Frederick Douglass Religion

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Christianity of the Land vs Christianity of Christ
The existence of various interpretations of the Bible has led to the confusion amongst different religions as it relates to what one believes to be true when reading scriptures as opposed to seeking what scriptures were intended to mean. This is not only a concern today, but was also a major disturbance during the practice of slavery, many years ago. According to Frederick Douglass, the slave owners from the South justified their inhumane acts by believing that slavery and harsh punishment was accepted by God; this was a result of what they interpreted scripture to mean, rather than understanding the message the Bible intended to convey. In his Narrative of the Life, Douglass critiques the …show more content…
According to PBS, most slaves had not been converted to Christianity, until widespread evangelism occurred emphasizing individual freedom and direct communication with God, which then brought lots of enslaved men and women to convert to Christianity (PBS SOURCE). Slaves were not allowed to pray or hold sabbath school, Douglass was fortunate that he knew how to read which helped shape his character and Christian life. Douglass declares his devotion to Christianity and validates his reasoning for being against the religion practiced in the South that defended slavery. Although, slavery helped shape his view on Christianity, it also helped increase his faith in God. There were times in his life when he poured out his soul and complaints to God. Douglass believed in God despite his sufferings, in one passage he expressed “you are loosed from your moorings, and are free; I am fast in my chains, and am a slave’’ (BOOK SOURCE FOR DOUGLASS). During Douglass’ darkest hours of slavery, he expressed how he was living a miserable life while others were free as a way to help readers relate to his heartache the hardships he faced. Douglass later ends the passage with “O God, save me! God, deliver me! Let me be free! Is there any God? Why am I a slave? (SOURCE BOOK OF DOUGLASS). Most may conclude that Douglass was a fighter who experienced a deep conviction that slavery would not destroy him or his faith in God, his saving grace that would set him
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