17th April 2004, 7:53 AM
Quote: didn't know that God condoned slavery
He doesnt, Abraham was a sinful imperfect man like the rest of us, In Abrahams time people would be sold as slaves for comiting crimes and lose their freedom as a punnishment this was somthing the Egyptians and other ancient goverments had done.The romans did it too soldiers who disorted would be sold as slaves and possibly fight in a Gladiator arena.
the reason Abraham owned slaves was because he had not had any sons untill he was a old man, He needed someone to help care for his sheep and his farm, Seeing as how brutal people in the world treated slaves wiping and so fourth, I think he bought them to save them from that brutality. Mosiac law was not written at that time so Abraham had no guidance in what God thought was wrong so he had to go by what God told him and his own concious. When christianity came Jesus wanted all the slaves to be freed and taught the word of god.