Frederick Douglass Influence On Religion

First, one of Frederick’s masters was delusional, because he whipped his woman slave while quoting a bible verse. As he whipped another human being, he would quote, “He that knoweth his master’s will, and doeth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes (Douglass 68).” The reason this master would say this quote is because he believes using it would justify what he is doing. The master took the verse as an excuse to whip his slaves. This story shows that not only do religious slave owners whip their slaves like normal owners, but they whip their slaves even more because they believe the bible tells them

He felt compelled to make sure the religion of the south will never be associated with Christianity. They are total opposites. He wrote, “to be a friend of the one, is of necessity to be the enemy of the other. I love the pure, peaceable, and impartial Christianity of Christ: I therefore hate the corrupt, slaveholding, women-whipping, cradle-plundering, partial and hypocritical Christianity of this land” (Appendix, Page by Page Books). Although Douglass refers to the slaveholding religion as Christianity, it is merely out of sarcasm. Any man or woman who refuses to teach a human being how to read the Bible to understand the amazing grace of Jesus Christ, is not a Christian. Douglass refers the religious slaveholders as the Pharisees. He wrote, “the Christianity of America is a Christianity, of whose votaries it may be as truly said as it was of the ancient scribes and Pharisees…All their works they do for to be seen of men” (Appendix, Page by Page Books). Everything the “Christians” did was not for God, but to make themselves look better. Actions always prove what someone puts their faith in. Their actions proved they either did not believe in God or did not respect Him. How can one preach on how to serve God, yet disregard everything He told you to do? The religious slaveholders did it to get mans approval despite the fact that their actions made the thought of Christianity unbearable to those who saw their evils. They put their faith in earthly things. They did not care what happened as long as they were rich and had a good

This leads to a major issue within the slave community. Slaves possess little knowledge of life outside the plantation or house in which they are working at. This means they have no idea how humans are supposed to be treated, and rather that a “god” would never allow for another to be beaten in such severity. This is an advantage that the slave owners held over the actual slaves. If the slaves were to gain an understanding of the world around them, the “religious” quotes recited by slave owners would quickly lose their worth and soon mean nothing as well as hold no influence over the slaves. Frederick Douglas was fortunate enough to understand this, and even addressed the issue in his life story, “What I have said respecting and against religion, I mean strictly to apply to the slaveholding religion of this land, and with no possible reference to Christianity proper; for, between the Christianity of this land, and the Christianity of Christ, I recognize the widest possible difference- so wide, that to receive the one as good, pure, and holy is of necessity to reject the other as bad, corrupt, and wicked(71).” Douglas understands that the Christianity practiced by the slave owners was far different from the Christianity intended by Jesus Christ. As Douglas referred to it, the “Slaveholding religion” was prominent throughout the slavery era, not only was this damaging for the slaves,

Many people believe that Christians played a great role in abolishing slavery. However, Douglass’ ideas about religion and its connection to slavery shine a light on the dark side of Christianity. Douglass’ account of his own life is a very eloquent first hand retelling of the suffering and cruelty that many slaves were going through. His account gives a detail of the ills that were committed against the slaves. The atrocities committed by the various different masters varied in intensity depending on the masters’ individual personality (Glancy 42). This first hand narrative gives us a glimpse in to the connection between religion (Christianity) and slavery.

Frederick Douglass struggled with the treatment of religious slave owners and how they treated their slaves as animals and property, beating them, selling them and even killing them if they became unmanageable compared to the treatment of non-religious slave owners who treated their slaves as human beings, who had feelings, and wanted freedom. It seemed to him after having been treated as a human being that he understood why religious Christianity of the land was just a title for ignorant hypocrites who were fearful of losing control.

Slave owners used Christianity as an excuse for the awful ways they treated their slaves. Christianity played a major role on the increase of brutality and violence that spirited the slave owners. The scriptures in the Bible were twisted in the eyes of slave owners to how they wanted to interpret them. Douglass had a powerful experience with one of his masters, Thomas Auld. Mr. Auld was not a religious person and treated the slaves very poorly. In August 1832, Auld attended a Methodist camp meeting and that marked the day when he became religious, and suddenly even more cruel. “Prior to his conversion, he relied upon his own depravity to shield and sustain him in his savage barbarity; but after his conversion, he found religious sanction and support for his slaveholding cruelty.” After becoming religious, Auld uses scripture to justify his cruelty. Douglass thought that with discovering religion and using it, Auld would become more polite as how Douglass viewed Christianity. Unfortunately that was not the case. Auld justifies that being affiliated with religion would not change a person for the better. Being a slave, Douglass found that slave owners found religious sanction for their cruelty. “He that knoweth his master's will, and doeth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes.", was what a slave owner had said to justify why he beat

……In 1845 an extraordinary piece of work by Frederick Douglass was published “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave”; this was the life of a man who through many adversities stood tall with his head in the heavens. Douglass was the more proactive abolitionist as his work was to demolish slavery while detailing his life experience as a slave and expressing is deep emotions and theory on slavery. In the “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave” he expresses the way religion and its literature, the bible, had an effect not only on slavery but also with white Christianity. His position on slavery was strong and compelling. Douglass used powerful authoritative words from the start of his narrative to grasp our hold and attention and keep us enflamed while realizing God is embedded in the words. ……Phillis Wheatley overcame obstacles most people would quiver against. She showed us slavery and she showed us faith. In the poem, she tells us “Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, Taught my benighted soul to understand” (Wheatley, line 1-2) Right from the beginning , Wheatley shows us religion through her use of subtle but powerful words. She uses the words “Mercy, Pagan

Douglass shows that people who claimed to be moral Christians were torturers of humans. He presents the irony of this situation in the book. "His (the master's) house was the preachers' home. They (the preachers) used to take great pleasure in coming there to put up; for while he starved us, he stuffed them."(40-41) Douglass is presenting his audience with the two faces of the slave holder's version of Christianity; the selfish greed hidden behind piousness. In addition to this Douglass also makes sarcastic descriptions of people and places, describing how un-Christian they were by calling them Christian. "(I)t is almost an unpardonable offense to teach slaves to read in this Christian county."(32)

Fredrick Douglass took on detestable treatment from his slave masters, both Christian and non-Christian. Through this horrific time in slavery, Douglass told what it’s like to be a black slave, under the rule of white men. The Christian slave masters would use the Bible to back up their abuse to the slaves; they did not use the Scripture in context. The non-Christian slave masters beat their slaves to their heart’s content, no matter what. Douglass believed it to be wrong for someone to beat up a slave. Throughout his life, Douglass took a stand for his own personal life and other’s lives as well, to show equality between the white and the black. As Fredrick Douglass describes his repugnance of slavery through his personal life, he also

How did slavery continue to exist despite its inhumane practices? Many of these owners employed the ideas of dehumanizing slaves and religion in order to perpetuate their actions. Dehumanization demoted the societal status of slaves, therefore deeming blacks inferior to their white counterparts. Moreover, although directly opposing religious principles of kindness and avoidance of sin, plantation owners used Christianity as a mechanism to mask their inhumanity and encourage their cruelty toward slaves. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass develops themes of dehumanization and religion, which helps readers understand the techniques slave owners utilized to alleviate their guilt, condone malice toward slaves, and preserve supremacy over colored people in Southern society.

“Clarkson’s Essay” is a narrative by Thomas Clarkson to show his audience the reality of what slavery is and the terrible conditions they are living in. He scouted England over seven years to get testimonies from the suffering that slavery had on its victims. From hard facts, he described actual slaves on the hell ships that were barely surviving. Clarkson questions the faith of the slave traders when he claims “What is Christianity, but a system of murder and oppression?” (92). If they are Christian how could they do such things? God created everyone equal, so he must be wondering where the love for your brother and sisters in Christ is. Murder is a sin. In the Old Testament of the Bible it says, "He who kidnaps a man, whether he sells him

The difference in Christian views is demonstrated in Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin and Douglass’s narrative between the slaves and slave owners. In Uncle Tom’s Cabin both the slaves and slave owners claimed to be Christians but didn’t practice the religion the same. The slaves practiced the Christian religion the more accurate way. Tom for example was the truest example of a real Christian. Tom throughout the story does right and even gains the trust of Mr. Shelby because he knew Tom wouldn’t disobey him since it would’ve been un-Christian like. But the slave owner Mr. Shelby didn’t practice the Christian religion as accurately. Mr. Shelby always claimed to like and respect tom because he was a Christian like him but keeping slaves isn’t Christian

Through the span of the Narrative, Douglass adds to a refinement between genuine Christianity and false Christianity. Douglass clears up the point in his informative supplement, calling the previous: "For, between the Christianity of this land, and the Christianity of Christ, I recognize the widest possible difference - so wide, that to receive the one as good, pure, and holy, is of necessity to reject the other as bad, corrupt, and wicked"(101). Douglass demonstrates that slaveholders ' Christianity is not proof of their inborn goodness, but rather just a deceptive display that serves to support their affected severity. To strike this refinement, Douglass focuses to the essential disagreement between the beneficent, tranquil principles of Christianity and the rough, unethical activities of slaveholders. The character of Thomas Auld stands as a representation of this topic. Like Sophia Auld, Thomas experiences a change in the Narrative from savage slave owner to a much crueler slave owner. Douglass exhibits that Auld 's fierceness increments after he turns into a "pious" man, as Auld 's show of devotion builds his confidence in his "God-given" to hold and abuse slaves. Through the occasion of Auld, Douglass likewise shows that the Southern church itself is degenerate. Auld 's congregation profits by Auld 's cash, earned by method for slaves. Consequently Auld 's congregation, in the same way as other Southern holy places, is complicit in the brutal mercilessness of slavery.

The violence slaves endured was the most vivid representation in Douglass’ portrayal of slavery in the South. No emotion or rage was held back by slaveholders and no pity or sympathy was put forth either. Cruelty and abuse were the only means of control the slaveholders believed would keep order. The pain inflicted upon these individuals, even to the point of death in some cases, fueled the typical master’s obsession with domination and power. However, throughout Douglass’s turmoil, his religious faith remained exceptionally strong. At times he found himself questioning how might his God allow him to endure such grueling circumstances, but he never let his curiosity hinder his faith. He also questioned how a man could call himself a Christian and yet treat another human being in such a humane manner. Douglass could never comprehend how the slaveholders were able to justify slavery through their faith and church as some of his “owners” did.

Auld. When this man found religion, Douglass was sure that he would, at the very least, become "more kind and humane" towards those kept in his service (2063). But the actual change upon his religious awakening was that he became "more cruel and hateful in all his ways" (2063). Before he found religion, Mr. Auld had no justification for his treatment of his slaves. He was cruel to them because of "his own depravity" (Douglass 2063). Mr. Auld tried and failed to intimidate the mannerisms of a "successful" slave owner and didn't know how to regain control. After his "enlightenment" he had religious sanctions for his cruel actions, which absolved him from any feelings of guilt towards the cruel treatment of another man. This religious justification is illustrated in the incident that occurs with the lame slave girl. Mr. Auld would tie up this girl, who had been disfigured by a fire, and beat her until her blood would flow. He backed up this action by quoting Luke 12.47: "'He that knoweth his masters will, and doeth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes'" (Douglass 2064). If one was to read the entire passage of scripture this quote came from, they would see the misuse of this justification. This verse is telling man that if he knows the will of God and chooses not to follow it, he will be punished for his actions. It is not saying that slavery and the mistreatment of slaves is acceptable in the eyes of the Lord.