Is God a racist?

The Bible says that all the patriarchs had slaves. Abraham, “the friend of God,” and “the father of the faithful,” bought slaves from Haran (Gen. 12:50), included them in his property list (Gen. 12:16, 24:35-36), and willed them to his son Isaac (Gen. 26:13-14). What is more, Scripture says God blessed Abraham by multiplying his slaves (Gen. 24:355). In Abraham’s household Sarah was set over the slave, Hagar. After Hagar ran away the angel told her, “return to your mistress and submit to her.” (Gen. 16:9)

The Bible even depicts the “Lord” making his own ministers slaveholders.
Numbers, chapter 31, says that the Hebrews slew all the Midianites with the exception of Midianite female virgins whom the Hebrews “kept for themselves...Now the booty that remained from the spoil, which the [Hebrew] men of war had plundered included...16,000 human beings [i.e., the female virgins] from whom the Lord’s tribute was 32 persons. And Moses gave the tribute which was the Lord’s offering to Eleazar the priest, just as the Lord had commanded Moses...And from the sons of Israel’s half, Moses took one out of every fifty, both of man [i.e., the female virgins] and animals, and gave them to the Levites [the priestly tribe]...just as the Lord had commanded Moses.”

At God’s command Joshua took slaves (Josh 9:23), as did David (1 Kings 8:2,6) and Solomon (1 Kings 9:20-21). Likewise, Job whom the Bible calls “blameless and upright,” was “a great slaveholder” (Job 1:15-17; 3:19; 4:18; 7:2; 31:13; 42:8)...Slavery is twice mentioned in the ten commandments (the 4th and 10th), but not as a sin. [“Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, or his male slave, or his female slave.” Exodus 20:17]

In these times, god is always pictured as white, what color are these slaves? Why does god think certain people do not deserve freedom?


[edit on 7-12-2008 by The Stand]

When it is talking about slaves, don't automatically assume a different race. The jews had a lot of ways to sell themselves as slaves if the need arose. They'd also take into captivity the nations around them, and they weren't always necessarily a different race.


Remember too that Moses had a wife who was black, and when aaron made fun of him for it, God cursed aaron. So I guess you could say he's pretty against racism from that kind of thing happening.

I'm not christian, but figured i'd toss out some info for ya there.


I've known a good amount of racist christians, but ive also known a lot of racists period, of all different religions.

The bible condones a bunch of other # we now see as rediculous.

The people who follow the exact word of the bible are pick and choosers anyway. Some are racists some are not.

**Disregard, Off topic due to Opening Thread and Subject title edit**
I wonder why lol .


[edit on 7/12/2008 by Omega85]

[edit on 7/12/2008 by Omega85]

Has anybody ever wondered why god would need slaves to get done what he wanted. If he is so great why would he treat certain people this way?

God is not a racist. He's just still very mad about something we did thousands of years ago!

Religion is nothing but a control mechanism for the brain to use to give itself an identity, as are all the emotioms. Learn to control all of your emotions and your mind doesn't NEED a god to condemn and criticise you.
It would also bring about world peace instantly for us to drop all religions.

1. Always be truthful in heart and word.
2. Do not violate the rights of your fellow man.
3. If you have a belief in a god, keep it to yourself. He doesn't need your help no matter how loud that voice in your head is.

Now see how easy that was!

Who needs 10 commandments they can't keep?

peace

Originally posted by TheNetherlands
God is not a racist. He's just still very mad about something we did thousands of years ago!

Sounds fair, burn them all!

No, God is not a racist. I think ones perception of who God is depends on how you choose to interpret the bible. If you are a fundamentalist and believe that the bible should be taken as fact you may view God in one way while if you believe the bible is a book of allegories you will view God in another way.

I've mentioned this book a few times on ATS but The Shack would be a great book for you to read if you want an answer to your "is God a racist" question.

My personal belief is that God is all powerful and all loving. We have free will and because of that there is evil in the world but God is very forgiving. I'm not a fire and brimstone believer. I don't believe that the devil has any power - as a matter of fact - the devil doesn't exist in my life because I only believe that he has power when people give him power.

Jemison

God is not racist, but the PTB would love you to believe God is.

History is written by the victors. I believe the bible has been heavily tampered with since it was first written to make figures of authority seem like they were 'appointed' by God to lead the sheople.

The original version of the Bible: Serve God only.

The modern perversion: Serve the Authorities (Government, Royalty) then God.

The victors were the ones who perverted the original message of Christianity to make certain subjects, like slavery, poverty, or second or even third class citizenship acceptable.

To quote a line from MAD magazine (the pre-Gaines version not the post Gaines corporate sellout version) Barnum was wrong. A sucker is not born every minute. Hundreds of suckers are born every minute.

Organized religion knows and acts on this.