Frederick Douglass Impact On Religion

Mathew DeWinters

Paper #2

Fredrick Douglass The Narrative Life of Fredrick Douglass shows many occasions were slavery and religion collides between a master and a salve. Douglass demonstrates the way religion and the bible have had negative impacts on slavery as well as development of Christianity. Douglass has betrayed some very harsh criticism for the slave owners that betrayed to be Christian that he came into contact with over the course of his life. Douglass tells his readers that he believes people cant be Christian and be a slaveholder, he tells the readers that by doing this they are acting as hypocrites. As Christianity became popular in the United States people began to practice it, this includes slaveholders and salves. Douglass

Wilson after Mr. Wilson began to participate in religious events. Mr. Wilson tied up a lame young woman, and whipped her with a heavy cowskin upon her naked shoulders, causing the warm red blood to drip. He justified his actions by quoting scripture from the bible, “"And a servant who knows what the master wants, but isn't prepared and doesn't carry out those instructions, will be severely punished” (Luke 12:14). By this Mr. Wilson was able to beat his slaves due to them not carrying out instructions. Douglas says this is what demonstrates how religion literature helped slave owners justify there

The first view, the slaves or the color people seen religion as “God seeing everyone great and small, bond and free, everyone were sinners in the sigh of God.” To the slaves religion offered a way for the slaves to achieve grace. On the opposing side you had the slaveholders, the masters, or white people; seen religion as a way to be cruel to slaves. Through this they were able to beat, murder, labor, and make slaves bleed in the name of religion. In the last chapter of the story; the Appendix Douglass explains three things. He explains that he is a dedicated Christian, slaveholders who say they are religious are in fact not Christian, and slavery and religion are opposed to each other. The reason for this appendix is due to the fact that Douglass does not want the reader to feel that he is anti-religious. Douglass goes over religion and Christianity in many parts of his book talking negativity about it. After reading the reader would get the assumption that Douglass is opposed to religion when in fact Douglass is only against the religion of slaveholders. In Douglass opinion he explains that in order to be Christian one must reject slavery, this is due to Christians must hold up good, pure, and holy and must reject bad, corrupt, and wicked ways. In order to be good, pure, and holy they must turn from being slave owners and turn to God