Hello Zech, thanks for taking the time to respond.

You said:

"Accept that the same word used to describe the Israelites in Egypt: "slave", is used in the Leviticus law that allows for the owning of foreigners as "slaves". What you're doing is dishonest."

Accept it? I teach it!

The word is ebed. It can refer to any position where one person serves another -- a host serving his guests (as Abraham uses for himself), a soldier serving a commanding officer, officials in a palace serving a king, workers serving a landowner, even the Messiah Himself, the Suffering Servant.

Because it can refer to any serving role, you have to treat the context with extreme care before you slap down the word "slave." Most of the time it is used, it does not mean that.

Exodus 21:16 and Deuteronomy 23:15-16 clarify that slavery is outlawed in Israel. No one can kidnap someone into slavery or own someone as a slave; to do so merits the death penalty. Every worker is free to leave any work situation and the Law guarantees their freedom as soon as they do.

These two contextual signs forbid ebed from being understood as "slave" in the Leviticus passage. If it was, it would be referring to something that the previous and following books directly outlaw.