[Vision2020] Slavery in the Bible

[Tony]

 Ralph, I surprise you because you completely misunderstand me.  I don't 
find the letter you cited gratuitously harsh.  I specifically mentioned 
getting that impression from a number of letters you have had published in 
the Lewiston Tribune over the years.  I am confident that you quoted 
correctly from the Bible.

-T
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ralph Nielsen" <nielsen at uidaho.edu>
To: "Tony" <tonytime at clearwire.net>
Sent: Thursday, February 01, 2007 8:56 PM
Subject: Re: Slavery in the Bible


> You really surprise me, Tony. In what way is this letter  "gratuitously 
> harsh toward Christians"? Did I not quote correctly  from the Bible?
>
> Ralph
>
>
> On Feb 1, 2007, at 6:14 PM, Tony wrote:
>
>> Ralph, I was referring to any number of your letters over the years  that 
>> seemed to be gratuitously harsh toward Christians, letters  which I read 
>> in the Tribune.  I try desperately to avoid involving  myself in what 
>> appears to me to be a very personal and  unnecessarily hostile campaign 
>> against Christ Church.
>>
>> Take care,   -Tony
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ralph Nielsen"  <nielsen at uidaho.edu>
>> To: "Tony Simpson" <tonytime at clearwire.net>
>> Sent: Thursday, February 01, 2007 11:00 AM
>> Subject: Fwd: Slavery in the Bible
>>
>>
>>> Tony,
>>> This will soon appear in the Daily News up here. And you know who  Doug 
>>> Wilson is.
>>> If you think it is lampooning Xians, please explain why.
>>> Ralph
>>>
>>> Begin forwarded message:
>>>
>>>> From: Ralph Nielsen <nielsen at uidaho.edu>
>>>> Date: January 31, 2007 12:39:47 PM PST
>>>> To: letters at dnews.com
>>>> Subject: Slavery
>>>>
>>>> I'm sure many readers of the Daily News were shocked to read the 
>>>> front page story "Slavery lives on in the United States" (Jan. 30).
>>>>
>>>> Unfortunately, slavery is not condemned in the Bible. In fact,  God 
>>>> himself approves of it. Hebrew male slaves are to be set free  after  6 
>>>> years, but Hebrew female slaves and all foreign slaves  will be  slaves 
>>>> forever. Slaves may be bought and sold, just like  any other  kind of 
>>>> property. When you die, your relatives inherit  your slaves.  If your 
>>>> slaves marry and have children, their wives  and children  are also 
>>>> your property. If you beat a slave so  severely that he or  she dies 
>>>> after a day or two, you shall  suffer no penalty "for the  slave is the 
>>>> owner's  property" (Exodus 21:21). So according to God,  property 
>>>> rights  are more important than human rights.
>>>>
>>>> But don't get the idea that slavery was condemned in the New 
>>>> Testament. Jesus never spoke a word against it but accepted it  as 
>>>> perfectly natural (Luke 12:41-48; etc.). So did Paul. In  fact, he 
>>>> made a slave's obedience to his owner a religious duty  (Ephesians 
>>>> 6:5-8; etc.).
>>>>
>>>> Beware of dishonest Bible translations, like the King James   Version, 
>>>> which give "servant" where the Hebrew or Greek text   distinctly says 
>>>> "slave."
>>>>
>>>> And if you still don't think that God approves of slavery, just  ask 
>>>> Doug Wilson, the pastor of Christ Church in Moscow. He will  agree 
>>>> with me that slavery is Biblical.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Ralph Nielsen
>>>> 334 Lauder Ave.
>>>> Moscow ID 83843-2514
>>>> (208) 882-7338
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>
>>
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