Bible Team Challenge

 Introduction:

During the Antebellum Period in the United States, religion played a powerful and complex role in the national debate over slavery. While many Americans were deeply religious, their interpretations of the Bible often led them to vastly different conclusions about the morality of slavery. Pro slavery advocates argued that the institution was supported even ordained by Scripture, citing both Old and New Testament passages to justify their position. At the same time, abolitionists also turned to the Bible, highlighting themes of justice, liberation, and spiritual equality to condemn slavery as a moral evil. This dual use of religion reveals how the same sacred texts were used to both uphold and challenge one of the most brutal systems in American history. By examining these religious arguments on both sides, we can better understand how faith was both a tool of oppression and a source of resistance.

Arguments in favor of slavery based on religion

• Biblical literalism & Old Testament sanction
  Pro slavery advocates pointed to biblical passages such as Leviticus 25:44–46 and the “curse of Ham” suggesting that slavery was God destined. They emphasized that ancient patriarchs and even biblical law sanctioned servitude 

• New Testament obedience verses
  Letters like Ephesians 6:5 (“slaves, obey your earthly masters…”), Colossians elsewhere, and Philemon’s story were cited to argue Christian acceptance—and endorsement of slavery 

• The “benevolent master” ideal
  Religious defenders argued slavery uplifted Africans by exposing them to Christianity and civilization. Masters were portrayed as paternal caretakers who fulfilled moral duties 

• Reverends who owned slaves & preached theologically
  Priests such as Richard Furman, Thornton Stringfellow, Samuel Baldwin, and theologian James Henley Thornwell explicitly argued slavery was a moral Christian institution biblically supported and ethically acceptable when practiced “benevolently” 

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Arguments against slavery based on religion

Some opponents of slavery have reached to core messages of Christianity love, compassion, and human dignity. They continue to emphasize different scriptures, specifically Galatians 3:28 which states, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus”. Many abolitionist Christians believe that true Christianity demands the recognition of each person or person's God-given worth as well as freedom. 

• Equality before God
  Abolitionists highlighted Galatians 3:28 (“neither slave nor free…all one in Christ”) as foundational—asserting that spiritual equality makes slavery irreconcilable with Christianity 

• The Exodus narrative—liberation theology
  Enslaved African-Americans drew parallels between Israel’s exodus from Egypt and their own plight, using biblical narrative for spiritual and political liberation (“Go Down Moses”) 

Some leaders like William Wilberforce in Britain and Fredrick Douglass in America used religious rhetoric to speak of slavery as a sin. They often argued that Jesus’ teachings emphasizes liberation and mercy, not exploration as well as domination. Many abolitionists saw their activism as a divine calling, rooted in the moral imperative to “love your neighbor as yourself.”

• Sin and moral failure
  Christian abolitionists, Charles Finney, Theodore S. Wright, William Lloyd Garrison, Angelina and Sarah Grimké, Frederick Douglass—named slavery as a moral violation and demanded repentance. 

• Active, faith-based campaigning
  Relevant figures like Angelina Grimké wrote Appeal to Christian Women of the South with theological critiques, while pastors like Finney barred slaveholders from communion.

Conclusion-

On the topic of slavery religion played a significant role on both pro and anti slavery. Some used the Bible to justify the ownership and control, while others used it to uplift. These different interpretations continue to remind us that religious texts can be powerful, but should be applied with justice and empathy. Some defenders of slavery used scripture to uphold social hierarchies and justify ownership of human beings, abolitionists drew on the same tradition to promote freedom, compassion, and equality. Me and my partner worked with Chat GPT for this assignment. When using ai we asked “Write a 400-word blog post on the religious arguments in favor and against slavery. Using the Bible as a main source”.