Sarah Johnson Section 67 Frederick Douglass From Virtue to Vice The atrocities of slavery in the 18th and 19th

centuries violated the freedom this country was founded upon and the fundamental principles of Christianity. Ironically, Christianity flourished in the slave-driven South. Frederick Douglass exposed the hypocrisy of Christian slave-holders throughout his memoir, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. By using the examples of his slaveholders and masters, Douglass showed that at times, slaveholders are most guilty of perverting Christian virtues, specifically religious devotion and study of the scriptures, so completely that the attribute became the basest of sins. Although Douglass criticized Christian slaveholders, he did not criticize Christianity as a whole. He wrote, What I have said respecting religion, I mean strictly to apply to the slaveholding religion, with no possible reference to Christianity proper to receive the one as good, pure, and holy, is of necessity to reject the other as bad, corrupt, and wicked. Both forms of Christianity have the same source, but the slaveholders changed the teachings into something destructive. The idea of perverting a godly attribute into a sin can be found in The Confessions of Saint Augustine. Augustine writes that all sin is an imitation of a godly form or quality, committed because humans want something that can only be achieved through God. This is paralleled in Douglasss narrative. The religious Southern slaveholders imitated many Christian characteristics, but slaveholding itself was a complete failure to comprehend the most basic Christian tenant- that all human-beings are children of God with a responsibility to love their neighbor as themselves. They were are incapable of living true Christianity. One Christian quality that shifted from a virtue to a sin is religious devotion. Southern

Christians were very conspicuous in certain aspects of their religious commitment. Several of Douglasss masters prayed morning, noon, and night (77). Others frequently sang spiritual hymns or invited had pastors to their homes. This devotion is not a sin. However, their devotion failed when it came to their slaves, where a devotion to the slave-owner mindset took precedence. This is particularly true when contrasted to the scripture Mathew 25: 35-36, as quoted in the narrative. Master Thomas never gave the slaves enough food to live off, forcing Douglass to beg for food (76). Master Daniel kept Douglass almost naked through every season, with only a stolen bag to keep him warm on winter nights (59). The virtue of Christian devotion became a sin when it was limited to only white peers rather than to all men, including slaves. Knowledge of the scriptures was similarly a virtue turned vice. The Bible contains commandments to search the scriptures as they bring man closer to God. However, the immoral way slaveholders used the scriptures was certainly a violation of Christian beliefs. Slavery itself was defended and upheld using scripture. The story of Ham and Noah found in Genesis was used by slaveholders to keep the slaves scripturally enslaved (44). The scriptures were also used to justify terrible acts of violence. Luke 12:47, which reads, He that knoweth his masters will, and doeth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes, was used by Captain Auld to rationalize his frequent, horrific beatings of a lame young woman. Douglass also cites two prominent ministers who used their beliefs as justification for merciless violence. While learning from the scriptures is one of the highest Christian goals, using the scriptures in defense violence turned that virtue into a terrible sin. Frederick Douglass repeatedly emphasizes the difference between Christianity and the Souths version of the religion. To many members of the Southern community, Christian slaveholders appeared to be pious church-goers who exemplified many Christian virtues of the

day. Slavery proved that Southern Christians draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me (Isaiah 29:13). Word Count: 620 Percent read: 100%

Works Cited Augustine, and E. B. Pusey. The Confessions of Saint Augustine. New York: Quality Paperback Book Club, 1991. Print. Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2003. Print.