Does the Bible Condemn Slavery?

I was recently rebuked by a retired elder of a Presbyterian church near Atlanta, Georgia for my refusal to condemn the institution of Southern slavery as an "abomination in the sight of God." Other than a vague reference to the "Golden Rule," this man had no Scripture whatsoever to back up his claim that the holding of property in slaves was tantamount to the unpardonable sin. In this excellent essay, the late John Henry Hopkins, the Episcopal Bishop of Vermont in 1864, demonstrates why those professing Christians who castigate the old South on this point tend to resort to humanistic arguments rather than sound biblical exegesis. Indeed, when subjected to close scrutiny, these arguments will be found to be attacks, not just upon the inspiration of Scripture, but upon the holiness of God Himself.

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