A Statement on the Overturn of Roe v. Wade

On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States overturned Roe v. Wade.  This was a decades long effort by the Republican party to make abortion illegal (ironic, since it was a Republican dominated court who decided Roe v. Wade in the first place in 1973).  Religious groups around the country celebrated.  But what exactly did this mean?  What exactly were they celebrating?

The fact is that the word "abortion" is never mentioned once in the Bible, neither the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) or New Testament.  The New Testament is completely silent on the subject.  

The Bible never actually states that a pregnancy begins when a sperm fertilizes an egg.  We must keep in mind that in the ancient world, there were really only guesses as to how a pregnancy got started.  The original Greek theories were that it had something to do with a preformed body inside of an egg.  It was assumed that men were always fertile, and that if a woman could not get pregnant, it was somehow her fault.  Sperm was not discovered until 1677, several decades after the KJV translation of the Bible into English used the word "conception" several times to refer to the act of becoming pregnant.  Fertilization - the act of a sperm joining with an egg - was not discovered until 1876. 

The Hebrew root word herown, which is translated as "conception" in several English translations, in other verses simply means "pregnancy" or "childbirth".  (Genesis 3:16 it's "childbirth", referring to pain in childbirth.  Ruth 4:13 it's referring to her becoming pregnant, but in a general sense - not always translated as "conception".  Hosea 9:11 it's referring to the state of not being able to get pregnant.) The other root word is harah.  This is usually translated in one of two ways: "to conceive" or "to become pregnant". 

While the modern English word "conceive/conception" may refer specifically to fertilization, the first English dictionary (Table Alphabetically, written in 1604) defines it: "conception, conceiuing in the wombe."  There is no mention of fertilization, since it hadn't been discovered yet.  It's a general way to describe the beginning of a pregnancy.

Based on all of this (and on the medical fact that 1/3 to over half of all fertilized eggs never implant in the uterus, and instead pass out through menstrual periods), it cannot be concluded that the Bible states that pregnancy begins at fertilization.  If the fertilized egg does not implant in the uterus, there is no pregnancy. [1]

In the Hebrew Bible, there is no specific command in the Torah that forbids someone to get an abortion / terminate a pregnancy.  In Jewish law, a fetus is not considered a person and life does not begin at conception/fertilization but rather begins with birth and the first breath. In Jewish law and tradition, if a pregnancy is threatening a pregnant person's life or health, it is mandatory for the pregnancy to be terminated, because the pregnant person's life and health takes precedent over the life of the fetus.  "Does Jewish law assert that it is possible to murder a fetus? No, Jewish law does not consider a fetus to be alive.  The Torah, Exodus 21:22-23, recounts a story of two men who are fighting and injure a pregnant woman, resulting in her subsequent miscarriage.  The verse explains that if the only harm done is the miscarriage, then the perpetrator must pay a fine.  However, if the pregnant person is gravely injured, the penalty shall be a life for a life as in other homicides.  The common rabbinical interpretation of this verse is that the men did not commit murder and that the fetus is not a person.  The primary concern is the well-being of the person who was injured." [2].

The total abortion bans being passed by several states in the United States since the fall of Roe not only lack compassion for people who are able to get pregnant, but are often dangerous and threatening to their life and health.  Since June, there have been dozens of stories of people who live in states with bans being denied treatment for miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies, fetal deformities/unviable pregnancies and other pregnancy complications. [3]

To those religious organizations who are celebrating the fall of Roe v. Wade and the subsequent total abortion bans, I must ask, since the Bible states that life begins at birth and a fetus is not considered a person, where is your compassion for the people being directly, terribly affected by these bans?  Where is the love for your neighbor that the Bible commands (Leviticus 19:18)?  Is your celebration truly about life, or about attacking and threatening the lives of anyone and everyone who can become pregnant?

 

References

[1] "The Implications of Defining When a Woman Is Pregnant", by Rachel Benson Gold, Guttmacher Institute: https://www.guttmacher.org/gpr/2005/05/implications-defining-when-woman-pregnant#:~:text=Between%20one%2Dthird%20and%20one,College%20of%20Obstetricans%20and%20Gynecologists.

[2] "Judaism and Abortion", National Council of Jewish Women: https://www.ncjw.org/act/action-resources/judaism-and-abortion-guide/

[3] "Warren Opens Probe Into 'Shocking and Horrific' Impacts of GOP Abortion Bans", by Jake Johnson, CommonDreams.org: https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/08/11/warren-opens-probe-shocking-and-horrific-impacts-gop-abortion-bans?fbclid=IwAR2WS1taK2d5TdAzEVcqUbC38bVFQbW2y7XIv5B6BcjdVL0X7My9bMsL66g

Why Does God Allow Child Abuse?

            *Children should never be left in abusive situations.  If you suspect that a child is being abused or neglected, please call or text the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 or visit their website at childhelphotline.org.  All calls are confidential.

It has been reported that during the COVID-19 pandemic, instances of child abuse have been increasing.  Such statistics give us pause.  One of the hardest questions to contemplate is why God allows suffering – especially in the case of children.  For grown adults who are processing the effects of the abuse they suffered as children – including myself – the question can be haunting.  Where was God?  Why did he let it happen?

                The Scriptures give us one story of child abuse, and that is the story of Joseph, found in the Torah in Genesis 37-50.  Joseph had ten older brothers who were jealous of him due to their father Jacob clearly favoring Joseph.  When Joseph was still young, only a teenager, his brothers threw him into a pit and then sold him into slavery without their father’s knowledge, later telling their father that he had been killed by wild beasts.  At a very vulnerable and crucial time in his development, Joseph was betrayed and abused by his own family members, kidnapped, and taken far away from his home to another country – Egypt – to be subject to forced labor.  While there, he ran the household of a man named Potiphar, but was sexually harassed by Potiphar’s wife, who lied to her husband and said he had assaulted her.  Joseph was then unjustly thrown into prison after being harassed and committing no crime.

                In this situation – having been betrayed and abused by his own family, the chances of him ever going home again almost non-existent, and then being harassed and betrayed by those in power over him – it would have been very easy, even understandable, for Joseph to have lost hope and to have concluded that God had abandoned him.  But he continued to serve others in jail, and eventually was released after correctly interpreting a dream that affected a fellow prisoner, who later told Pharaoh about him.  After correctly interpreting Pharaoh’s dream, Joseph was elevated to second in command of the entire country, got married and had children of his own.

                This would have been a fitting end to the story – Joseph was finally able to rise above the ashes of his painful past and start a new life with a new family.  But his brothers showed up in Egypt during a famine 20 years after he had been sold into slavery, and they did not recognize him when they met him – they thought he was dead.  This would have been a perfect opportunity for revenge – with Joseph’s high rank, he could have had them all thrown into prison or sold them all into slavery.  Given the pain he had suffered over the years because of them, it would have been understandable if he had.  However, he subjected them to tests instead, the final test being one of putting a cup into his younger brother Benjamin’s bag and accusing him of stealing it, saying that he would enslave Benjamin.  The other brothers stepped up and offered themselves in Benjamin’s place.  Realizing that they had changed and repented of their evil, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, forgave them, and had them bring their father and the rest of the family to live with him in Egypt.

                Joseph’s story ended happily.  Not all stories of child abuse end that way.  In some instances, there is forgiveness and reconciliation later in life, but some abusers are not repentant, do not wish to change, or do not even want to acknowledge that they did anything wrong.  Most of our stories will not end as Joseph’s did; we will not become second in command of an entire country, and many of us will not be reconciled with the family members who abused us.  Since our stories will not always work out the way his did, we must come to an understanding of what our own story meant.          

                Did God abandon Joseph when he was a child?  Joseph did not see it that way.  He said to his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20).  Had Joseph never been abused by his brothers, he most surely would have stayed in Canaan and never gone to Egypt.  As a result, the famine that he helped Egypt prepare for when he was second in command would have killed many people.  Joseph found meaning in his tragedy – it had to happen that way, so that lives could be saved.

                If you were abused as a child, as I was, it may take you time to find meaning in what happened.  Where might you have ended up if the abuse had not happened?  Would you live in the same place?  Would you have chosen a different profession?  Would you have met the same people that you met over the years, or would you not have had the opportunity?  Are there skills that you learned, either in childhood or later in life, that you might never have learned had the abuse not occurred?  And, is it possible that the abuse you suffered as a child was a living lesson never to treat others that way, and to build a better life for yourself?

                These are not easy questions, but as Viktor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor, noted in his book “Man’s Search For Meaning” after he survived the concentration camps – “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” 

                Like Joseph, us survivors of child abuse can challenge the notion that we were abandoned by God, and instead work out why the abuse happened to us, what meaning we can draw from it, and how we can use the lessons we learned to build a better life for ourselves moving forward.  Then healing can truly begin.

"How Do I Deal With A Drunk Parent?"

On occasion, I get contacted by people asking for advice.  This was a piece of advice that I wanted to share - something that I hope will help people in this situation.

"How do I deal with a drunk parent?"

           

I'm sorry to hear about your situation.  I know how you feel.  My dad was an alcoholic, and drank the entire time that I was growing up.

The first thing I must emphasize is that this situation is not your fault.  Never take the blame for your parents' drinking, no matter what they might say.  You are responsible for your own actions, and they are responsible for theirs.  Their drinking is their choice.

Secondly, if you are in a situation where a drunk parent is acting violent and physically assaulting you or anyone in your family, you need to get help.  If you are being abused, tell someone - a teacher, counselor, law enforcement, etc.  If your parent is drunk, behaving violently and you have reason to believe that they are at risk of physically harming themselves or someone in your family, call 911. 

Some other tips I can offer: If you're under 18 and living at home with your parents, and they drink often, try to get out of the house as much as possible, with their awareness and permission.  Join some extracurricular activities at school or in the community - sports, music, art, theater, etc.  Either that, or if you're old enough to work, try getting a part time job after school or on the weekends to keep busy.  For me, keeping busy at school and participating in a lot of after school activities greatly relieved the stresses of my home life.

If you have to be at home with a drunk parent and can't leave, try going to your room and just waiting it out.  Listen to music, read books, do something constructive.  If for some reason they compel you to be in the same room as them when they're drunk, the response can vary based on the situation.  As I said before, if they're being violent and physically abusing you, you need to get help from someone outside of your family.  If they're not being physically violent, my suggestion is just to wait it out until you can excuse yourself to your room.  Talking to someone who is drunk, trying to reason with them, usually doesn't work. 

In situations like this, it's tempting to just give up on everything and adopt a rebellious, nihilistic view of things.  Some young people often turn to drugs, alcohol, promiscuity, getting into trouble at school, etc. to ease the tension of their home life.  I wouldn't recommend that.  It really doesn't solve or change anything.  What I would recommend is that you do the best you can in school, learn as much as you can and take care of yourself, so that you can get a good education and a job later in life.  It is possible to rise above extremely difficult circumstances to have a prosperous, fulfilling life.

Being the child of an alcoholic/drug user can be incredibly difficult.  What you need to know is that you matter and that you are loved.  "Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me" (Psalm 27:10, NIV).  Despite our trials and problems in this life, God will never leave us (Hebrews 13:5).  "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit" (Psalm 34:18).  Hang in there, and take good care of yourself.  It gets easier when you grow up and leave home.  It just takes time.     

A message to kids who are being abused / who have been abused: Hang in there.  Cut the abuser out of your life completely as soon as you’re able to do so.  Feed your soul as often as you can.  You can have some happiness in the midst of abuse until you are finally able to leave.  And when you do, run after that happiness with all of your might.    

Common Objections To The Bible

The following are responses to common modern objections raised to the Bible:

1. "God gave many commandments, but he never gave a commandment against rape."

Actually, he did.  It's a verse that critics of the Bible conveniently tend to ignore and skip over:

"But if the man meets the engaged woman out in the country, and he rapes her, then only the man must die.  Do nothing to the young woman; she has committed no crime worthy of death. She is as innocent as a murder victim." (Deuteronomy 22:25-26, NLT)

2. "Many of the commandments in the Old Testament make no sense."

After God rescued the Israelites out of Egypt, God gave them 613 commandments, found in the Torah (Genesis - Deuteronomy).  These commandments were never intended to apply to anyone but the Jewish people (Exodus 19:3-6, 31:16, 34:27; Deuteronomy 5:1-3).  Many of them were never intended to apply outside of the land of Israel, or in the absence of the Temple (Deuteronomy 12:8-14).  Some commandments were intended to keep them in community with God, others to keep a peaceful and orderly society, still others such as the dietary/purity laws to make them distinct from other nations.  These commandments were intended to set the Israelites apart from the rest of the world, so that they would point the rest of the world to God.  The commandments were never a means of salvation or achievement of righteousness - this is done by faith in God and in his sacrifice alone (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:18-25).

3. "There is way too much violence in the Old Testament."

It is true that sections of the Old Testament are violent.  It is important to note that the Bible does not always approve everything that it records.  Just because there is an act of violence recorded in the Bible does not mean that God approves of that act of violence.  Some parts of the Bible, particularly the Hebrew scriptures (Old Testament), are books of history.  The Bible contains many stories where society abandoned God and went wrong, particularly in terms of murder, adultery, rape, polygamy, child sacrifice, incest, etc. (Genesis 29-30, 34; Judges 13-21; 1 Samuel 1:1-8; 2 Samuel 11-13; 2 Chronicles 33:6). 

Critics of the Bible ignore the passages in which people who were usually oppressed and denied their rights in ancient society were given protection under the Law.  The Law offered protection for slaves (Exodus 21:20, 26-27; Deuteronomy 15:12, 23:15-16) and protection and inheritance rights for women - which was a huge deal in a patriarchal society (Exodus 21:7-11; Numbers 27:1-11; Deuteronomy 22:25-26).  Not to mention all of the stories where God expressed his compassion on those who were being oppressed, and rescued people or rewarded them for their faithfulness:

God rescued the Israelites from over 400 years of oppression and slavery in Egypt, where they were being abused and murdered by their slave masters (Exodus 1:11-14, 22, 12:31-42)

God rewarded the midwives who did not submit to Pharaoh's order to murder baby Hebrew boys (Exodus 1:15-21)

God rescued Shadrach, Mesach and Abednego from a fiery furnace; men were plotting against their lives because they refused to bow to idols (Daniel 3)

These are just a few examples of many Biblical stories that show God's compassion and mercy.

Which commandments in the Bible apply to us today?

            A major misunderstanding arises when we attempt to take every single commandment in the Bible and apply them to each of us personally, as people living in the 21st century.  Some commandments, such as the 613 commandments found in the Law (Torah), were never meant to apply to anyone other than the Jewish people (Exodus 19:3-6, 31:16, 34:27; Deuteronomy 5:1-3).  Even among those commandments, some of them were never meant to apply outside the land of Israel, or in the absence of the Temple (Deuteronomy 12:8-14).  Some commandments found in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) were given to specific people, for a specific time period (Genesis 6:9-22; Exodus 7:1-6; Joshua 4; Judges 4:6, 13:13-14). 

            So how can we know which commandments apply to us today?  There are a few guidelines to observe when reading and studying the Bible:

1. Context.  When you see a commandment in the Bible, make sure to study the surrounding verse, chapter and book.  Is this a time-specific commandment?  Was it given to a specific person or nation?  Is this a commandment that was only given to the nation of Israel?

2. Historical background.  Many of the commandments in the Bible were given during the time period and culture of the Ancient Near East.  We must take the historical and cultural background of the text into consideration when reading.

3. Repeated commandments.  Some commandments in the Bible are given multiple times.  Some are given to all mankind, not just to a specific person, group of people or nation.  The following commandments are repeatedly given to all people:

- To fear God (Ecclesiastes 12:13; Zechariah 2:13; Malachi 1:14)

-To worship God (1 Chronicles 16:28-31; Psalm 22:27-28; Isaiah 66:23; Jeremiah 3:17; Zephaniah 2:11; Zechariah 14:16; Malachi 1:11; John 4:21-24; Revelation 14:7, 15:4, 19:10, 22:9)

- Not to murder (Genesis 9:6; Deuteronomy 18:9-12; 2 Kings 16:3; 2 Chronicles 28:3; Matthew 19:16-19)

-Not to worship idols or engage in occult practices (Deuteronomy 18:9-12; 1 Kings 14:23-24; Revelation 9:20)

-Not to have sex outside of marriage (marriage being defined as a lifelong commitment between two unrelated adults consisting of one man and one woman; see Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6) (Leviticus 18, 20; 1 Kings 14:24; Matthew 19:16-19)

- Not to blaspheme (Leviticus 24:15; Isaiah 37:23; Luke 12:10; Romans 2:24)

- Not to steal or be dishonest (Genesis 2:16-17; Matthew 19:16-19)

-Not to treat animals with cruelty (Genesis 9:4; Proverbs 12:10; Matthew 12:11-12)

4. If there is a statement in the Bible that describes an act as something that God views as "evil", "disgusting", an "abomination" or "detestable", it stands to reason that it is something to clearly avoid (Leviticus 18:22; Judges 10:6; 1 Samuel 15:23; 1 Kings 14:9; Proverbs 6:16-19; Ezekiel 14:6).

5. Finally, consider the teaching of Jesus, who emphasized that there are two commandments which all the other commandments hang upon:

"One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:  'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?'

Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ (Deuteronomy 6:5)  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Leviticus 19:18)  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.'” (Matthew 22:35-40, NIV)

Was Jesus A Liar?

The following quotes are taken from evilbible.com: 

"Jesus Lied About Prayer -  "Jesus is quoted many times in the Bible saying that a believer can ask for anything through prayer and receive it.  He even goes so far as to say that mountains and trees can be thrown into the sea simply by praying for it.  This is clearly a lie, and can be proven to be a lie by any believer.  Simply pray for me to be converted to Christianity right away.  Or better yet ask God to move the mountains behind my house.  He could make a lot of converts that way.  If I’m converted today, I’ll post a public apology on my web site and devote my life to kissing God’s a--.  If I’m not converted it would only be fair for you to apologize and devote your life to kissing my butt.

Here are the quotes from Jesus that proves that he lied:

1)  "And Jesus answered and said to them, 'Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, `Be taken up and cast into the sea,' it will happen.  "And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."  (Matthew 21:21-22 NAS)

2)  "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."  (Matthew 7:7-8 NAB)

3)  "Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.  For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst."  (Matthew 18:19-20 NAS)

4)  "Amen, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it shall be done for him.  Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours."  (Mark 11:23-24 NAB)

5)  "And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."  (Luke 11:9-10 NAB)

6)  "And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it."  (John 14:13-14 NAB)

7)  "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you."  (John 15:7 NAB)

8)  "It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you."  (John 15:16 NAB)

9)  "On that day you will not question me about anything.  Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.  Until now you have not asked anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete."  (John 16:23-24 NAB)

A lot of Christians ignore what Jesus actually says in the Bible.  They also tend to add things to the actual words to make them say something else.  If you honestly and truthfully read these quotes, without adding to them, it is very easy to see that Jesus is not saying that God will think about your prayers.  He says God will grant all your prayers.  Clearly, God doesn’t grant all prayers and this proves that Jesus was a habitual liar."

Was Jesus a liar?  Let's examine each of these quotes in context.

1., 4.  Matthew 21:21-22; Mark 11:23-24: Jesus often spoke to his disciples in parables, and told them flat out that he was speaking to them figuratively - using metaphors (see John 16:25).  In other words, when Jesus spoke of a mountain being thrown into the sea, he wasn't talking about a mountain literally being thrown into a sea.  It was a metaphor for faith in God to overcome major obstacles in life.

2., 5. Matthew 7:7-8; Luke 11:9-10: Jesus was talking about something very specific in this passage - the Holy Spirit.  A few verses later, as he was elaborating on his "Ask and it will be given to you" statement, he said the following: "If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13, NIV).  Taken in context, Jesus was talking about his followers asking God to give them the Holy Spirit. 

3. Matthew 18:19-20: Again, this is another quote that is taken out of context.  These verses are part of a larger passage where Jesus was talking about dealing with sin in the church.   

The full passage can be read here:  

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew+18%3A15-20&version=NIV

6., 7., 8.: In John chapters 14 and 15, Jesus was about to be crucified, and was speaking to his disciples one last time.  It is important to notice the verse just before the promise is first given: "Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father" (John 14:12, NIV).  In response to Philip's request to show them the Father (John 14:8), Jesus emphasized that "anyone who has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9, NIV).  He further stated that since he was returning to the Father, his disciples would now be on earth acting as his representatives.  That being the case, the phrase "ask in my name" means asking the Father as a representative of Jesus, who always prayed that God's will would be done (Luke 22:42).  John elaborates on this point in a later letter: "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.  And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him" (1 John 5:14-15, NIV).

9. John 16:23-24: This is another snippet of a much larger passage where Jesus was about to be crucified, and was speaking to his disciples one last time.  Jesus was responding to the disciples' question about what he meant when he said that he was leaving and returning to the Father.  He responded by explaining that he had been speaking figuratively to them (using metaphors - in other words, not to be taken literally), but when he returned they would no longer need to ask him for clarification; they would receive wisdom and clarity directly from God the Father in Jesus' name.  "Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father.  In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf.  No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.  I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father” (John 16:25-28, NIV).

You can read the full text of John chapter 16 at this link:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2016&version=NIV

In conclusion, these statements of Jesus were not meant to be taken as a blanket promise that we could ask for whatever we want and immediately receive it.  Taken in context, many of these verses were speaking of other things entirely.  It is also important to understand that God has given each person a choice regarding their own salvation, and that each person must choose for themselves what to believe.  No one can choose for them, and no one can override their decision.  "He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.  Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God" (John 1:11-13, NIV).

Slavery in the New Testament (Ephesians 6; 1 Timothy 6; Luke 12)

The following quotes are taken from evilbible.com: 

"You would think that Jesus and the New Testament would have a different view of slavery, but slavery is still approved of in the New Testament, as the following passages show."

"Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear.  Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ."  (Ephesians 6:5 NLT)

"Christians who are slaves should give their masters full respect so that the name of God and his teaching will not be shamed.  If your master is a Christian, that is no excuse for being disrespectful.  You should work all the harder because you are helping another believer by your efforts.  Teach these truths, Timothy, and encourage everyone to obey them."  (1 Timothy 6:1-2 NLT)

"In the following parable, Jesus clearly approves of beating slaves even if they didn't know they were doing anything wrong."

"The servant will be severely punished, for though he knew his duty, he refused to do it.  But people who are not aware that they are doing wrong will be punished only lightly.  Much is required from those to whom much is given, and much more is required from those to whom much more is given."  (Luke 12:47-48 NLT)

           

            The passage in the gospel of Luke quoted above is a parable.  Jesus was comparing our relationship with God to that of a master and servant.  He was exhorting his followers to keep watch in his absence, because he was about to be crucified, resurrected and then ascend to heaven until his second coming.  In his absence, those who follow him must take care to act appropriately.    "Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time?  It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns.  Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.  But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk.  The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers" (Luke 12:42-46, NIV).  Jesus had a stern warning for those who deliberately disobey him, and he used a parable that his audience would have been familiar with - the relationship between a master and slave.  Wise and prudent behavior was rewarded, while lazy and abusive behavior was punished.

            Slavery was still common practice during the Roman Empire, when Jesus lived on earth.  Slaves were either prisoners of war or, as during the time period when the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) was written, were those who were poor and in debt, who had voluntarily sold themselves and their children into slavery in order to survive.  Slavery was a reality at the time the Bible was written.  However, there are no statements in the Bible that praise slavery or encourage people to own slaves.  Rather, most of the verses in the Bible that mention slavery are statements regarding how slaves were supposed to be treated.  Just as the verses above exhort Christian slaves to be faithful and honest while working, masters were directed to be good to their slaves.  "And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him" (Ephesians 6:9, NIV). 

See also:

"Why was slavery allowed in the New Testament?"

http://www.compellingtruth.org/slavery-New-Testament.html