Pure gray area

Originally posted by FMF
Blink of an eye, or no blink of an eye, the vast majority of men who have walked the earth most certainly have not been slaves.

Where are the numbers then FMF?

Originally posted by whodey
Where are the numbers then FMF?

Where are your numbers, whodey? You made the ridiculous claim. I have picked it apart using simple common sense and even citing what you yourself said. Why do you always inhabit this "grey area" when you try to discuss matters of principle?

Do you see the decline and fall of slavery as a legal institution as moral progress? Why won't you give a clear answer?

Originally posted by whodey
...the vast majority of men who have walked the earth have been slaves.

What about those parts of North America under British control and then later under the control of the US government in the 18thC and 19thC? Slavery was widespread and legally permitted. During those centuries, were "the vast majority of men" in the Thirteen Colonies and then the fledgling United States slaves?

Originally posted by FMF
Where are your numbers, whodey? You made the ridiculous claim. I have picked it apart using simple common sense and even citing what you yourself said. Why do you always inhabit this "grey area" when you try to discuss matters of principle?

Do you see the decline and fall of slavery as a legal institution as moral progress? Why won't you give a clear answer?

Come now, you seem so certain. Surely you have numbers to refute the claim.

Originally posted by wolfgang59
No we don't have all the numbers.

But the world population at 1AD was about half a billion.

And slaves in the Roman Empire represented 10-20% of the population.
(An historically high figure - other civilisations would have had lower percentages)

So I don't see how most people through history could have been slaves!

Where are you getting these numbers?

Originally posted by FMF
There were of course many Christians behind the abolition movement in places like the UK and I am sure that in most cases their Christian faith animated them on this issue. Slavery has been tackled also by secular institutions and multi-laterally at the international level.

I note you put the word progress in quotation marks. Do you see the demise of slavery as moral progress ~ yes or no?

Of course, and I submit that this progress was brought into existence with the spread of the gospel.

Sadly, today we see Christianity waning. Now Islam is on the rise as ISIS takes slaves according to Sharia law.

It seems we are headed in reverse.

Originally posted by whodey
Of course, and I submit that this progress was brought into existence with the spread of the gospel.

So there is no "grey area" when it comes to slavery being immoral? We are agreed on that.

Originally posted by FMF
So there is no "grey area" when it comes to slavery being immoral? We are agreed on that.

I'll answer your question if you answer mine.

What percentage of people were slaves in the ancient world, and where do you get these numbers?

Originally posted by whodey
Now Islam is on the rise as ISIS takes slaves according to Sharia law.

Yes, ISIS is terrible. Here where I live, the biggest Muslim population country in the world, ISIS is held in horrified contempt. Even in the province of Aceh, where some elements of Sharia Law have been incorporated into local by-laws, there is not even remote possibility of the institution of slavery being reinstated ~ and one could argue that the Acehnese are among the most devout Muslims in the world.

You raised the issue of slavery in Islam here on Thread 161274 but you didn't seem to want to discuss it seriously and were evasive instead.

Originally posted by whodey
I'll answer your question if you answer mine.

What percentage of people were slaves in the ancient world, and where do you get these numbers?

If you have any figures to back up your absurd hyperbolic claim then present them.

Originally posted by FMF
Yes, ISIS is terrible. Here where I live, the biggest Muslim population country in the world, ISIS is held in horrified contempt. Even in the province of Aceh, where some elements of Sharia Law have been incorporated into local by-laws, there is not even remote possibility of the institution of slavery being reinstated ~ and one could argue that the Acehnese are ...[text shortened]... ]161274[/threadid] but you didn't seem to want to discuss it seriously and were evasive instead.

Why do they refute slavery when Mohammad took slaves?

Do they view Mohammad as being in error?

Originally posted by FMF
If you have any figures to back up your absurd hyperbolic claim then present them.

As I said, we don't have the numbers.

What I think we both can agree on, is that slavery was much more prevalent in ancient times than now, or do you disagree?

Originally posted by whodey
What I think we both can agree on, is that slavery was much more prevalent in ancient times than now, or do you disagree?

Of course. Don't be daft. No one disputes that it was more prevalent in the past. That is why mankind having turned its back on it is deemed to be moral progress. You did not need to splurge out a ludicrous 'fact' about the vast majority of humans that ever lived supposedly being slaves in order to make this simple uncontroversial claim about slavery in history. How does saying absurd things enhance your criticism of slavery?

Originally posted by whodey
Why do they refute slavery when Mohammad took slaves?

Do they view Mohammad as being in error?

The Hebrews took slaves. Christians took slaves. You showed no interest in the topic before. If you have any genuine interest, look at some of the links that were offered on that thread. Take up the theology of it with an Islamic theologian. How many Islamic countries can you cite as having legalized slavery? There has been moral progress throughout the world when it comes to slavery.

Originally posted by whodey
The reason slavery was put into practice in the first place was again the love of money. [...] Baaa, sheeple.

Once again, how can you possibly cite mankind turning away from the practice of slavery as an example of people being "sheep"?