[Skeptic-i]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

The Bible roundly denounces slavery as sin. The New Testament goes as far as to put slave trades in the category as murderers, adulterers, perverts and liars (1 Timothy 1:9-10).

1 Timothy 1:9-10 refers to menstealers. This is not condemning slavery at all. Let's remember: slaves were bred as chattel [property/livestock] - you can't steal your OWN property [Leviticus 25:44-46 Thy bond-men and thy bond-maids which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you: of them shall ye buy bond-men and bond-maids. Moreover, of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land. And they shall be your possession. And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession, they shall be your bond-man forever.]

And to add: heathen was used as a derogatory term for foreigners, people of other nations and religions - they were considered barbaric, uncivilised, beast like. Based on a 1493 papal Bull, the Spanish jurist cited Leviticus as justification for the enslavement of Indians: "The king has every right to send his men to the Indians to demand the territory from these idolaters because he had received it from the pope. If the Indians refuse, he may quite legally enslave them, just as Joshua enslaved the Canaanites.” - likewise, pope Alexander VI, gave " .. full and free permission to invade, search out, capture and subjugate the Saracens
and pagans and any other unbelievers and enemies of Christ wherever they may be, as well as their kingdoms, duchies, counties, principalities and other properties and to reduce their persons into perpetual slavery." - Bull Eximiae Devotionis, 1493

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

Slavery in the OT was sanctioned due to economic realities rather than racial

- I partly agree. I just disagree with you on the racial issue - referring you to Leviticus 25:46 (which protects the people of Israel from slavery - but doesn't protect others).