Posted by Tammy on June 04, 1998 at 14:13:40:
In Reply to: more comment posted by Tammy on June 03, 1998 at 18:41:43:
: I don't think Paul was in a position to take on the Roman institution of slavery. I wish this whole issue would have been cleared up a long time ago, and the whole sorry issue of slavery in the South didn't happen. I'm glad that some 19th century Christians were concerned enought to work for abolishment of slavery.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I don't expect either of you agree with me on the issue of biblical inspiration or interpretation. But this is what I believe. First of all, I don't think that God sat down & wrote the Bible. Nor do I think He gave dictation to the Biblical authors, or somehow ghost-wrote the different books. It seems obvious to me that the different books were written down by human beings. However, I do believe that these people were divinely inspired. I don't know exactly how this works, but I am satisfied that what is recorded is what God wants us to know about Him, salvation, and proper ethical behavior.
So I don't really understand what you mean, David, when you say 'Paul was speaking for god.' Paul went through a conversion experience, was a teacher of Jesus' resurrection, and so forth. These NT letters of Paul are written to various groups of Christian believers. They generally address issues of proper belief and behavior, and not broader issues such as Roman government.
I'm sure you're aware how the Roman government built up their huge empire. War, invasion, installation of Romans in territorial government, and forcible enslavement of the conquered. Slavery was a Roman & Greek institution, long before the advent of Christianity.
What I want to know, and this will involve additional research, is whether early Christians themselves had slaves, how long the Roman government allowed slavery, and so forth. After Constantine, the relationship between Christians & the Roman empire changed dramatically. This might have some effect on slavery, I don't know.
Also, as to the 19th century slave trade, John & Charles Wesley, the founders of Methodism, were very active in the abolition movement in England. North American Christians such as a Harriet Beecher Stowe, and many others I can't name right now were also very influential abolitionists. I'm sorry to say that the Southern slave-holders were more interested in their cash flow, than doing the right thing. (And yes I know that Lincoln wasn't a Christian.)
[ Follow Ups ] [ Exmormon.org- Honest Inquiry Message Board ] [ FAQ ]