Religion Team Challenge

 How do traditional religion view slavery 

How did those views change over time? 

Slavery in the bible. 

Christianity, 

In Christianity, some followers had believed that in the bible when god referred to the word ham, he was referring to black people or people with darker skin color. The word ham is close is the Egyptian word for black(Kem) Only a few branches fo Christianity followed this interpretation of the bible.  In general, for centuries, slavery was permitted and promoted through many church-affiliated states as a way to deal with sin, and if you were a slave, you had sinned and where facing judgment for it. 

Judaism, 

Judaism has a strange history with slavery, they were in fact slaves for a very long time. The idea of slavery is not rejected in religious texts though, and it was common back in the 2nd century for wealthy Jews to own no jews slaves. It was illegal for a jew to own a jew. The idea of slavery was altered by the writing of the Talmud, a very important religious text, where it made becoming free from slavery easier. 

Islam 

Just like most societies, Islamic society’s practiced the slave trade.  Slaves from Africa would be taken and shipped to Islamic countries in the middle east. This occurred at the same time as the Atlantic slave trade to America and when the Atlantic slave trade ended the eastern slave trade continued to grow.  Slavery was altered by Islam though 

   

   Islam greatly limited those who could be enslaved and under what circumstances

• Islam treated slaves as human beings as well as property

• Islam banned the mistreatment of slaves - indeed the tradition repeatedly stresses the importance of treating slaves with kindness and compassion

• Islam allowed slaves to achieve their freedom and made freeing slaves a virtuous act

• Islam barred Muslims from enslaving other Muslims

Christianity

One reason abolitionists are forgotten is that they were inescapably Christian in their motives, means, and vocabulary. Not all abolitionists were orthodox Christians. For the most part, though, most were. But even those who had left the church drew on unmistakably Christian premises, especially on one crucial point: slavery was a sin. Political views could not get in way of political views, and if our country was to use slavery, a form of sin, the country as a whole would need to repent.

Judaism

To begin, in Jewish beliefs states that “Every human life matters” This is definitely visible by the story of Adam, and how 1 human being killed could destroy a whole world. It is no wonder that the Hebrew Bible is so sensitive to human dignity and to freedom as an essential human right. The Bible is actually against the abuses of power, this does include slavery as well as slavery. It is known to break down the biggest of empires. Its main story is of an enslaved people who break free, accept their own laws, and create their own independent state. Even in the 10 commandments, it was expressed as being free from slavery “Slaves above all — is the Fourth Commandment: to rest on the Sabbath in memory of Israel’s liberation from slavery”(Deuteronomy 5: 15). 

Islam

{So when you meet those who disbelieve [in battle], strike [their] necks until, when you have inflicted slaughter upon them, then secure their bonds, and either [confer] favor afterward or ransom [them] until the war lays down its burdens} [Surah Muhammad 47:4].  This is a very unique verse from the Quran because it does not mention slavery being a way to work against slavery. The late journalist and writer Abbas al-Aqqad were not lying when he said that “the Quran legitimizes emancipation and does not legitimize slavery.” However, all that came in the Quran regarding slaves is either to emancipate them, urge their Mukataba (manumission) to redeem themselves, or organize their affairs with kindness, and to be kind to them even in the event of sin…{then for them is half the punishment for free [unmarried] women} [Surah al-Nisa’a 4:25].