We continue, from part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4 and part 5, considering a ubiquitously promulgated common misconception based pop-cultural talking point of a myth is that there has been an evolution of marriage so that one cannot claim that marriage between one man and one woman is traditional, normal, family value based, right, true, God given, etc.
The graphic’s next assertion reads:
Man + Woman + Woman’s Property – Genesis 16
– man could acquire his wife’s property including her slaves
Do you discern that this is not merely about determining the evolution of marriage? After all, this example is about one man and one woman but whoever wrote it is sneaking in something that they imply is immoral without, by the way, providing a premise whereby to condemn anything at all.
Man + Woman + Woman’s Property – Genesis 16
Those who are actually honest skeptics, true freethinkers, and checked the text of Genesis 16 will note that it has absolutely nothing to do with whatever “Man + Woman + Woman’s Property” is supposed to mean or imply.
In Genesis 16 we find that Sarai (later known as Sarah) who is Abram’s (later Abraham) wife urges him to produce children with their maidservant whose name was Hagar. This was because Sarai and Abram had not, as of yet, had any children.
Abram does so yet, Sarai ends up regretting it and sends Hagar away. The Angel of the LORD comes to Hagar and assures her that, “I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude…Because the LORD has heard your affliction.”
– man could acquire his wife’s property including her slaves
Yes, even in our modern enlightened first world countries people do not throw away their possessions when they get married but each party, essentially, acquires the property of the other.
Since it is irrelevant to our context see the following for issues pertaining to slavery, see:
Does God Command You to Beat Your Slaves?
Does the Bible and its God Condone Slavery?
Rodney Stark from “The Victory of Reason” on the church’s opposition to slavery
The “Servant/Slave” portion of Why Freethought? Part 3 of 8
Next, we will consider “Male Soldier + Prisoner of War.”