Is slavery a "sinful act"?

[aball1035]

Does slavery go against God, or is it sinful?

I don’t necessarily mean American slavery, but maybe slavery in other times, where they were treated kindly

 

[LemonAndLime]

Does slavery go against God, or is it sinful?

I don’t necessarily mean American slavery, but maybe slavery in other times, where they were treated kindly

What do you mean by “kindly”? What kind of situation is it that you imagine will make “slavery” ok?

My understanding is that the Bible says that slavery is okay in Leviticus, but we don’t believe it is any more. Unlike the rules in the same book about homosexuality. I don’t understand why one rule can be ignored but not the other, but I’m afraid I can’t help but am interested to know the answer.

 

[aball1035]

What do you mean by “kindly”? What kind of situation is it that you imagine will make “slavery” ok?

What I mean is for example, if a family is born into slavery for a rich household, but the masters treat them well

 

[Vince1022]

Does slavery go against God, or is it sinful?

I don’t necessarily mean American slavery, but maybe slavery in other times, where they were treated kindly

Yes it’s sinful and (not or) it goes against God.

 

[Newbie2]

I’m not a historian, but we need to take history and society into account when defining “slavery”.

In certain times and cultures, “slavery” was more like “indentured servatude”. Someone born into a poor family where the parents served a wealthy family had no choice but to continue in the “tradtion” in order to survive. In many cultures, they were treated well, but were still considered a slave “class”.

Such an arrangement would likely not have been considered “sinful”, but more like an economic “enhanced” boss-employee relationship without the employee protections that employees generally enjoy nowadays.

Now the African-American slave trade arrangement was truly a sinful thing; forcefully taking people from their homes and lands and making them slaves, even though there were a fortunate few that had their slavery experience be not quite as bad as others…still, they were not free to leave and seek other opportunities in this country.

But in general, forcing another to do work against their will and not for compensation is sinful…unless they happen to be your minor children. Then it’s called “doing your chores”.

 

[SouthpawLink]

Does slavery go against God, or is it sinful?

I don’t necessarily mean American slavery, but maybe slavery in other times, where they were treated kindly

Just slavery is not forbidden by God - neither in the Old nor New Testaments - or opposed to divine law (the Holy Office upheld just slavery as late as 20 June 1866). Unjust slavery, however, most certainly is wrong and has been repeatedly condemned by the Church over the course of the centuries.

 

[Brendan]

Just slavery is not forbidden by God - neither in the Old nor New Testaments - or opposed to divine law (the Holy Office upheld just slavery as late as 20 June 1866). Unjust slavery, however, most certainly is wrong and has been repeatedly condemned by the Church over the course of the centuries.

Correct.

There are distinctions that need to be made between chattle slavery, where the personhood of the slave is denied, and indentured slavery, where the personhood is confirmed, but the labor is owned.

Modern society still practices th indentured slavery when community service is assigned as a civil punishment, or even in the use of prison labor ( making license plates etc…)

Chattle slavery is an abomination before God, as God created each person AS a person. Indentured slavery is morally neutral. If misused, it can be unjust, but it can also be a moral good ( ie community service)

 

[tommcguire]

The suggestion that slavery of any kind is justified contradicts the teaching of the Catholic Church.

“Human institutions, both private and public, must labor to minister to the dignity and purpose of man. At the same time let them PUT UP A STUBBORN FIGHT AGAINST ANY KIND OF SLAVERY, whether social or political, and safeguard the basic rights of man under every political system.”

From Gaudium Et Spes, The Church in the Modern World), Vatican II, Paragraph 29…emphasis added…worth reading this important document as back ground to any comments on social issues.

 

[agnes_therese]

What I mean is for example, if a family is born into slavery for a rich household, but the masters treat them well

Treat them well? By owning them like cattle? There’s no such thing. Some may have treated their slaves better than others, but that’s certainly no justification for claiming to own another human being.

 

[Hadrianus]

I would agree with Southpaw and Brendan. The Church has never considered slavery to be a good, but at the same time certain forms of slavery such as indentured servitude are not contrary to the Natural Law per se and cannot be considered intrinsically evil.They entail evils so often, however, that from the earliest times Christians encouraged the abolition of slavery.

The African slave trade which required the forced enslavement of previously free people is something which the Roman Pontiffs opposed from the very beginning, but without much effect. Gregory XVI was the last Pope to condemn it about 1840. The last slaves held in the United States were freed by the 13th amendment in December of 1865. The Emperor of Brazil freed the slaves there in 1883 I believe, and the last slaves in any Western country were, I think, those of Cuba where slavery finally ended during the Spanish American War, but I am not sure about that.

 

[Hadrianus]

PS With reference to slavery being a sinful act, what can be said is that in those societies where it existed, owning slaves was not sinful per se, provided their fundamental rights to life, family etc were not violated. To enslave those born free was however a sunful act and would be today as well. Unfortunately slavery de facto still exists, especially in some Muslim countries.

 

[aball1035]

PS With reference to slavery being a sinful act, what can be said is that in those societies where it existed, owning slaves was not sinful per se, provided their fundamental rights to life, family etc were not violated. To enslave those born free was however a sunful act and would be today as well. Unfortunately slavery de facto still exists, especially in some Muslim countries.

O ok, thank you Hadrianus. I was wondering if it was an evil act in itself like abortion or murder. But this makes sense.

 

[RobbyS]

What do you mean by “kindly”? What kind of situation is it that you imagine will make “slavery” ok?

My understanding is that the Bible says that slavery is okay in Leviticus, but we don’t believe it is any more. Unlike the rules in the same book about homosexuality. I don’t understand why one rule can be ignored but not the other, but I’m afraid I can’t help but am interested to know the answer.

Slavery is referred to in the 13th Amendment as “involuntary servitude,” which provides an historic context for the institution. Note that people in prison fall into this category. Indeed, military conscription more or less does and prisoners of war. The institution probably began with war. Capture members of the other tribe and forced boys, girls, women and men into the service of captors. In Egypt, it began with the confiscation of lands by the Pharoah. It began with taxes.

 

[tommcguire]

See Catechism of the Catholic Church @2414

There are more human persons in slavery today then in the 19th century.

Any acts for whatever reason, selfish or commercial, which lead to the enslavement of human beings (bought and sold like merchandise) are against human dignity. These acts reduce a person by violence to an object. Paul asks Christian masters to treat a slave “as a beloved brother” (Philem 16).

 

[Dakota_Roberts]

Chattel slavery, like the kind that the US practiced is intrinsically evil because it denies person-hood, on the other hand indentured servitude is not intrinsically evil because person-hood is confirmed

 

[Vince1022]

Just slavery is not forbidden by God - neither in the Old nor New Testaments - or opposed to divine law (the Holy Office upheld just slavery as late as 20 June 1866). Unjust slavery, however, most certainly is wrong and has been repeatedly condemned by the Church over the course of the centuries.

So are you saying the Catholic Church approves some slavery, just not all? Thanks for any clarification. And Catholic reference.

 

[Dakota_Roberts]

So are you saying the Catholic Church approves some slavery, just not all? Thanks for any clarification. And Catholic reference.

Yes, but the usage is different from the “normal” definition of slavery that to call it slavery is a strawman, basically it refers to serfdom

 

[tommcguire]

How can anyone find justification for indentured slavery? Catholic Social teaching on human dignity of every human person, solidarity, equality, rights of the worker and many other principles make indentured slavery unacceptable.

When a person sells him or her self to another an unequal relationship is created. The person selling becomes an object to be used by the person buying. In such a relationship, how can there be human solidarity? The indentured slave becomes “property” capital to be used in production.

Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, Par #281 would rule the possible relationship of owning the labor of a human person.

“The relationship between labor and capital also finds expression when workers participate in ownership, management and profits. This is an all-too-often overlooked requirement and it should be given greater consideration. On the basis of his work each person is fully entitled to consider himself a part-owner of the great workbench where he is working with everyone else. A way towards that goal could be found by associating labor with the ownership of capital…”

Worth reading Compendium on Dignity of Human Work, Par # 270-286.

The concept of identgured slavery is used to enslave many today in the sex trade in the United States.

 

[Dakota_Roberts]

How can anyone find justification for indentured slavery? Catholic Social teaching on human dignity of every human person, solidarity, equality, rights of the worker and many other principles make indentured slavery unacceptable.

When a person sells him or her self to another an unequal relationship is created. The person selling becomes an object to be used by the person buying. In such a relationship, how can there be human solidarity? The indentured slave becomes “property” capital to be used in production.

Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, Par #281 would rule the possible relationship of owning the labor of a human person.

“The relationship between labor and capital also finds expression when workers participate in ownership, management and profits. This is an all-too-often overlooked requirement and it should be given greater consideration. On the basis of his work each person is fully entitled to consider himself a part-owner of the great workbench where he is working with everyone else. A way towards that goal could be found by associating labor with the ownership of capital…”

Worth reading Compendium on Dignity of Human Work, Par # 270-286.

The concept of identgured slavery is used to enslave many today in the sex trade in the United States.

serfdom≠slavery
see England circa 1000 AD, isn’t slavery in the modern definition

 

[Vince1022]

Yes, but the usage is different from the “normal” definition of slavery that to call it slavery is a strawman, basically it refers to serfdom

Thanks. So, what slavery does the Catholic Church approve?