1000 years ago, slavery was normal and abortion a heinous offence. Today abortion is normal and slavery is a heinous offence.
If there is a natural law, it appears the natural law been hidden to all who came before us including Moses (a slave owner), Jesus (spoke approvingly of torturing disobedient slaves in the parable of 10000 talents) and Mohammed (a slave owner).
What changed? How come we now have "natural" rights like the right to abortion in the US that are new and the right to own a slave has been lost?
Interesting reply...
1. There is a difference between "natural law" and "biblical law." Natural law is a law that has been interpreted throughout the ages as a law discernible by the light of reason alone; and that such a law is writ on the hearts of men, though flawed because of sin.
2. Biblical law is "revealed law," wherein the Supreme Legislator reveals to his prophets the laws of God. In this "revealed law," there is a moral and ceremonial law. Although the moral law is applicable to all, the ceremonial law was only applicable to a certain people for a certain time.
3. Old Testament Biblical law was based on a theocratic state. In the New Testament, the Mosaic law (the law of Moses) is understood as a law of compromise, a law establishing the sinfulness of all men, and as a shadow of the coming things. The ceremonial law in particular is seen as a shadow of the coming things...i.e. pictures of Christ. In fact, the Mosaic law is called a "schoolmaster."
4. Jesus' parable of the talents is misrepresented by you. The Greek word "doulos," which means "servant," can also mean "slave." However, the parable of the ten talents (not 10000) does not mention anything about torturing or approving torture of any disobedient slaves.
You have to take this parable in context. Two thousand years, there was a system of commerce established where a husbandmen would hire servants to work on his land and be profitable. One of the servants was not profitable. Rather than being rewarded, he was punished by forcing him to relinquish his talents. The story concludes by saying the servant was fired and because of this, he was weeping and gnashing his teeth (out of anger and rejection).
Please show all of us on this forum where Jesus approved this man's torture?
Slavery in the Old Testament must be looked at in its cultural, historic, and symbolic context.
You are mistaken about the natural law being hidden to all who came before us...natural law does not mean that human beings can not err. Human beings are imperfect and often times violate the laws of nature. This does not mean that natural law does not exist...it means that humans beings are sinners and struggle to keep the laws of nature. The temptation of sin is very strong...