18+ General Discussion Forum

http://www.serve.com/thibodep/cr/slavery.htm

Gives a quick summary of where to find Biblical support for the institution of slavery.

Your second point is valid though, but I would state that it was a function of morals and ethics not any divine interference. We now have a much better system of ethic and morals than were practiced by any group in history. I would state that our moral understanding has grown because of the increase in knowledge of the world and human nature than of any reference to religion.

We can cherry pick passages from the Bible to support slaver and to support anti slavery, just as we can cherry pick passage to support just about anything else. I think that this proves that reference to a static work to provide moral instruction is flawed, as it does not and cannot provide for improved knowledge of the causes of immoral behaviour, and in fact whether a practice is immoral or not in the first place.

I suggest that any system of moral and ethics must derive from the most recent discoveries and thinking, based on the whole sum of our knowledge to date. This can and will be changed as new discoveries are made, meaning that any ethical or moral system will be considered imperfect, it will just be the best one we have right now.

The proper judge of any system of morals or ethics is whether they do what they purport to do. Do they in fact lead to better treatment of people or do they lead to events contrary to their own teachings.

I think with the fact there is still intolerance and hate in the world proves that none of our systems of morals or ethics are anywhere near perfected as of yet. We can only try to improve them based on new truths we discover.