English Assignment Samples

Assignment Sample On Approach Of Bible Towards “southern Slavery"

Approach of Bible towards “southern slavery"

"With the use of the word nigger, it is important for us to remember the mutable nature of human language. What today constitutes a gross insult did not have the same connections a century ago.[1]" However, today it does not matter what the word "nigger" emphasized when we looked upon the southern slavery. According to Elkins (2013), slavery is recognized as the “most contested issue” in the history of the interpretation of the Bible. It is found that the nation (United States) not only fractures over slavery but also there is an effect of denominations. Until the twentieth century, there was still a discrete division between Northern and Southern Baptists. However, it is also found that Southern Baptists still hold on a position to represent nation's world's largest "Protestant denomination.[2]" In this context, the big question remains same that is “what did slavery mean in the biblical world, and how did biblical authors respond to it?”

How bible defines Slavery?

Johnson (2010) opined that the Old Testament has a different view on slavery than the New Testament. Therefore, if common people have an idea that emphasizes biblical slavery is less brutal than the slavery of the southern slaveholders, and then they are living in an illusion. From the research, it is found that there is no doubt that biblical societies were “slaveholding societies” and they were not less brutal than any other slaveholding cultures.  Wright (2010) opines that remarkably biblical society engages diverse culture, which may include Egyptian, Ethiopian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Roman, Greek and Persian. In every culture, the researchers showed the presence of "holding rights of others" or slavery[3].

Differences between Biblical Slavery and Southern Slavery

      Though the slavery of Biblical society is brutal, there is still a difference line stretched between biblical society and the Sothern slavery. The "treatment" of a slave in the southern part varied based on the place and time. However, the treatments are degrading as well as brutal, which may include sexual abuse (including rape), whipping and mental torturing. Te education for the slaves was partially or completely prohibited in order to reduce the chances of rebellion or escape. On the other hand, though the Old Testament directly regulates as well as sanction slavery, the Bible strictly prohibited the sexual abuse of the slaves. According to the Ten Commandments-

• Exodus 20:17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shall not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s[4].
• Deuteronomy 5:21 Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbor’s wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbor’s house, his field, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or anything that is thy neighbor’s[5].

Another major deviation is observed while comparing the biblical slavery and southern slavery is the Sothern slavery is so brutal that allow beating slaves in such a way that they could die. However, in Hebrew Scriptures (which sanction slavery) stated that although beating a male or female slave is allowed but the Bible does not allow the serious injuries to teeth or eye. The owner can beat the slave but forbidden to kill him or her.

• Exodus 21:20-21 And if a man smites his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he dies under his hand; he shall be surely punished. Notwithstanding, if he continues a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money [property][6].
• Exodus 21:26-27 And if a man smite the eye of his servant, or the eye of his maid, that it perish; he shall let him go free for his eye's sake. And if he smite out his manservant's tooth, or his maidservant's tooth; he shall let him go free for his tooth's sake[7].

According to Old Testament, the Bible recognizes different categories of slaves, which include male Hebrew slaves, female Hebrew slaves, hereditary slaves and non-Hebrew slaves. In Sothern slavery, it is observed that if a slave try to be rebellion or try to escape from the master's shelter, the master had right to beat the slave till death. However, according to Horrell (2010), the escaped slave could not be “handed over” to her or his master and had the power to achieve “full citizenship” among the Israelites[8]:

• Deuteronomy 23:15-16 (NASB): You shall not hand over to his master a slave who has escaped from his master to you. He shall live with you in your midst, in the place which he shall choose in one of your towns where it pleases him; you shall not mistreat him[9].

However, there are several complications about this law, as this law does not provide any detail beyond the verse. On the other hand, the slavery in the New Testament also arguable as the laws in New Testament does not offer any condemnation of slavery. According to the New Testament, the master could not be unfair to their slaves, which does not helpful to demolish the slavery from society. Paul (who wrote the epistles) never made a suggestion that there is something wrong with “slavery.” According to Whitford (2010), it is found that he dare not to choose the abolishment of slavery from the society, as he was afraid to challenge the slave owners in the “early Christian congregations” as well as he was intended to keep a beneficial political term with Roman Government[10]. From New Testament it is found that the slaves should remain loyal to their master for their sake: 

• 1Timothy 6:1-2 (NASB): All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be spoken against. Those who have believers as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are brethren, but must serve them all the more because those who partake of the benefit are believers and beloved. Teach and preach these principles[11].

When we looked upon the Southern Slavery, the brutality of humanity struck us awfully. Whenever the southern slavery is challenged for their brutalism, it is observed that they gave the excuse of having permission from the Bible. They showed that the words of Bible, especially the Old Testament support slavery[12]. However, what they skipped intentionally is the factor “brutality”. Most of the researchers showed in their researches that the brutality of torture and raping is strictly prohibited in the Bible, but the Sothern Slavery culture is well versed for their brutality. However, it was also argued by Sabia (2010), who stated in their work that the brutality to torture a slave was never followed the statements of Bible. Although Bible introduces laws regarding slavery, those were never followed by the masters[13]. The salves in southern area were forced to work for the masters and, in turn, little or no pay for their work. However, in both cases, it is observed that the slaves have no right to refuse to the work given by the masters. In other words, the humanity of the slaves was owned by their masters[14]. However, slavery in Old Testament allowed but also involved different restrictions, situations, and methods. Besides, the Old Testament prohibits the selling and capturing of the people: "Kidnapping was a crime punishable by death.[15]” However, these terms and conditions were never followed by the Southern slavery.

• Exodus 21: 16: Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death[16].

Purpose of Slavery

Today, in an ideal world, the presences of the slaves are not necessary. From the research, it is found that the socioeconomic condition of the Israel “forced” God to allow slavery for a simple purpose. In Old Testament, the slavery was allowed to serve the purpose to “help the poor survive.[17]” The Old Testament also allowed a person to sell himself to a master for slavery in order to pay the debt. God never intended to watch Israel suffer from poverty (Deuteronomy 15:4); however sin made the poverty inevitable (Deuteronomy 15:5).

• Deuteronomy 15:4: But there will be no poor among you; for the L_ORD will bless you in the land that the L_ORD your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess[18]-
• Deuteronomy 15:5: if only you will strictly obey the voice of the L_ORD your God, being careful to do all this commandment that I command you today[19].

However, according to Old Testament, God enacted many laws in order to abolish slavery. Most of these laws are found[20]:

• Deuteronomy 24: When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, and she departs out of his[21] …

Therefore, God allowed "slavery" to deal with the "reality." However, the Sothern Slavery bends laws and gave priority to brutalism and inhumanity in the slavery[22]. They bend laws that could bring peace once in lives and transformed the society into a brutal place. Therefore, in order to make changes in the Southern Slavery, the masters need to follow Bible by its true words.

Bibliography:

Barton, Mukti. "The Bible in Black Theology." Black Theology 9, no. 1 (2011): 57-76.

Barton, David. "The founding fathers and slavery." Retrieved August 8 (2011): 2013.

Brenner, Athalya, and Gale A. Yee, eds. Exodus and Deuteronomy. Fortress Press, 2012.

CompellingTruth.org,. "Why Was Slavery Allowed In The Old Testament?". Last modified 2016. Accessed February 18, 2016. http://www.compellingtruth.org/slavery-Old-Testament.html.

Elkins, Stanley M. Slavery: A problem in American institutional and intellectual life. University of Chicago Press, 2013.

Godandscience.org,. "Slavery In The Bible: Does God Approve Of It?". Last modified 2016. Accessed February 18, 2016. http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/slavery_bible.html.

Goetz, Rebecca Anne. "Slavery and Sin: The Fight Against Slavery and the Rise of Liberal Protestantism. By Molly Oshatz. New York: Oxford University Press, 2012. x+ 184 pp. $49.95 cloth." Church History 82, no. 02 (2013): 479-481.

Horrell, David G. "The Green Bible: A timely idea deeply flawed." The Expository Times 121, no. 4 (2010): 180-186.

Johnson, Sylvester A. "The Bible, Slavery, and the Problem of Authority." InBeyond Slavery, pp. 231-248. Palgrave Macmillan US, 2010.

Sabia, Dan. "Defending immanent critique." Political Theory (2010).

Whitford, David. "A Calvinist Heritage to the “Curse of Ham”: Assessing the Accuracy of a Claim about Racial Subordination." Church History and Religious Culture 90, no. 1 (2010): 25-45.

Wright, David P. "“She Shall Not Go Free as Male Slaves Do”: Developing Views About Slavery and Gender in the Laws of the Hebrew Bible." InBeyond Slavery, pp. 125-142. Palgrave Macmillan US, 2010.

Elkins, Stanley M. Slavery: A problem in American institutional and intellectual life. University of Chicago Press, 2013.

Johnson, Sylvester A. "The Bible, Slavery, and the Problem of Authority." InBeyond Slavery, pp. 231-248. Palgrave Macmillan US, 2010.

Wright, David P. "“She Shall Not Go Free as Male Slaves Do”: Developing Views About Slavery and Gender in the Laws of the Hebrew Bible." InBeyond Slavery, pp. 125-142. Palgrave Macmillan US, 2010.

The Holy Bible

Ibid 4

Ibid 4

 Ibid 4

 Horrell, David G. "The Green Bible: A timely idea deeply flawed." The Expository Times 121, no. 4 (2010): 180-186.

 Ibid 4

 Whitford, David. "A Calvinist Heritage to the “Curse of Ham”: Assessing the Accuracy of a Claim about Racial Subordination." Church History and Religious Culture 90, no. 1 (2010): 25-45.

 Ibid 4

 Godandscience.org,. "Slavery In The Bible: Does God Approve Of It?". Last modified 2016. Accessed February 18, 2016. http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/slavery_bible.html.

 Sabia, Dan. "Defending immanent critique." Political Theory (2010).

 Barton, Mukti. "The Bible in Black Theology." Black Theology 9, no. 1 (2011): 57-76.

 CompellingTruth.org,. "Why Was Slavery Allowed In The Old Testament?". Last modified 2016. Accessed February 18, 2016. http://www.compellingtruth.org/slavery-Old-Testament.html.

 Ibid 4

 Barton, David. "The founding fathers and slavery." Retrieved August 8 (2011): 2013.

 Ibid 4

 Ibid 4

Goetz, Rebecca Anne. "Slavery and Sin: The Fight Against Slavery and the Rise of Liberal Protestantism. By Molly Oshatz. New York: Oxford University Press, 2012. x+ 184 pp. $49.95 cloth." Church History 82, no. 02 (2013): 479-481.

 Ibid 4

Brenner, Athalya, and A. Gale. Yee, eds. Exodus and Deuteronomy. Fortress Press, 2012.