American slavery vs. Biblical slavery

Ugh. I am so sick of hearing and reading that Biblical slavery was a kinder, gentler version of slavery than American slavery. Folks, slavery is slavery. A person who is the permanent property of another, one who has no personal autonomy, by any other name, is still a slave.

Here is a reply I just posted to someone who wanted to recycle that old argument that Biblical slavery and early American slavery were in no way the same institution:

1. Indentured servitude and slavery are not the same thing, in the bible and in early American history. Do not equate them. Make sure each of your references are referring to actual slavery, not indentured servitude. Indentured servitude is usually voluntary and temporary, slavery is involuntary and permanent.

2. A Hebrew man was permitted to sell his daughter into slavery or servitude. Do you think the daughter had any say in the matter? For women, slavery and servitude this were basically the same thing. Female servants were not released to go free after a specified time, like male Hebrew servants, because they were considered "defiled." They were defiled because female slaves were also the sexual property of their masters. (As often was the case in American slavery) They were, however, "let go" to fend for themselves if the master was no longer willing to support them. Exodus 21

3.The Hebrews practiced indentured servitude on their own people and slavery on all other people. Leviticus 25:44-46. "Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of the clans born in your country, and they will become your property. You can will them to your children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life."

4.Even an indentured servant's wife and children remained the property of the master after the servant gained his freedom. If he wanted to keep his wife and children, he had to submit to permanent servitude (slavery). Exodus 21:4-6

5. "If a man beats his male or female slave with a rod and the slave dies as a direct result, he must be punished, but he is not to be punished if the slave gets up after a day or two, since the slave is his property. " Exodus 21:20-21

6. Levitical priests were free to buy slaves. Leviticus 22:11

7. Slavery of women and children as spoils of war was permitted and encouraged by Yahweh. Deuteronomy 20:18. "As for all the women, the children, the livestock, and anything else in the city, you may take these as plunder for yourselves." 

I think that is enough. Slavery is a vile institution. People should not be property under any circumstance. They should have personal autonomy. Their cultural background, ethnicity, and gender, should not matter. Biblical slavery was not any better than American slavery, no matter how anyone tries to whitewash it. If slavery is wrong to the god Yahweh now, it should have been wrong to him then.