Slavery is a topic that has bounced around from one corner of the world to the other, as it started to become outlawed. Yet, today, it still exists. Throughout our human timeline, slavery has played a role in some of the largest and most long-standing religions and countries in the world. Right now, we are going to focus on religion and what they say about slavery and what they don’t. Three of the largest religions in the world: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, have their own history and ideologies about slavery.
Christianity is the largest religion in the world and has a dark past with slavery. Through many centuries slavery was promoted by church-backed countries such as Rome France, and England. The catholic church believed that slavery was a way to deal with sin so by enslaving people it was ultimately a punishment for their wrongs. Some branches of Christianity created a racist ideology, where darker-skinned people were enslaved. Current day Christianity has changed a lot. Christianity was actually a driving force in the freedom of American slaves. One reason abolitionists are forgotten is that they were inescapably Christian in their motives, means, and vocabulary. Not all abolitionists were orthodox Christians. For the most part, though, most were. But even those who had left the church drew on unmistakably Christian premises, especially on one crucial point: slavery was a sin. Political views could not get in way of political views, and if our country was to use slavery, a form of sin, the country as a whole would need to repent.
Judaism is the world’s oldest monotheistic religion and throughout its history it had has varying opinions on slavery. In the early times of the religion, slavey was seen to be normal, the Jews had certain guidelines, that were described in the religious text, the Talmud. The Talmud was a text that has a lot of significance to the Jews, It states that a Jew can only own a non-jew as a slave. The Jewish slave system was a lot more dynamic than most other forms of slavery, it was possible for slaves to be granted their freedom and the treatment of the slaves was a lot more human. As well as Christianity, Judaism took a turn towards the abolishment of slavery. To begin, in Jewish beliefs states that “Every human life matters” This is definitely visible by the story of Adam, and how 1 human being killed could destroy a whole world. It is no wonder that the Hebrew Bible is so sensitive to human dignity and to freedom as an essential human right. The Bible is actually against the abuses of power, this does include slavery as well as slavery. It is known to break down the biggest of empires. Its main story is of an enslaved people who break free, accept their own laws, and create their own independent state. Even in the 10 commandments, it was expressed as being free from slavery “Slaves above all — is the Fourth Commandment: to rest on the Sabbath in memory of Israel’s liberation from slavery”
Islam is a major religion in the world, and yet, it still has ties to slavery. When people think of slavery in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries the main thought goes to the Atlantic slave trade and the slaves in America. What people don't know, is that at the same time people from Africa were being taken and shipped to the east, to places in the middle east and largely Muslim territories. Slavery had a different, image in the east though, slaves were seen as people, and were granted their freedom if they worked hard enough for it. When a slave was granted freedom, it was a celebration where even the slave owner would celebrate the freedom that was being given. Islam states that the poor treatment of slaves is illegal, and all slaves should be treated with kindness and compassion. {So when you meet those who disbelieve [in battle], strike [they're] necks until, when you have inflicted slaughter upon them, then secure their bonds, and either [confer] favor afterward or ransom [them] until the war lays down its burdens} [Surah Muhammad 47:4]. This is a very unique verse from the Quran because it does not mention slavery being a way to work against slavery. The late journalist and writer Abbas al-Aqqad were not lying when he said that “the Quran legitimizes emancipation and does not legitimize slavery.” However, all that came in the Quran regarding slaves is either to emancipate them, urge their Mukataba (manumission) to redeem themselves, or organize their affairs with kindness, and to be kind to them even in the event of sin…{then for them is half the punishment for free [unmarried] women} [Surah al-Nisa’a 4:25].
Slavery still exists today and is it’s bigger than ever before, for a long time in human history, religion played a role in the enslavement of people. But, just like anything, things change, and people have reformed the drastic ways of thinking that existed when we first were created. We were able to overcome and change major religions that have stood for the test of time. There will always be radicle branches on the religion tree, but that doesn’t mean they speak for a whole group of people or religion.
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