Slavery and the Bible

This has always been a troubling subject for me in regards to the Christian faith. I spent a good deal of time today in class discussing Mark Twain and his use of the "n" word in his masterpiece, Huckleberry Finn. Twain was definitely a man before his time, and the intent with his novel was to satirize the South's narrow-minded view of the African American and the suffering endured by them during the Civil War Era.

In Ken Burn's biographical film of Mark Twain, he mentions how Twain struggled as a young boy in dealing with slavery. Not only in society did he hear that it was an acceptable practice, but also on Sundays when he attended services. The ministers of Hannibal, Missouri preached from the pulpit, citing Biblical passages, such as Exodus Chapter 21...advocating and justifying slavery. Furthermore, the cherished Sermon on the Mount, considered by many to be Jesus' guideline for Christian living, fails to mention/ denounce the institution of slavery. One has to wonder why Jesus didn't seize the opportunity to condemn slavery...or was it simply something that for one reason or another was never recorded in the gospels. Even more startling is in Mathew 10:24-25, Jesus not only reminds slaves that they are never above their master, but he actually recommends that they strive to be like them...what happened to love thy neighbor???

I can certainly see where the members of the black race, or any race that has been persecuted through enslavement, would feel abandonment/ isolation from organized religion. I guess I'd love for someone to help explain this to me one day...