Does God approve of mistreating slaves?

[Mountain Man]

Anyone feel like explaining to MM the difference between men and girls?

That's exactly the sort of strict literalism I expect from a fundy skeptic like you.

[NorrinRadd]

You think a discussion about the Old Covenant versus the New Covenant will make a dent in the ignorant minds of people who can't even seem to understand what the Bible really says about slavery?

Probably not. But it does add more data to the question of what God desires and/or approves.

[Christianbookworm]

By their logic, Christians are in as bad of a state as those poor African slaves.

[Roy]

My understanding is that Hebrew slaves were released every seven years, whereas everyone else (typically P.O.W.s who accepted servitude over death) were freed during the actual Jubilee.

And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant: But as an hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee, and shall serve thee unto the year of jubilee. And then shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return. For they are my servants, which I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: they shall not be sold as bondmen. Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour; but shalt fear thy God. Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you; of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids. Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land: and they shall be your possession. And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession; they shall be your bondmen for ever

Hebrew hired servants serve until the Jubilee; foreign bondsmen serve forever.

[Gondwanaland]

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