# "Slaves lived a life of plenty, of simple pleasures" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 11, 2004, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slaves-lived-a-life-of-plenty-of-simple-pleasures/279273 "2004-12-11T05:17:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2004, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slaves-lived-a-life-of-plenty-of-simple-pleasures/279273/41 "2004-12-11T18:16:16Z")
> [@jarbabyj](#): > > Also, using an athiest website to interpret the bible is more than a bit biased, don’t you think? > > Bottom line, to suggest that all Christians condone and support slavery is…well, idiotic, but it’s coming from Reeder, so what can we expect? Cannot speak for Reeder, but I did go all the way to find a less biased cite. It is true that the vast majority of Christians does not condone slavery, but remember that there are many who think the Bible is the truth. We have to remind moderates many times of the truly reprehensible words in it so as to get benevolent believers to relegate the reprehensible ideas in the Bible to the dustbin of history, and to point out to moderate believers, that those reprehensible words are still taken seriously by fundamentalist since they put themselves into the corner that the bible is inerrant. ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2004, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slaves-lived-a-life-of-plenty-of-simple-pleasures/279273/42 "2004-12-11T18:22:42Z")
The descriptions of slavery in _Gone With the Wind_ are a lot like this pamphlet. And while it’s repugnant, I always figured it was important to understand this perspective for exactly the reasons **Dangermom** listed. What always puzzled me about the slaves in that book were the ones who stayed with their masters even after the war - in some cases enduring hardships as a result, since there was no food on the farms either. Did that really happen? ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2004, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slaves-lived-a-life-of-plenty-of-simple-pleasures/279273/43 "2004-12-11T18:26:36Z")
> [@kung fu lola](#): > > No, Christians would benefit from sanitizing the Bible for mass consumption. > Atheists don’t have a dog in that race. They don’t care what the Bible says, one way or another, because no matter what it says it’s no skin off their nose. I would think that atheists would be the people the most likely to be objective about what the Bible (or any other holy book, for that matter) says. > > The \*\*anti-\*\*theists (or even the humanists), however, are a different matter. And even then… nobody knows the bible like our resident anti-theist, **gobear**. Of course the atheists have a dog in the fight. it’s their goal to ‘debunk’ the bible and christianity, is it not? Anyway, my point was originally a) to suggest all “Christians support slavery” is flat out ridiculous b) not all of us take every word of the bible as it is written to be literal. If y’all want to continue feeling that way about Chrisitanity, feel free…but it’s simply not true. ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2004, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slaves-lived-a-life-of-plenty-of-simple-pleasures/279273/44 "2004-12-11T18:28:07Z")
> [@Reeder](#): > > That’s right. Attack the messenger. Nothing was interpreted. It was quoted. You look the verses up in your bible. > > Tell us what they say. Not all Christians simply quote verses as their side of the arguement. There is context, interpretation and comprehension…but really, go on. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2004, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slaves-lived-a-life-of-plenty-of-simple-pleasures/279273/45 "2004-12-11T18:35:26Z")
> [@jarbabyj](#): > > Not all Christians simply quote verses as their side of the arguement. There is context, interpretation and comprehension…but really, go on. Then by all means. Please give us your interpretation of the verses. ---
**Author:** ![holmes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e95f7d/32.png) [@holmes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/holmes)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2004, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slaves-lived-a-life-of-plenty-of-simple-pleasures/279273/46 "2004-12-11T18:38:43Z")
[QUOTE=smiling bandit] Yes, they worked the slaves quite hard; the slaves, however, did enjoy greater power and freedom than is generally recognized; the population numbers prove it. As many of the worst aspects of slave life were inadvertent, such as illness due to ignorance of dietary needs, as much as deliberate, such beatings. [QUOTE] Well zippity do dah. What a great 'ol time it must’ve been to be slave. If you ate healthy, cut back on the carbs and avoided the boot. Look at all the freedom you could had; except of course…freedom. But I hear that’s over-rated. Too bad, all those slaves just didn’t die out, that would’ve been proof that slavery was ‘really’ bad. I guess what they really needed was a better Union. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2004, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slaves-lived-a-life-of-plenty-of-simple-pleasures/279273/47 "2004-12-11T18:57:32Z")
Here’s the argument, one step at a time. 1. Is slavery right or wrong? It’s wrong. 2. Does the Bible say slavery is right or wrong? It says it’s right. 3. Conclusion: The Bible can be wrong about moral issues. 4. Is gay marriage right or wrong? Many people think it’s wrong. 5. Why do many of these people think gay marriage is wrong? Because the Bible says it is. 6. See #3. At this point, an honest Christian has to concede that the Bible is not an infallible guide to moral issues and any interpretation about a specific guideline is just a matter of personal opinion. ---
**Author:** ![drewbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drewbert/32/15890_2.png) [@drewbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewbert)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2004, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slaves-lived-a-life-of-plenty-of-simple-pleasures/279273/48 "2004-12-11T19:18:28Z")
> [@jarbabyj](#): > > Of course the atheists have a dog in the fight. it’s their goal to ‘debunk’ the bible and christianity, is it not? No. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2004, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slaves-lived-a-life-of-plenty-of-simple-pleasures/279273/49 "2004-12-11T19:19:22Z")
**Smiling Bandit** Actually it was not the abolition of slavery in the US that was the major mover in banning it in the Western word, it was a major mover, but the obvious major mover would have to be the colonialist Great Britain, which actually had much more to gain from keeping slavery than from abolisihing it. Remember at the time that Britain was the greatest power on earth when they abolished it, France was trying to rival, as was Belgium, Holland, and Spain, all of whom abolished slavery later, in thecase of Spain quite a lot later, and Belgium had a system of governance in its African colonies that was maybe even worse than slavery right up until WW1, and which Roger Casement exposed to the world. ---
**Author:** ![Ninja\_Pizza\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f04885/32.png) [@Ninja\_Pizza\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ninja_Pizza_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2004, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slaves-lived-a-life-of-plenty-of-simple-pleasures/279273/50 "2004-12-11T20:09:36Z")
> [@jarbabyj](#): > > Of course the atheists have a dog in the fight. What dog? > [@jarbabyj](#): > > it’s their goal to ‘debunk’ the bible and christianity, is it not? It is not. I don’t **need** to ‘debunk’ it. Do you feel the need to ‘debunk’ religions **you** don’t believe in? ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2004, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slaves-lived-a-life-of-plenty-of-simple-pleasures/279273/51 "2004-12-11T20:43:15Z")
> [@jarbabyj](#): > > Of course the atheists have a dog in the fight. it’s their goal to ‘debunk’ the bible and christianity, is it not? Absolutely fucking not. Your prejudice and ignorance is appalling. Christians believe that there way is the only truth and those who don’t believe will suffer an eternity of torment. Am I right? I disagree but I don’t have a problem with most of those who do agree so long as they leave me the fuck alone. Atheism is a lack of belief but is most definitely not anti-Christian. Many of us, believe it or not, share the same exact values as Christians but don’t believe in a Sentient Being as the source of these same, exact values. It is a _credit_ to Christianity, by the way, that the theology has changed with the times. In my opinion, Christianity wasn’t pro-slavery but not anti-slavery either. Slavery was a reality back then. Christians who owned slaves were expected not to be cruel to them but were not expected to release them with severance pay either. Haj ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2004, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slaves-lived-a-life-of-plenty-of-simple-pleasures/279273/52 "2004-12-11T20:45:04Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Christians believe that there way _their_ way. Fuck fuck fuck. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2004, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slaves-lived-a-life-of-plenty-of-simple-pleasures/279273/53 "2004-12-11T20:56:18Z")
To the statement > [@](#): > > Christians believe that there way is the only truth and those who don’t believe will suffer an eternity of torment. Am I right? I suspect that the only appropriate response is > [@](#): > > Absolutely fucking not. Your prejudice and ignorance is appalling. (Not that **jarbabyj** had much accuracy in her accusation, but there have been way too many broad generalizations regarding Christians, atheists, Southerners, Northerners, slave-holders, slaves, and just about any other group that has been mentioned for many of them to have been accurate.) I know that this is the **Pit** and not **GQ** , but would it hurt some of you folks to attempt to use some actual facts instead of simply painting everyone in any group to which you do not belong with tar? ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2004, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slaves-lived-a-life-of-plenty-of-simple-pleasures/279273/54 "2004-12-11T21:19:46Z")
> [@](#): > > Actually it was not the abolition of slavery in the US that was the major mover in banning it in the Western word, it was a major mover, but the obvious major mover would have to be the colonialist Great Britain, which actually had much more to gain from keeping slavery than from abolisihing it. Ah, but in Latin America (I meant the geographical western world, so apologies for innaccurate usage) slavery was abandoned in large part because of the violence in the US. Seeing how important the issue was, Brazil took the lead in doing away with it peacefully. The war in America helped prevent wars elsewhere, and ended slavery much faster tan it otherwise would have. While the British erased the slave trade, slavery still existed in many of their colonies until not long before the Civil War, and all latin american states still had it. > [@](#): > > Too bad, all those slaves just didn’t die out, that would’ve been proof that slavery was ‘really’ bad. I guess what they really needed was a better Union. How… droll. Its always so refreshing to such watch the poo-flinging monkes in our midst. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2004, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slaves-lived-a-life-of-plenty-of-simple-pleasures/279273/55 "2004-12-11T21:21:25Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > I know that this is the **Pit** and not **GQ** , but would it hurt some of you folks to attempt to use some actual facts instead of simply painting everyone in any group to which you do not belong with tar? You’re right. That was a throwaway line that I should have left out. I apologize. Haj ---
**Author:** ![holmes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e95f7d/32.png) [@holmes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/holmes)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2004, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slaves-lived-a-life-of-plenty-of-simple-pleasures/279273/56 "2004-12-11T21:28:08Z")
> [@smiling bandit](#): > > How… droll. Its always so refreshing to such watch the poo-flinging monkes in our midst. Geez, I always wondered why their robes were brown. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2004, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slaves-lived-a-life-of-plenty-of-simple-pleasures/279273/57 "2004-12-11T21:30:51Z")
> [@jarbabyj](#): > > Of course the atheists have a dog in the fight. it’s their goal to ‘debunk’ the bible and christianity, is it not? Not. Atheists have no collective “goal” at all. It’s not like it’s any sort of organized movement or anything. Not only do they not have a “dog” they don’t have a _fight_ You’ve been around here long enough to know that the only thing one atheist has in common with another is a lack of belief in gods. That’s it. They aren’t looking to do anything about or organize or stop anyone else from being theists. Maybe they want to be left alone or not have their tax money used to prompote religion or prosyelytize their children but that’s all. This meme that atheists are out to “debunk” Christianity comes straight from fundy pulpits not from reality. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2004, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slaves-lived-a-life-of-plenty-of-simple-pleasures/279273/58 "2004-12-11T21:45:11Z")
> [@jarbabyj](#): > > Of course the atheists have a dog in the fight. it’s their goal to ‘debunk’ the bible and christianity, is it not? Um, the above statement, you’re being sarcastic, to make a point that it’s just as ridiculous to say that atheists are against the Bible and Christianity, as it is to say all Christians condone slavery. Right? Right, **jar**? :dubious: However, if you’re going back to pre-Civil War America, then yes, a substantial amount of Christians DID condone slavery, and state that the Bible supported it. And there ARE words in the Bible that would appear to do just that. Likewise, there were Abolitionists who stated that the Bible condemned slavery, and again, you’d find evidence of that too. There were theories of how racism was justified by the Bible, the descendents of Ham, Noah’s son, were all cursed to be slaves, etc. But you knew all this, right? ---
**Author:** ![Searching\_For\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@Searching\_For\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Searching_For_Truth)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2004, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slaves-lived-a-life-of-plenty-of-simple-pleasures/279273/59 "2004-12-11T22:03:39Z")
> [@Reeder](#): > > Go read it and come back when learned. > > [http://www.religioustolerance.org/sla\_bibl3.htm](http://www.religioustolerance.org/sla_bibl3.htm) > > [http://www.evilbible.com/Slavery.htm](http://www.evilbible.com/Slavery.htm) > > [http://www.reference-guides.com/isbe/S/SLAVE\_SLAVERY/](http://www.reference-guides.com/isbe/S/SLAVE_SLAVERY/) > > [Slavery and Racism in the Bible](http://atheism.about.com/library/weekly/aa112598.htm) Yeah, seeing an article from a website called “[EvilBible.com](http://EvilBible.com)” makes me think I’m gonna find a really good, unbiased examination of Biblical references to slavery. Great cite. Come on, **Reeder**. _Christians have to agree with slavery?_ Since when did all Christians have a world-wide powpow and decide to follow the interpretation YOU have of the Bible condoning slavery? ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2004, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slaves-lived-a-life-of-plenty-of-simple-pleasures/279273/60 "2004-12-11T22:58:30Z")
> [@Captain Amazing](#): > > But whether the bible allows slavery or not (it does) is irrelevant to whether or not modern Christians or Jews support slavery. Except, of course, that the worst of them will drag out those moldy texts in support of their pig headed beliefs. Nevermind the portions of it that every sect ignores, they’re happy to drag portions (and quote them out of context if need be) of those works out and wave them around saying that they have “proof” that slavery is A-OK. Religion can be an ugly beast at times. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slaves-lived-a-life-of-plenty-of-simple-pleasures/279273.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slaves-lived-a-life-of-plenty-of-simple-pleasures/279273.md?page=4)