As I emphasized in a response to OP , slavery represents an extremely complex issue from a historical perspective , with so many variables and factors to consider . Once we bring morality into the picture . well , things get pretty messy . For example , if I lived in secondmillennium B . C . E . Mesopotamia , I could imagine selling myself into slavery which the law codes would have permitted as a last resort and hoping for a good master that might seem preferable to , say , becoming a thief or a beggar . Maybe so , and that ' s an interesting situation to ponder you voluntarily enter slavery to avoid an even worse fate . I don ' t think that makes slavery a good thing , though , any more than it ' s morally good for a person to turn to prostitution to pay for food . But the case at hand is OT slavery , where the ancient Hebrews would conquer and forcibly enslave others . Again , I have no idea whether God has an absolute position on this and many other issues , so I do have to ask myself what would be morally appropriate for my time and context in light of the Golden Rule . And while the Rule itself doesn ' t change , it leaves a lot of room for interpretation . What interpretation of the Golden Rule would make enslaving another person morally good ? I can see how the Golden Rule would permit you to accept another ' s offer of slavery , as you ' d essentially be giving them a room and board in exchange for work at that point , it ' s hardly ' slavery ' at all , but can the Golden Rule justify the ancient Jewish tradition of conquering other tribes and forcing their people into lifelong slavery ?