Slavery

Slavery is often said to be endorsed by the Bible, or so say critics of the Bible. But the Bible teaches against slavery; slavery is allowed, or tolerated, but not endorsed. The Bible endorses freedom. The Bible speaks of how you can be a slave to sin, or a slave to Christ.

The Bible also allows for divorce, but the Bible does not endorse divorce; rather, divorce is condemned.

The Bible also allows for usury, but the Bible does not endorse usury; rather, usury is condemned.

Interestingly, the Bible also compares the practise of usury to slavery.

Biblical characterization as slavery
The Bible characterizes usury as a form of slavery: "...the borrower is the slave of the lender." --Proverbs 22:7 (English Standard Version) "...and the borrower becomes the lender's slave." --Proverbs 22:7 (New American Standard Bible) "...those who borrow are slaves of moneylenders." --Proverbs 22:7 (Contemporary English Version)

See also Nehemiah 5:1-13. The people are enslaved by moneylending with usury, and some of their sons and daughters had to be sold into slavery. Nehemiah argues against the moneylenders that since their own people had just been bought free from slavery in Babylon, that they should not be enslaved again with usury.