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Frederick Douglass Religion

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Frederick Douglas: The Crucial Truth Of Slavery Through The Lens Of Religion Frederick Douglass once stated “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. Indeed, I can see no reason, but the most deceitful one, for calling the religion of this land Christianity. I look upon it as the climax of all misnomers, the boldest of all frauds, and the grossest of all libels…” Frederick Douglass was an African-American social reformer, abolitionist, author, and advocate. He was born in Talbot, Maryland around the year of 1818. He was the first African American male to hold …show more content…

He was born amidst slavery and advised and lectured many of social status including, presidents. He spoke on a range of topics including but not limited to women’s rights, post civil war and Irish home rule. He gained the most fame off of his autobiography Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave where he described his hardships living through slavery and post Civil War. In Washington, DC on February 20, 1895 he died, leaving behind his legacy on the world. Frederick Douglass had a major issue with imposters in Christianity, he felt that slave masters could not be Christians. The biggest question for readers is if Christianity can co-exist with slavery? These issues are very complex and wide however, it’s not ethical to be a slave master and be a Christian together. One cannot inflict and cause pain and …show more content…

He also re accounts how much of a beast Covey has turned him into, he thinks about killing Covey and himself. Douglass is struggling with being a slave, that he would rather escape through suicide. He mentions that hope for freedom and fear of God led him to stay alive still fighting for his freedom. He mentioned how southerners claimed they brought Christianity to slaves but it still didn’t prove that owning slaves was righteous. Douglass has had issues with questioning his faith. “Does a righteous God govern the universe? and for what does he hold the thunders in his right hand, if not to smite the oppressor, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the spoiler?” (10.23) He doesn't understand how God can allow him to be a slave and live under such harsh conditions. However, he remains hopeful because he is to able to still read and teach other slaves how to read including the bible. During this time Douglass is having crisis of faith. Although at first he questions his faith because of the position he is in, he gains hope and says that one day he will be free. He prays to God for his freedom. Lastly, Douglass states their hypocrisy, which all relates to the quote and the

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Douglass demonstrates how religious hypocrisy morally bankrupts the white slave holders turning them into brutes in their supposedly superior social class. While at Coveys plantation, Douglass sees the religious hypocrisy of the slave holders. The slave holders set Covey above them as if his words and ideas are divine. They have a corrupt sense of morality, using religion as a base for their rules of slave holding

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555 Words | 3 Pages

1. Fredrick Douglass witnessed harsh and violent actions throughout his slave life, as slave owners utilized Christianity as a justification for these actions and for the system of slavery. Douglass experienced this religious abuse throughout his life as a slave. However, in 1832, when he began working for Captain Auld, he witnessed the misuse of religion in the setting of a violent action. After Auld whipped a young woman, he justified his actions by quoting the Bible: “He that knoweth his master’s will, and doeth it not, shall be beaten with many strips” (33).

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486 Words | 2 Pages

Douglass tells us this by saying that he believes anyone who is a slave owner cannot be a Christian. In his view, he believes being a slave owner violates the very principles of being a Christian. Auld quote he believes that the Christianity practiced by the Slave owners and the Christianity practiced by non-slave owners are two

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605 Words | 3 Pages

Frederick Douglass is a strong, independent abolitionist who used his intense, strong words to impact and help change the lives of thousands. This all started by his bestselling book “An American slave” published in 1845. In which describes his horrid life of living as a black man during the 1820’s through 1840’s. In his first biography he uses influential language to convey not only his story but his emotional tolls as well. He brings this affluential emotion to every page with every word.

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His morals were so deeply entrenched in those of Christ’s that he could not help but continue to grow in his love for mankind every day, and hate the wicked acts of the world more with every passing moment. Abolishing slavery was not at all about quality of life or prosperous living to Douglass, but about establishing justice and peace on the earth. He knew that God alone informs good will and defines what righteousness is. So, just as God is the Great Liberator of all men, Douglass, in his imitation of Him, became a liberator for those to whom he was entrusted, namely: African-American slaves. Even as a child, when playing with his free friends, his “playfellows had no tendency to weaken [his] love of liberty.”

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1080 Words | 5 Pages

During the time when Douglass wrote this book, there were several myths which were used to justify slavery. The slaveholder during his time justified this inhuman practice using different arguments. The first argument they used was the religion. From the narrative, Douglass says that slaveholders called themselves Christians which was the dominant religion by then.

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964 Words | 4 Pages

Frederick Douglass was one of the most prominent black leader of the nineteenth century. He was an abolitionist, women’s rights advocate, journalist, newspaper editor, social reformer, and a race leader. In “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass”, Douglass narrates his lifetime occurrences and experiences as a slave, in much detail. Douglass’ key objective was to inform his spectators about the reality of slavery and influence them that such an outrageous convention should be abolished. Douglass was born as a slave in Maryland in 1818.

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559 Words | 3 Pages

“ I love the pure, peaceable, and impartial Christianity of Christ: I therefore hate the corrupt, slaveholding, woman-whipping, cradle-plundering, partial and hypocritical Christianity of this land.” (Douglass 100) Douglass does this to show how hypocritical people in the South were being. Churches were teaching the Christian practice of being kind and compassionate while not actually practicing it themselves. Douglass argues that the actions of some people are against religion.

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Douglass does not hold anyone accountable for the way they use Christianity. Although, Captain Thomas Auld goes to church he uses Christianity to make him more confident in the harsh and cruel treatment of slaves. This is not the teachings of a christian and further separate slavery and the church. Also, it supports how religion can be changed to fit anybody’s personal beliefs .

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1049 Words | 5 Pages

Throughout his narrative, Douglass’s descriptions of the white slaveholders expose the Christian hypocrisy found in the American slave system. Douglass first does so by exposing how the lesson taught by Christians to help those in need is contradicted by the experiences Douglass has especially with hunger. Douglass reflects on these experiences when he states that for the “first time during a space of more than seven years” feeling the effects of the “painful gnawing’s of hunger…” (54). This event shows the Christians’ lessons of selflessness and kindness is hypocritical as they treat their fellow humans as subhuman. The Christians at the time rely on scripture to make a case for slavery in America.

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497 Words | 2 Pages

Frederick Douglass was a highly respected abolitionist, reformist, as well as civil and women’s rights leader. Douglass was apparently born on plantation in Talbot County, Maryland around the years 1816-1818. He dies 77 years later due to a fatal heart attack. Throughout his journey beginning from a captive slave to a well-known and esteemed activist, Douglass also changes the way Americans viewed race, slavery, rights and America’s democracy. From the 1800s, Douglass’ life and captivity along with his escape as a slave has been a widespread foundation for inspiration, motivation, knowledge and hope for decades.

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1607 Words | 7 Pages

Even though religion is repeatedly used against Douglass throughout his life before freedom, he is not afraid of it. He too uses religion like the slaveowners, but he uses it to see the light of his situation. At some points in his life he loses faith, such as when he is sent to Covey. Douglass never gives up because he knows that the face of religion is not evil. He understands the fact that some people will hide behind things like religion for their own gain or as an excuse to cause violence.

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392 Words | 2 Pages

The legendary abolitionist and orator Frederick Douglass was one of the most important social reformers of the nineteenth century. Being born into slavery on a Maryland Eastern Shore plantation to his mother, Harriet Bailey, and a white man, most likely Douglass’s first master was the starting point of his rise against the enslavement of African-Americans. Nearly 200 years after Douglass’s birth and 122 years after his death, The social activist’s name and accomplishments continue to inspire the progression of African-American youth in modern society. Through his ability to overcome obstacles, his strive for a better life through education, and his success despite humble beginnings, Frederick Douglass’s aspirations stretched his influence through

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660 Words | 3 Pages

and by those too, who profess religion?”(Apess, 6). In this way, Apess argues by pointing out the hypocrisy found in the Christian ideology of the time, insisting that the ideas held on racial superiority and slavery, while not explicitly condemned in the Bible, go against the ideas of the teachings of Jesus. Apess also uses an appeal to authority, to Jesus nonetheless, in order to shame those who would argue for slavery by mentioning that their savior would be discriminated against in American society. Another voice against slavery, Frederick Douglass, not only uses his religion as an argument against slavery, but also condemns the branches of Christianity which supported it over the course of his 1845 “Narrative”. In his appendix, Douglass states “I love the pure, peaceable, and impartial Christianity of Christ: I therefore hate the corrupt,

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257 Words | 2 Pages

With this, Douglass is addressing the topic of slavery and whether to abolish it or not. And goes about telling the hardships he went through.

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