Changes

:::I absolutely agree.  Weren't Roman slaves prisoners of war?  And weren't they free after a certain period?  If both of these are true, then perhaps "indentured servant" would work.  Yes, it has some connotations, but it's much less pejorative than "slavery."  I'm trying to think of other words that might be good here, and coming up blank. [[User:JacobB|JacobB]] 15:05, 7 October 2009 (EDT)

:::I absolutely agree.  Weren't Roman slaves prisoners of war?  And weren't they free after a certain period?  If both of these are true, then perhaps "indentured servant" would work.  Yes, it has some connotations, but it's much less pejorative than "slavery."  I'm trying to think of other words that might be good here, and coming up blank. [[User:JacobB|JacobB]] 15:05, 7 October 2009 (EDT)

:::Roman slaves weren't necessarily prisoners of war, and many (indeed most) of them never gained freedom. As a general rule, the only slaves who gained freedom held high positions in their master's household (for example as manager of the other slaves, or as a manager of finance) and it was very uncommon, to say the least, for your average food-bringing, vase-polishing, door-opening slave to gain freedom. If they took wives then any children they had were also slaves. [[User:DerickC|DerickC]] 15:11, 7 October 2009 (EDT)

::::Roman slaves weren't necessarily prisoners of war, and many (indeed most) of them never gained freedom. As a general rule, the only slaves who gained freedom held high positions in their master's household (for example as manager of the other slaves, or as a manager of finance) and it was very uncommon, to say the least, for your average food-bringing, vase-polishing, door-opening slave to gain freedom. If they took wives then any children they had were also slaves. [[User:DerickC|DerickC]] 15:11, 7 October 2009 (EDT)

::::But Roman slaves did escape, I think, and perhaps frequently so.  Indeed, I think [[Epistle to Philemon]] relates to an example around A.D. 60.

:::::But Roman slaves did escape, I think, and perhaps frequently so.  Indeed, I think [[Epistle to Philemon]] relates to an example around A.D. 60.

::::The point is that "slavery" today means an '''institution''' of racism.  That is not what the Bible is talking about.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 15:13, 7 October 2009 (EDT)

:::::The point is that "slavery" today means an '''institution''' of racism.  That is not what the Bible is talking about.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 15:13, 7 October 2009 (EDT)

== Oversight? ==

== Oversight? ==