" rather than Ham. Homosexuality cannot explain the curse, only incest can.
Myrtle

SLAVERY, WE HEAR SO MUCH ABOUT IT, THE EVILS OF SLAVERY! We never hear any good thing about slavery. While we are debating slavery the world is being slowly, but faster that anti-slavery people like, being overcome by this thing called slavery. In America we have lost our rights to be able to choose between right and wrong, where evil is called good and good is called evil. However much we gripe about slavery, most of us are slaves to something, drugs, making a living, changing the world into what we want it to be. I am so glad to call myself a slave to my PRECIOUS JESUS CHRIST, WHO DOES NOT ASK IT, I GIVE MY LIFE TO HIM, to serve HIM the best i can, all he asks is that " WE LOVE HIM AND OUR NEIGHBORS AS WE LOVE OUR SELVES. If we do this everything will naturally fall into place. Problems come when we put ourselves and our desires above everything and everybody else. We want the very best of everything, not caring what others may have,or not have, just so long as our's is best. Many of the human race are not interested in others opinions, we must rule, they must obey. We think we can as this human race, we have the right to tell every person in the world what the can own, what they can do, what they can believe, who they can worship and then blame GOD'S WORD.. It is not GOD'S WORD that is failing us, we are failing it. So many of us who are whining "slavery" only make the world our slave.
- Myrtle
  
  The answer to all of the worlds problems can be found in these scriptures.
  
  Matt. 5:43 You have heard that it hath been said, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate your enemy.
  44. But I say unto you, :Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully us you and persecute you;
  45. That you may be the children of your FATHER which is in heaven; for HE makes HIS sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just an on the unjust.
  46. For if you love them which love you, what reward have you: do not even the publicans (tax gatherers) the same?
  
  Matt 22. 36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
  37. JESUS said, "Thou shall love the LORD THY GOD, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.
  38. This is the first and great commandment.
  39. And the second is like unto it, You shall love your neighbor as you love yourself.
  40. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets
Violet

In biblical times and in some places even now people sold themselves into slavery. In fact there were several types of slavery. There was voluntary slavery where men sold themselves to pay debts or sold themselves in order to get the protection and education. A lot of slaves left there masters with money and a job opportunity they would not otherwise have had. Then there was the slavery captured people from invasion or war. In fact to put a fine point on it we sell ourselves into a moderate form of slavery when we get jobs and we must obey our 'masters' (the boss).
Buck

Try some logic and reason , back in historically biblical times , evil as it was , slavery was the norm and common , people back then could not even conceive of a time when there would be no slavery , and unfortunately , it is still with us in many countries and cultures , especially in Muslim countries . It says a great deal about religion that it is no longer the norm in most non-islamist countries . There is NOT a country or inhabited continentent that hasn't participated in this atrocity , but if you listen to the historical revisionists only the US is guilty of it and her debt will never be paid , while it is ignored in ALL other countries , including those still engaged in it . America and Americans work harder than any country in the world to minimize and eliminate ALL forms of discrimination , yet you would never guess it from the vilr and corrupt UN . nor from those that want to use it for an excuse for all their own failings .
- Myrtle
  
  Reason, you say??People filled with hate, just look for something to complain about never even think about reason. That is something completely void in their lives.
Ken

Another thing that CNN doesn't seem to consider relevant is that religion had nothing to do with the most notorious slave state in recent history, the USSR.
bighoss

Truly evil and un-Christian attitudes toward the rights of others in our time were reflected in the widely-held racist notions that fostered racial segregation in this country. I grew up in the South and lived through the Civil Rights Movement and supported it as a teen and young adult to the disdain of many of my fellow southerners.(I still support it, since it is not finished). I recall the shabby "justifications" for racial segregation, some of which were even offered from church pulpits. I can hear them even now: "The bluebirds and the red birds don't integrate and God did not mean for the blacks and the whites to either." Some conservative pulpiteers even declared inter-racial marriage as sinful. The churches of that era that went against the grain of this racism were those that are generally regarded as "liberal" today. That is a shame. The shame is that those liberal churches did the right thing, while that the allegedly "Bible-believing" conservative southern churches twisted the scriptures they purported to revere to justify unjust treatment on the basis of skin color. Most of those who supported segregation have now abandoned their racist attitudes, but racism has by no means been fully expunged. The white southern Christian churches lost a great opportunity to show the world that they truly believed in the Constitutional and Biblical concepts of equality of men under the law.
- Myrtlelinder
  
  I, too grew up in the South, during that time. Most people did not approve of segregation, but just like now a small percentage of the population were haters. They hated every thing that they disapproved of. They just like now, thought the only opinion was their opinion and were bent on seeing that is that was the way things went. The rest, again just like now, sat back, as if they had no opinion, they were not about, to stick their necks out, for possible abuse, because of it. They themselves, number ones, were what they were worried about. That is why this country is in such a mess, now. WE WILL NOT STAND ON WHAT WE BELIEVE.
- Bobseeks
  
  Those who discriminated against blacks were democrat thugs like you bigfarce. They hadn't quite graduated to baby-killers like you though.
  - Steve03
    
    Most of the racist Dixiexcrat thugs became racist Republican thugs: Strom Thurmond, Jesse Helms, Trent Lott, Miles Goodwin Jr., etc. They had become an embarrassment to the Democrats but were welcomed as honorable men by the Republicans.
    - bighoss
      
      You are correct, Steve. Some others in that Hall of Shame, who remained Democrats, were Richard Russell (who had to be brow-beaten into acceptance of integration by Lyndon Johnson), and Herman Talmadge, who once made a public speech in Georgia proclaiming that Georgia has three enemies: " n***er, n****r, and n****r".
      http://books.google.com/books?id=JE8CK72MVPwC&amp…
Joe

We in America are all Slaves to the Corporation known as The United States.
- john
  
  We are all slaves to God if not the Devil. did you ever notice how easy it is to do evil yet difficult to do good?
  - http://youtu.be/zjgBhpanOfQ Despeville
    
    Don't know about "all" and what you mean by that but yes those who are of Triune God are SLAVES and not servants as men centered leavenjellycals mistranslated from Matthew 25 to placate their arminian egos…
    
    This translation gets it right:
    
    " His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful in a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’
    ~ Matthew 25:21 NET
    
    NET= New English Translation ~ net.bible.org
UF Gator

Neither does John MacArthur speakout against slavery
… to Jesus Christ. See his book SLAVE