:smt059:heart::smt054:heart::smt059 Is there a time limit on this offer? (Given the thread title lol)
I'm so grateful to have received this message on the WWBM forum, Welcome Center and Announcements thread. I mean really, how else could Jesus possibly communicate with me. If there is a hell, I'll be running shit right down there. See y'all soon! xox
Loki, I'd like to take a stab at your question, not with my own wisdom but from a website which I have found to be consistent and fair from a Biblical standpoint. http://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-slavery.html
Hi Ches, good to see you posting again. The link had some interesting analysis of the passages, and the historical difference in defining slavery. My struggle remains why such a brutal, spirit crushing condition is not clearly condemned in the bible in any and all forms. The fact that it is not is diametrically opposed to my view of a loving and caring God. Sometimes I think I should have been born Jewish (Israel literally means "wrestles with God") as I have always had many, many unresolved questions in matters of faith. Always good to find another resource to peruse, so thanks for the link.
Thanks, Loki. I always enjoy your posts. Slavery is one of those things that I also struggle with, along with other ailments that afflict the human race (the death of innocents, sex trafficking, violence of any kind, etc.). The simple answer is that evil exists. Why it has to exist is another matter altogether. Maybe the whole oyster/sand/pearl process gives us a lesson in why adversity and evil exist. Pain and hardship often are the tools used to mold and produce character. As a Christian who believes the Bible and in God, I can tell you that it's a struggle for me too. I question things just like you do. But for me, in the end, it comes down to: If I believe there is a Creator (which I can't deny), do I believe that he has something to say to me and does he have a purpose for creating me? I do my best to live out my beliefs and still respect the beliefs of others (or at least their right to have them). I'm far from perfect, but I hope that my time spent with God is reflected in my life. (Although I do get a li'l too naughty on here at times!!)