If we follow those who subscribe to the doctrine of women wearing veils, then it can be argued that the most often cited verse is 1st Corinth. 11:5, which states: “But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.” According to many of those who believe women ought to wear veils this verse supposedly implies that a woman’s uncovered head is a woman who does not wear a veil. Such a woman is either dishonoring God, their own physical head or her husband for failing to wear it which implies that they are in disobedience. Some have gone so far as to say it is a sin. Another assumption is that the woman being referred to already has long hair and since they conclude that the covering is a veil then it must be referring to an “additional” covering otherwise it would clash with verse 15 stating that God gave women long hair for a covering. Another conclusion is that women ought to be covered ONLY when praying and prophesying and for men to be uncovered, which would make it seem as though it were something that can be placed on or taken off like a veil. You’ve probably noticed by now it takes several assumptions to reach the conclusion that women ought to wear a foreign object on their heads, despite the lack of evidence. * Does the Bible really give a clear command that women should wear a veil? The first thing that everyone must understand when talking about this topic is that it DOES NOT use the word “veil” or “cloth” or any other physical headwear, as far as the KJV is concerned. It surely mentions that the woman’s head should be covered, and no one disputes this, but it does not say that it should be covered with a veil, a shawl, a bonnet, a cap, or any other specific headwear. Some will use the phrase “head covering” to claim that the passage refers to it when this phrase is not found in the verses within 1st Corinthians 11:1-16. One can find them separately but not together to mean a synthetic covering. Therefore, it would be disingenuous to say that it does. The passage includes the words, cover, covered, uncovered, and covering, but that does not mean we can translate this to mean specifically a veil, a shawl, a bonnet, a cap, or anything else similar. In fact, it would seem more like an adverb rather than a noun. Nevertheless, the word “cover” is unfortunately interpreted by head covering promoters to mean a veil above all other types of headwear, even if there is no evidence to prove that beyond a shadow of a doubt. To do so would mean that one is trying to read more into the verse than what is stated and is not truly seeking an exegesis of the Scriptures. Some have claimed that they are referring to a physical synthetic head covering because the Scriptures seem to indicate that there are two exclusive conditions to wear one and that is when a woman is either praying and/or prophesying. But does this interpretation stand up to logic? If we were to believe that under certain conditions a woman ought to wear a physical head covering, then it stands to reason that under OTHER conditions a woman should be able NOT to wear one. For example, if you are going to argue that a woman ought to wear a veil because the Bible claims there are two conditions, then it is logical to presume that any other condition would ALLOW them to be without one, like speaking in tongues, interpreting tongues, healing the sick, casting out devils, etc. Now if a head covering promoter should claim that there are MORE conditions, then they admit that there aren’t really “two” conditions thereby nullifying the two-condition argument. The reasoning behind why the “two-condition” argument is important for veil promoters is because if these words were actual conditions, then it would seem as though the covering were something that can be placed on or taken off. So even though it does not literally or EXPLICITLY say anything about putting on or taking off a veil. Veil promotors form this belief based on what they believe to be IMPLIED and not by a direct statement. Many people like to believe this because they ASSUME that praying and prophesying are two conditions instead of seeing them as mere examples. * Praying and prophesying were meant to be viewed as examples, not conditions… Now I can understand how someone can mistakenly conclude praying and prophesying as conditions in verse 5, on the surface, but once you read the rest of the verses in context one cannot reach that conclusion. If they were meant to be conditions, then why would Paul say in verse 7… “For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.” If the reason for men not to cover their heads in this verse is because he is the “image and glory of God,” then why assume Paul was saying that there were only TWO conditions in verse 4? Wouldn’t 7 override any supposed conditions? Shouldn’t that make you question that perhaps Paul was just giving a couple of examples? But let’s continue. Verses 8 and 9 give us another understanding that Paul must have been referring to praying and prophesying as examples because he adds the order of creation into the mix. “For the man is not of the woman: but the woman of the man. Neither was the man CREATED for the woman; but the woman for the man.” If Paul states that the creation order has something to do with the reason as to why women ought to cover (in long hair) and men to be uncovered (aka have short hair) then we can conclude that this doctrine must be bound in NATURE. That is to say that it must have taken place since the creation of Adam and Eve and BEFORE the manufacturing of veils or hats, and BEFORE the creation of churches, which is another reason why hair easily fits the mold. This is confirmed when reading verses 13 and 14 when Paul asks you to make an observational judgment that if it is comely (aka pleasant looking/attractive) for a woman to pray uncovered (in short hair) and that even NATURE teaches us that a man with long hair is shameful. The answer of which should obviously be no. Why would Paul ask you to think that something as unnatural as a woman without a hat would look unattractive and then say something as natural as long hair would look off on a man? Paul was saying that not being covered in long hair while praying looks especially uncomely and in the same breath he continues and says men with long hair also looks naturally wrong. * So Is the Covering Long Hair or a Veil? ….. If we examine all the verses from verses 4 to 15 without bias, we should at least agree that at certain points the verses are referring to physical heads and hair. Now some have tried to argue that the covering is somehow Jesus or men (some erroneously add husband here as well). The reason is that they are intermingling the word head in verse 3 that refers to authority with the other word “head” that is being used to refer to the literal head of the human body. One can easily dismiss their interpretation because it wouldn’t make sense if we were to replace the word covering, covered or uncovered with Jesus, man or husband and that the context includes the idea of hair and the shaving and cutting thereof. So, do the words “covered,” “cover,” “uncovered” and “covering” refer to long and/or short hair or some kind of foreign head covering? Some will even say all the above, but if we carefully examine verse 15 we would be getting a clearer picture of what was being referred to in the earlier verses when it mentions these words. “But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her FOR a covering." KJV So if the covering is long hair, then the words “covered” or “cover” (which are synonymous with “covering”) should be understood as long hair as well. If that’s true, then to be “uncovered” would mean “short hair.” If so, then we can get a better picture of verse 4 when it says that it is shameful or dishonorable for a man to pray or prophesy with his head “covered.” Note the similarity of verse 4 to verse 14 that’s because they are both referring to being covered in LONG hair. Therefore there are no two coverings just one which Paul refers to as being covered which he means to be covered in long hair.
@FA-God-s-Words-Matter2 ай бұрын
If we follow those who subscribe to the doctrine of women wearing veils, then it can be argued that the most often cited verse is 1st Corinth. 11:5, which states: “But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.” According to many of those who believe women ought to wear veils this verse supposedly implies that a woman’s uncovered head is a woman who does not wear a veil. Such a woman is either dishonoring God, their own physical head or her husband for failing to wear it which implies that they are in disobedience. Some have gone so far as to say it is a sin. Another assumption is that the woman being referred to already has long hair and since they conclude that the covering is a veil then it must be referring to an “additional” covering otherwise it would clash with verse 15 stating that God gave women long hair for a covering. Another conclusion is that women ought to be covered ONLY when praying and prophesying and for men to be uncovered, which would make it seem as though it were something that can be placed on or taken off like a veil. You’ve probably noticed by now it takes several assumptions to reach the conclusion that women ought to wear a foreign object on their heads, despite the lack of evidence. * Does the Bible really give a clear command that women should wear a veil? The first thing that everyone must understand when talking about this topic is that it DOES NOT use the word “veil” or “cloth” or any other physical headwear, as far as the KJV is concerned. It surely mentions that the woman’s head should be covered, and no one disputes this, but it does not say that it should be covered with a veil, a shawl, a bonnet, a cap, or any other specific headwear. Some will use the phrase “head covering” to claim that the passage refers to it when this phrase is not found in the verses within 1st Corinthians 11:1-16. One can find them separately but not together to mean a synthetic covering. Therefore, it would be disingenuous to say that it does. The passage includes the words, cover, covered, uncovered, and covering, but that does not mean we can translate this to mean specifically a veil, a shawl, a bonnet, a cap, or anything else similar. In fact, it would seem more like an adverb rather than a noun. Nevertheless, the word “cover” is unfortunately interpreted by head covering promoters to mean a veil above all other types of headwear, even if there is no evidence to prove that beyond a shadow of a doubt. To do so would mean that one is trying to read more into the verse than what is stated and is not truly seeking an exegesis of the Scriptures. Some have claimed that they are referring to a physical synthetic head covering because the Scriptures seem to indicate that there are two exclusive conditions to wear one and that is when a woman is either praying and/or prophesying. But does this interpretation stand up to logic? If we were to believe that under certain conditions a woman ought to wear a physical head covering, then it stands to reason that under OTHER conditions a woman should be able NOT to wear one. For example, if you are going to argue that a woman ought to wear a veil because the Bible claims there are two conditions, then it is logical to presume that any other condition would ALLOW them to be without one, like speaking in tongues, interpreting tongues, healing the sick, casting out devils, etc. Now if a head covering promoter should claim that there are MORE conditions, then they admit that there aren’t really “two” conditions thereby nullifying the two-condition argument. The reasoning behind why the “two-condition” argument is important for veil promoters is because if these words were actual conditions, then it would seem as though the covering were something that can be placed on or taken off. So even though it does not literally or EXPLICITLY say anything about putting on or taking off a veil. Veil promotors form this belief based on what they believe to be IMPLIED and not by a direct statement. Many people like to believe this because they ASSUME that praying and prophesying are two conditions instead of seeing them as mere examples. * Praying and prophesying were meant to be viewed as examples, not conditions… Now I can understand how someone can mistakenly conclude praying and prophesying as conditions in verse 5, on the surface, but once you read the rest of the verses in context one cannot reach that conclusion. If they were meant to be conditions, then why would Paul say in verse 7… “For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.” If the reason for men not to cover their heads in this verse is because he is the “image and glory of God,” then why assume Paul was saying that there were only TWO conditions in verse 4? Wouldn’t 7 override any supposed conditions? Shouldn’t that make you question that perhaps Paul was just giving a couple of examples? But let’s continue. Verses 8 and 9 give us another understanding that Paul must have been referring to praying and prophesying as examples because he adds the order of creation into the mix. “For the man is not of the woman: but the woman of the man. Neither was the man CREATED for the woman; but the woman for the man.” If Paul states that the creation order has something to do with the reason as to why women ought to cover (in long hair) and men to be uncovered (aka have short hair) then we can conclude that this doctrine must be bound in NATURE. That is to say that it must have taken place since the creation of Adam and Eve and BEFORE the manufacturing of veils or hats, and BEFORE the creation of churches, which is another reason why hair easily fits the mold. This is confirmed when reading verses 13 and 14 when Paul asks you to make an observational judgment that if it is comely (aka pleasant looking/attractive) for a woman to pray uncovered (in short hair) and that even NATURE teaches us that a man with long hair is shameful. The answer of which should obviously be no. Why would Paul ask you to think that something as unnatural as a woman without a hat would look unattractive and then say something as natural as long hair would look off on a man? Paul was saying that not being covered in long hair while praying looks especially uncomely and in the same breath he continues and says men with long hair also looks naturally wrong. * So Is the Covering Long Hair or a Veil? ….. If we examine all the verses from verses 4 to 15 without bias, we should at least agree that at certain points the verses are referring to physical heads and hair. Now some have tried to argue that the covering is somehow Jesus or men (some erroneously add husband here as well). The reason is that they are intermingling the word head in verse 3 that refers to authority with the other word “head” that is being used to refer to the literal head of the human body. One can easily dismiss their interpretation because it wouldn’t make sense if we were to replace the word covering, covered or uncovered with Jesus, man or husband and that the context includes the idea of hair and the shaving and cutting thereof. So, do the words “covered,” “cover,” “uncovered” and “covering” refer to long and/or short hair or some kind of foreign head covering? Some will even say all the above, but if we carefully examine verse 15 we would be getting a clearer picture of what was being referred to in the earlier verses when it mentions these words. “But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her FOR a covering." KJV So if the covering is long hair, then the words “covered” or “cover” (which are synonymous with “covering”) should be understood as long hair as well. If that’s true, then to be “uncovered” would mean “short hair.” If so, then we can get a better picture of verse 4 when it says that it is shameful or dishonorable for a man to pray or prophesy with his head “covered.” Note the similarity of verse 4 to verse 14 that’s because they are both referring to being covered in LONG hair. Therefore there are no two coverings just one which Paul refers to as being covered which he means to be covered in long hair.
@robertmiller8122 ай бұрын
I would like to add my two cents here after reading this discussion. First of all I believe we should follow the teaching in 1st Corinthians 11. The main problem here is the misunderstanding of 1st Corinthians 11 altogether. I also have made an intense study of this passage, and the obvious conclusion is that Paul was referring to long hair being the covering. The first thing one should take notice is the lack of wording required to conclude that a veil is being referred to here. The word veil or cloth is not in the text if we read from the King James version. If you read from the “modern” versions then you might get that view but not from the Textus Receptus. I would like for you to reread the verses that allegedly refer to a veil which is 4-7 and 13. In those verses we read the words, cover, uncovered and not covered. According to scholars these are used as adverbs. Like if you were to say I am going to cover my feet. No one should be thinking of a veil just the action of being covered. What is missing in these verses are nouns that would prove the idea of veils. Since we should not be assuming anything we should be asking the question what is the thing that a woman should be covered WITH based on the passage ALONE? So if you do the math you would find that Paul refers to hair directly 3 times and then indirectly 4 times with the words shorn and shaven. So if there is no noun for the word veil or cloth yet there are 7 instances of idea of hair, then what are we to conclude? That Paul is referring to hair whether it be short or long. But the counterargument would be that Paul is allegedly telling women to put something on. But that is not exactly true it says a woman should be covered, but he is referring to long hair based on the surrounding verses. But what about that a woman ought to be covered when praying or prophesying? The assumption is a that Paul was referring to only two instances which is not true he was merely giving us two examples. This also applies to men about being uncovered. Evidence of this is written in the forgoing verses. Paul writes that men ought not to cover because he is the image and glory of God. And then Paul goes into how woman was made for man and is the glory of the man. So it would seem that man shouldn’t be covered at any time if he is the glory and image of God. Paul also mentions that the mere observation of a praying woman should make us note how uncomely (unappealing in appearance) for a woman to be uncovered. Paul states this in a way that it should be obvious to anyone that she looks off in verse 13. He does this again in verse 14 about how shameful it looks if a man has long hair. He says it this way… Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? KJV So this judgement that we should make is exclusively based on observation of an “uncovered” woman as well as a long haired man. Two consecutive questions both appealing to something innate or within us. Paul is in essence saying that it should be obvious to see that something is wrong or off. So how is it that for the women we are somehow to know within us that a woman would be unappealing in appearance without a manufactured veil? That does not seem logical especially since the word veil is never mentioned. Unless that is not what Paul is meaning but rather that if the woman was not covered in long hair (meaning her hair is short) doing something holy or godly LIKE praying or prophesying. I think most people can relate that looking at a woman with short hair does have an unappealing appearance. It naturally provokes head turns. And if there was any question Paul flat out states what he was talking about in verse 15. So the facts are that there no nouns to use as evidence of a veil. There is evidence that Paul was using praying and prophesying as examples. Paul appeals to nature and something innate within us to judge that being uncovered or covered (meaning having short hair or long hair) should be obvious to all. So this cannot make sense with a manufactured veil.
@ante-nicenechristianity2 ай бұрын
Paul made it clear that the head-covering is one of the traditions he passed down to them. It has nothing to do with a specific culture. All women in the Old Testament were required to wear face coverings and not expose one inch of their skin. This rule continued in the New Testament. All of the church fathers agree, women are to cover their faces. We made a video on the subject. Stop teaching your own man-made interpretation.
@AnninJaredT3 ай бұрын
What denomination is this church? Are you confessional?
@MagnifyChurchOK2 ай бұрын
We are a part of the Southern Baptist Convention and hold to the "Baptist Faith and Message 2000." We also have a Believer's covenant for anyone who wants to join Magnify as a member. You can view that and find other information about our church here magnifychurchok.com/beliefs
@pauls.63605 ай бұрын
What an absolutely ridiculous conclusion. It's an optical illusion, not evidence of a god.
@MrNateHinton6 ай бұрын
There's laid out pattern of scrupsture that the prophets SAID that they did what god said... What god said and what was actually done is wholly unfounded. Thank you for listening to my ted talk, leave your cult
@RedRabbitEntertainment8 ай бұрын
Love the strangers in your land, reject idolatry.
@esteroth52908 ай бұрын
Your church should lose its tax exempt status.
@nathangerber15479 ай бұрын
I think Utah is a pretty decent example of this at the state level.
@nathangerber15479 ай бұрын
But I’m a little biased.
@jasonheavin93809 ай бұрын
Amen to this 🙏
@justinsane78329 ай бұрын
"He gets to define good" therein lies the problem. Your god is evil and benevolent and HIGHLY jealous. He's also not real. Read your bible and stop thinking that its worded the same way the pastors say it is. Its lies and they have to continue the lie to keep it relevant. Idk whats out there, if anything, but i sure af hope its not your god.
@nickbrasing8786 Жыл бұрын
This is not really my area, but Pastor Knox asked me to comment so I suppose I will. And while I think I understand your argument here, that the genocide was justified because of the nature of the sins of the Canaanites, I'm not really sure it works as an explanation for me to be honest? I just don't honestly see how you justify punishing the Canaanites for the sacrifice and killing of some of their babies, by going in and killing ALL of their babies? To show that killing babies is wrong? Even though God killed all the babies on earth during the flood? It just seems to boil down to me that if God ordered it, then it was just and good. It just seems like another one of those things in the Old Testament (like the condoning of slavery amongst many others), that we have to find an excuse for. And it's not just today that people struggle with the seemingly different characters of God between the old and new testaments. Within a 100 years of Jesus, Marcion, a Christian, argued that the God of the Old Testament was not the same God as the God of the New Testament. And it's because of stories like this. The NT is all about love, forgiveness and turning the other cheek, while in the OT it was killing and genocide? To me at least it boils down to what at least sounds like a religious war. We were justified in what we were doing because the other side is worshiping the wrong God. And we want their land because God told us it was ours. We have the correct God and you don't. History is littered with this rationale for wars, and Christianity seems to be little if no different? At least to me. And I in no way mean that in a mean, spiteful or disrespectful way. That is not my intent here at all. In fact, I wouldn't have even left a comment here if I wasn't asked to. But as I said, I don't see how you punish a people for killing some of their babies by going in and killing all of their babies. And all of them as well. It just sounds like a "Do as I say, not as I do" sort of thing. And to me, I would have expected better from God? And again, I know that sounds horribly sacrilegious and I apologize for that. I'm just being honest here.
@cygnusustus Жыл бұрын
You are so close to realizing that your scriptures are the rambling mythology of ignorant, superstitious, barbaric, bronze-age goat herders. Keep going. You'll get there. God is clearly ENDORSING slavery in Leviticus 25:44-46. You try to doge this by focusing on the word "may", but that word is not in the original Hebrew. That is only in English translations, and even then only in some of them. Other translations do, in fact, use the word "shall". God clearly sees foreign slaves as his gift to the Israelites. Psalm 2:8 "Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession." Deuteronomy 23:15-16 did not apply to slaves of the Hebrews. It only applied to slaves escaping from enemy nations. There was nothing revolutionary about that. It's a strategic tactic for war. Exodus 21 only provides protections to Hebrew indentured servants. Those protections did not apply to foreign chattel slaves. Read Exodus 21:2. I'm pretty sure you were told this previously, so what is your excuse for avoiding it? Leviticus 19:20-21 does not provide any punishment for raping a female slave that is your property. The crime it describes is a property crime against what man owns the woman.
@nickbrasing8786 Жыл бұрын
I like the way this was done, as a dialogue between both sides of the issue. But one of your major foundations for your apologetics is, in your words: "God knows they would be unwilling to eradicate slavery because of the pervasiveness of slavery in the culture around them" Which sounds like a reasonable argument until you realize that God told them they could own slaves BEFORE they ever owned their first slave. So there was no pervasiveness of slavery within the Hebrew culture when God told them they could own slaves. But it was in the cultures all around Israel one they got to the promised land you might say. To which I guess I would respond, So? God was laying down laws based on the laws that already surrounded Israel was He? Wasn't Israel supposed to be the example to the surrounding nations? He instituted numerous laws that were different from the surrounding nations. That was part of Israels purpose. To be an Godly example to the world. And yet slavery is the exception. And one of the reasons why this is an issue. Why couldn't God have just thrown in one sentence, keep all the same rules and regulations if you want, but just tell us it was wrong, a sin, immoral or against His will. Take your pick. Just like Jesus did with divorce. Jesus could have thrown in slavery to that discussion and I don't think you would have to make videos like this. It literally would have been that simple. But He didn't. And I just can't wrap my head around that. It is exactly the opposite of what I would have expected the Bible to say on something as bad as slavery. But conversely, pretty much exactly what I would have expected a group of Bronze Age people to have come up with. Who didn't actually think slavery was wrong in the first place. You have to admit, that makes more sense doesn't it? Just something to think about I guess?
@MagnifyChurchOK Жыл бұрын
I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate the thoughtfulness and carefulness you put into your responses here. I like the way you approach the issue, essentially asking is God's silence on the actual morality of slavery consistent with the rest of the established purposes of the Mosaic law (i.e. that they would be intentionally different and set apart from other nations around them in order to be a "Godly example to the world")? First, I think we do need to acknowledge the fact that slavery was virtually universal in the Ancient Near East. While Israel was still an infant nation prior to receiving any law from God, they were deeply affected by the meta-culture of their region (ex. creating a Golden Calf to worship while Moses is on Mt. Sinai in Exodus 32). Therefore, I do not think it is unreasonable to think that the Israelites' hearts would have been too hard to do away with a prevalent economic structure they would have viewed as vital to building a strong nation (like they saw in Egypt). Second, when it comes to the question of "Why couldn't God have just thrown in one sentence... just tell[ing] us it was wrong, a sin, immoral or against His will," I think you have a great point. And my genuine and honest answer is, "I don't know." I don't know why God chose to not include a line such as "God hates slavery" and then follow it up with, "But if you own slaves, you must do it this way." And, honestly, I wish He had included this. What I do know is that slavery is outside of God's design for humanity (as it is not found in Genesis 1-2 or the the new creation in Revelation 21-22). Additionally, I think we get a potential glimpse into God's motives for not including a statement like this through Paul in Philemon. He mentions to Philemon that, while it would be within his right and authority as Philemon's sort of 'father in the faith' to require Philemon to release Onesimus (Philemon 8-9), he wants Philemon to come to the decision to release him "not by compulsion but of [his] own accord" (Philemon 14). Perhaps God desires His people to come to value and love humanity as a thankful response to the value and love that Jesus instilled in them through His death for them on the cross. And maybe His plan was for this instilled value (as opposed to a commanded value) would impassion His people to one day push against an institution which had stood across the world for thousands of years as we saw in the abolitionist movements in 18th and 19th century Europe and America. Maybe not a fully satisfying answer, but I do think it gives a potential explanation as to why a phrase like that wasn't included. Lastly, I don't think the Mosaic laws we see on slavery are what one ought to expect of a legal document written by a Bronze Age people who already believe slavery is right. I don't think you would see so many provisions for slaves to be provided for (beyond what was strictly necessary to insure continued production) or the provisions that allow slaves to go free if they have been severely harmed (which throughout history has been the tried and true method to insure production from slaves). The humanizing qualities of these laws seems to decrease the likelihood that these laws came from a people who believed slavery was their right and morally acceptable. In fact, one could argue that features like these actually can be better explained as authored by a God who wanted His people to stand out in the midst of the surrounding nations whose slavery practices were far less humanizing. Man, sorry for the novel! I just wanted to do my best to answer each thoughtful response you made in as charitable a way as you responded. Thanks again!
@nickbrasing8786 Жыл бұрын
@@MagnifyChurchOK Right back at you Pastor. I could not agree more, it's respectful and meaningful conversations like this that keep me participating. "asking is God's silence on the actual morality of slavery consistent with the rest of the established purposes of the Mosaic law" Not exactly the way I would have put it. More of "is God's condoning of and never once saying a word against lifelong chattel slavery itself, actually indicative of God's opinion on the morality of slavery" would be closer to the mark I think. You have to admit that if you asked 100 regular Christians sitting in pews today what God thinks about slavery, 99 of them would probably say that He's against it. And yet the opposite is actually in the Bible. It's why I think that the common apologetics around this is to try to argue the Bible doesn't really mean what it says. Simply because it's so contrary to what we would have expected God to say on a subject so seemingly black and white. Knowing the truth creates an uncomfortable cognitive dissonance in the Christian. So all they want to hear from clergy, or a well known apologist is that the Bible doesn't say that. Or that it doesn't mean what it says. Then they tick a box and move on with their lives. Never looking for themselves. And I've said this a hundred times to clergy here, and elsewhere that this is a risky game to play. Because when they think they know the answer and they run into someone like me, then you run the risk of that person now questioning everything they've been told by someone they used to trust. Be honest, even if the answer is "I don't know". Which is why I respect your answer above. Because in some cases this is exactly what you say. We're much better off saying "I don't know" than pretending to know. Or simply lying or misrepresenting. Being uncomfortable with "I don't know" is a good thing. It's drives us to learn and discover the actual answer. Something we would never do if we simply pretend we know. It's how we learn and progress. So kudos and respect to you on that front. But, "I do not think it is unreasonable to think that the Israelites' hearts would have been too hard to do away with a prevalent economic structure they would have viewed as vital to building a strong nation (like they saw in Egypt)" I simply disagree. God could have ensured they succeeded without that. If He can defeat their enemies, perform miracles to help them, ensure that their crops in the sixth year would miraculously be large enough to carry them through not planting on the seventh year, then He could have made their nation successful without slavery too. I just don't find the argument that "God just couldn't have done anything else but tell them they could own slaves simply because everyone else was doing it at the time" compelling. Every parent in the word has used the tried and true line of "If all your friends jumped off a cliff...." argument at least once. And with good reason. "What I do know is that slavery is outside of God's design for humanity (as it is not found in Genesis 1-2..." I hear this argument only occasionally to be honest. Often referred to as the Edenic ideal. There was no slavery in the Garden of Eden, and therefore it's not Gods design. But the fact is it's kind of hard to have slavery when there are only two people. I don't think you can draw that conclusion from before the fall. It simply doesn't follow. But you can certainly blame slavery on the fall, as most do. And maybe they're right. I don't know. But again, the Bible doesn't say that. Not even in Philemon. If Pauls letter to Philemon was somehow meant to be Gods condemnation of slavery, or planting some sort of seed, then I would say it didn't work. Number one, it doesn't say anything against slavery. Number two, it contradicts Pauls earlier admonition for slaves to gain their freedom if they can. Onesimus had done exactly that and Paul sent him back to his owner. Number three, sending a runaway slave back to his owner is against Biblical law (as interpreted by most apologists when it comes to slavery. Incorrectly I would add). And number four, and most importantly, it didn't work. And God would have known that. To somehow suggest that God waited to hide an anti-slavery sentiment in a little letter (the shortest book in the entire Bible) after condoning it for nearly 2,000 years, and knowing that it would take another 2,000 years before people would eliminate it makes no sense to me. And I mean you're ignoring the fact that it was Christians, holding and quoting from the Bible that established slavery in America in the first place. And fought to keep it. And it simply seems to me that they had the Bible more on their side than the abolitionists. And the OT Biblical laws around slavery, if you look into the ANE, were actually very similar to the laws existing at the time in surrounding nations. Some better for sure, and some worse. So I stand by my statement that this is what I would expect from a Bronze Age people trying their best to set up the best laws for a new nation. 100% I do. So we may just disagree on that one. But look into it for yourself. And sorry on my end as well. Any novel you can write, I can write a longer one!