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Narrative In The Life Of Frederick Douglass And Religion

610 Words3 Pages

Frederick Douglass has harsh claims against slave owners who claim to be Christians. Douglass believes that a person can not be both a slaveholder and a Christian. Also, due to the fact that Douglass loathes hypocrites he feels religious slaveholders are even worse than those who are not religious. This is the main reason behind Douglass writing the Appendix just to explain he was only against religious hypocrisy and not religion itself. Frederick Douglass in his narrative, “ Narrative in the Life of Frederick Douglass, “ the role of religion is discussed, Christianity is mainly talked about and divided into two groups true Christianity and a white Christianity. Also, it demonstrates the disciplinary and emancipatory hope Christianity can bring. …show more content…

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 . Edward Convey ,the slave breaker, who later attains Douglass has demonstrated how corrupt Christianity can be when personal beliefs are bought in religion. Convey is a poor man with a reputation for successfully breaking slaves who slaveholders find a “problem”. In terms of religion Convey is dishonest because of his sin of adultery. Caroline, a slave of Convey, is a “breeder” that Convey uses to attain more slave by having a married man sleep with her. Both of the actions by Convey and Auld are not actions taken by a man of religion neither representing the core values of

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Mr. Thomas Auld, however, was not the worst religious slaveholder, in fact Douglass shares stories of Reverend Hopkins and Reverend Weeden only to prove the crudeness of Christian slaveholders. Douglass then goes on to tell of how some fellow slaves and himself began to familiarize themselves with Christianity, and how it angered their slaveholders, who, “would much rather see them

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Douglass also drives vast attention to the false accusation that suggests the loyalty between a slave masters is stronger than the loyalty between slaves. Within the first chapter, Douglass evidently mentions the clear hypocrisy of religion, specifically with “Christian” slave owners who used their religious teachings and the Bible to justify their gruesome treatment to their slaves. Christian slave owners and their religious practice throughout is a reoccurring theme within the text of Douglass’ autobiography. In the midst of the next several chapters, Douglass begins to describe the conditions of his plantation such as brutal beatings, murder, and many others. Within the remaining text, Douglass explains his journey of escaping freedom which fueled the creation of the “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave”.

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