Zahraa H. Nasser
ENGL 238
Dr. Schwartz
October 7, 2015 Slave Religion: Double Narrative of Christianity In The Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass, Christianity is described as two different forms. There is the religion of Christianity as its “real” form of which he follows. The second form is the “false” form practiced by the hypocritical Christians that happen to be slaveholders. Douglass sets up Christianity and slavery in a sense where neither one can coexist. Ideally, Christianity and slavery two completely opposing forces. In Fredrick Douglass’s The Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass, he juxtaposes slavery and the false Christianity that the slaveholders believe, in order to reveal to the audience the underlying hypocrisy …show more content…
“To be the friend of the one, is of necessity to be the enemy of the other. I love the pure, peaceable, and impartial Christianity of Christ,” (Appendix, 398) defines that despite the overall expression of Christianity in the narrative, he is a firm believer in Christ. Douglass does not feel as if he is patronizing the religion for an outcome of hateful people, nor does he hate it. “They love the heathen on the other side of the globe. They can pray for him, pay money to have the Bible put into his hand, and missionaries to instruct him; while they despise and totally neglect the heathen at their own doors,” (Appendix, Page 400); he hates the people that follow the religion and preach one thing, but do …show more content…
It is not a regurgitation of the Bible, but rather how he morally states his understanding of the text to apply it to situations regarding his own personal life. This is evident in Chapter 1, when the reader is first introduced to Douglass. His introduction to faith is as stated, “ and if their increase will do no other good, it will do away with the force of the arguments, that god cursed Ham, and therefore American slavery is right,” this gives the reader a notion that there are two sides of Christianity, and only one side is the form that the reader must accept as the true form. “If the lineal descendants of Ham are alone to be scripturally enslaved, it is certain that slavery at the south must soon become unscriptural; for thousands are ushered into the world, annually, who, like myself, owe their existence to white fathers, and those fathers most frequently their own masters,” (Chapter 1, 318) indicates that the moral of a slave is applicable in his unfortunate destiny, but he is able to justify that injustice of which the South brings. The adding in of a biblical reference to the beginning of his narrative allows Douglass to immerse the reader to walk hand in hand with him and see the religion from an actual believer’s perspective. “This good spirit was from God, and to him I offer thanksgiving and praise,” (Chapter 5, 337) gives the reader a sense that God is an omnipresence. Douglass’s belief in God is not
ENGL 238
Dr. Schwartz
October 7, 2015 Slave Religion: Double Narrative of Christianity In The Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass, Christianity is described as two different forms. There is the religion of Christianity as its “real” form of which he follows. The second form is the “false” form practiced by the hypocritical Christians that happen to be slaveholders. Douglass sets up Christianity and slavery in a sense where neither one can coexist. Ideally, Christianity and slavery two completely opposing forces. In Fredrick Douglass’s The Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass, he juxtaposes slavery and the false Christianity that the slaveholders believe, in order to reveal to the audience the underlying hypocrisy …show more content…
“To be the friend of the one, is of necessity to be the enemy of the other. I love the pure, peaceable, and impartial Christianity of Christ,” (Appendix, 398) defines that despite the overall expression of Christianity in the narrative, he is a firm believer in Christ. Douglass does not feel as if he is patronizing the religion for an outcome of hateful people, nor does he hate it. “They love the heathen on the other side of the globe. They can pray for him, pay money to have the Bible put into his hand, and missionaries to instruct him; while they despise and totally neglect the heathen at their own doors,” (Appendix, Page 400); he hates the people that follow the religion and preach one thing, but do …show more content…
It is not a regurgitation of the Bible, but rather how he morally states his understanding of the text to apply it to situations regarding his own personal life. This is evident in Chapter 1, when the reader is first introduced to Douglass. His introduction to faith is as stated, “ and if their increase will do no other good, it will do away with the force of the arguments, that god cursed Ham, and therefore American slavery is right,” this gives the reader a notion that there are two sides of Christianity, and only one side is the form that the reader must accept as the true form. “If the lineal descendants of Ham are alone to be scripturally enslaved, it is certain that slavery at the south must soon become unscriptural; for thousands are ushered into the world, annually, who, like myself, owe their existence to white fathers, and those fathers most frequently their own masters,” (Chapter 1, 318) indicates that the moral of a slave is applicable in his unfortunate destiny, but he is able to justify that injustice of which the South brings. The adding in of a biblical reference to the beginning of his narrative allows Douglass to immerse the reader to walk hand in hand with him and see the religion from an actual believer’s perspective. “This good spirit was from God, and to him I offer thanksgiving and praise,” (Chapter 5, 337) gives the reader a sense that God is an omnipresence. Douglass’s belief in God is not