Challenging Tony’s Argument: Contradictions in His Thinking About Slavery and God's Morality

Written By J S

I recently discussed with an Atheist regarding some really difficult verses about slavery. I will try to summarize his points, it kinda went all over the place, but hopefully this accurate.

Remember to question everything! Examine all evidence, but dont contradict your position while doing so.

Dont be like Tony here.

For some context: Im assuming Tony is a moral relativist, so this argument already doesn’t make sense logically but lets go through it anyways:

Tony claims:

“God can’t be perfectly moral because He allowed slavery at one point in time.”

Let’s break down why Tony’s reasoning doesn’t hold up and why it actually contradicts itself.

1. Tony Confuses Permitting Something With Endorsing It

Tony assumes that if God allowed slavery in a specific time and place, that means God endorsed it morally.

But that’s false. We even have real world examples of that not being the case.

  • Parents allow teenagers to make bad decisions — that doesn’t mean they approve of them.

  • Governments allow harmful speech — that doesn’t mean they support the content.

Contradiction:
Tony likely believes people have free will and some sort of moral responsibility.
But he won’t allow God to give that same space for humans to operate in a broken world. He wants God to force moral perfection, while still holding humans responsible — that’s inconsistent!

2. Tony Uses One Verse to Condemn God — While Ignoring the Rest

Tony keeps pointing to a single Old Testament verse — probably a civil law in Exodus or Leviticus (Hint: slavery)— and says it proves God is immoral.

But he ignores the broader biblical context, which:

  • Forbids kidnapping and slave trading (1 Timothy 1:10)

  • Requires equal treatment of foreigners and servants (Leviticus 25:39–46)

  • Moves toward human equality and dignity in Christ (Galatians 3:28)

  • Ultimately inspired the abolition of slavery in the West through Christian reformers

Contradiction:
Tony wouldn’t judge an entire person’s life based on one quote — yet he does that with God. That’s not fair, and it’s not good reasoning.

3. Tony Applies Modern Standards to Ancient Cultures — But Only When It’s Convenient

Tony criticizes the Bible for not instantly banning slavery the way modern people might expect. But:

  • He doesn’t hold ancient governments or leaders to the same modern standards

  • He probably doesn’t criticize historical figures like Plato, Aristotle, or Confucius with the same outrage, even though they accepted slavery

Contradiction:
Tony expects the Bible to match modern morality before anyone had the moral framework Christianity introduced. That’s like blaming doctors in the 1700s for not using modern antibiotics. What?

4. Tony Assumes He Knows Better Than God

Tony says God should’ve handled slavery differently. But Tony:

  • Wasn’t alive in the ancient world

  • Doesn’t understand how deeply slavery was embedded in ancient economies

  • Doesn’t recognize how the Bible regulated and limited slavery in ways no other ancient culture did, even in the evidence of other cultures at the time (Hammurabi codes).

He’s judging God without full knowledge — which is exactly what he wouldn’t accept if someone did that to him.

Contradiction:
Tony trusts his 21st-century perspective more than the judgment of a being with infinite wisdom and moral perfection. That’s not intellectual humility it’s circular reasoning disguised as critique.

5. Tony Ignores the Bigger Picture of Redemption and Reform

If slavery in any form is wrong (which Christianity agrees with), then we should look at how slavery was ultimately defeated.

  • The abolition movement in both the UK and the US was led by Christians (Wilberforce, Frederick Douglass, Quakers)

  • The moral vision that all people are made in God’s image comes from Genesis, not secular ethics

Contradiction:
Tony condemns the Bible for tolerating slavery in one era, while ignoring that it’s the biblical worldview that provided the foundation to destroy slavery.

A Closing Question for Tony:

“Do you think everything allowed in the world today, including evil, means it’s morally endorsed? If not, then why assume that about God only in ancient history?”

If Tony answers “no,” then his argument collapses under its own weight for the reasons above.

Good luck in your search for the Truth Tony!
(Hint: using objective morality to condemn God while claiming objective morality doesn’t exist isint it!)

J S
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