In reply to dermdoc
Agreed and Agreed.
Before I ask my follow up question, I recognize that it is a question that cannot be answered with certainty. The question is this:
Imagine if the gospels had included quotes from Jesus that very specifically and explicitly condemned slavery and went on to define it as distinct from something like a serf/feudal system as forcing someone to work for you as your property against their will. And imagine the gospels went on to very explicitly state that people of different skin colors were equally valuable and should not be treated differently.
Do you think there is a scenario where something like this from Jesus, being included in the Bible, might have prevented the confusion and misinterpretation that occurred amongst Christians through much of history, but specifically 1500s through 1800s?
dermdoc said:I agree with you. But I can not re write history.kurt vonnegut said:
Trying a different approach -
Assuming Christianity to be true . . . Would we agree that doing good is preferable to doing bad? If yes, can we say that an alternate human history where the African Slave Trade never happens, Christians put an end to slavery in the 1500s, and then start encouraging the rest of the world to do the same - is all preferable to the history we have?
There are follow up questions, but I want to see where we are at this point.
And I do not think you can ascribe historical bad actions by Christians to the present day church.
Agreed and Agreed.
Before I ask my follow up question, I recognize that it is a question that cannot be answered with certainty. The question is this:
Imagine if the gospels had included quotes from Jesus that very specifically and explicitly condemned slavery and went on to define it as distinct from something like a serf/feudal system as forcing someone to work for you as your property against their will. And imagine the gospels went on to very explicitly state that people of different skin colors were equally valuable and should not be treated differently.
Do you think there is a scenario where something like this from Jesus, being included in the Bible, might have prevented the confusion and misinterpretation that occurred amongst Christians through much of history, but specifically 1500s through 1800s?