Bible Exploitation

In class we are reading, "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass." This biography has stirred many emotions within me today, and I have been downright appalled at many of the inhumane practices depicted in this book. One observation Douglass made has stuck with me. The slave masters in the South often looked to religion as an excuse for their cruelty.  Douglass notes, "I should regard being the slave of a religious master the greatest calamity that could befall me. For of all slaveholders with whom I have ever meet, religious slaveholders are the worst" (45). I am greatly upset by this apparent truth. Douglass believed this because many religious slaveholders read the Bible literally, as fundamentalists.

The Bible is a best seller, yet it is misinterpreted to support many inhumane practices. Slave masters misused the Bible to justify slavery. There are, in fact, many excerpts about slaves, many which could be taken as pro-slavery if viewed in the eyes of fundamentalist. One in particle is  
"When a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod so hard that the slave dies under his hand, he shall be punished.  If, however, the slave survives for a day or two, he is not to be punished, since the slave is his own property."  [Exodus 21:20-21]
Here are several others.When read literally these passages seem to permit and approve of the severe beating of slaves as long as the master did not beat them to the point of death.
It's ridiculous that the Bible was used to condone evil.

Today, the Bible is still being exploited.
Every year New Trier has a "Day of Silence" to respect homosexual students. Last year, on this day, protestors came to our Winnetka campus to show general disapproval of homosexualtiy and to "preach the word of God." They handed me a bible. Once I realized their intentions I returned it.... and hit the roof. 
I began to contradict them, stating that I believe that  homosexual people should not be persecuted or discriminated for everyone has the right to love who ever they want; in defense they started quoting the Bible... they read me a passage similar to this:
"If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads." [Leviticus 20:13]
among others. These exact quotes seemed to be straightforward. But I do not believe that homosexuals should be put to death.

It scares me that there is apparent "evidence" that supports slavery and discriminates all homosexuality.
But how does one dispute these passages? I honestly do not believe these scripture readings to be a proper representation of the Christian faith or morally right. I just hope that we can instead look to the plentiful Bible passages promoting peace, love and harmony.