Cailin Counihan

AAFS 341
03/10/2022
Paper 6
The Hypocrisy of Slavery for Christianity

There was so much information and experiences in the readings for this week. So many

perspectives. Whether it be Peter Randolph discussing the how slavery was sometimes viewed as

a religious order, and the white men who preached to them were greatly noble for speaking the

word of the Lord to them. But this was simple hypocrisy. There was no good or honor in praying

to uphold the system of slavery. Or Henry Bibb describing the sense of alienation so African

American slaves felt from their historical faith due to the distortion of religion by the Christian.

However, many slaves maintained aspects of their faith such as conjuration and divination that

matriculated with the Christian faith being instilled upon them. This is much of the cause of the

resulting nuances and diversity within African American faith today.

Christianity was used as a tool to perpetuate and uphold slavery. Many white people told

themselves that Africans and African Americans were sinful, and it was only through

enslavement and conversion that they could be saved. They actually justified to themselves that

they were doing these people a service. But as usual, the slaveowners underestimated the people

that they held in chains. They were not a simple people marred with sin but a deeply religious

and spiritual people who would do anything to preserve their faith and ensure their freedom.

It should have been no surprise then when the insurrections came. Nat Turners story,

though warped by the misinterpretation of the legal officials at the time, has a shining truth in it.

Though there were few brave enough to rise up and risk it all including their lives, those few

represented the many and the dissatisfaction that was felt by them. They saw the contradictions

between the faith that was being preached to them and the life they were being forced to live. It
went against so many of the Christian teachings and enflamed their desire for true freedom. This

contradiction is also covered by Frederick Douglas who describes Christians who preach their

support of slavery as corrupt, wicked, and not genuine Christians. It does not seem possible that

one can hold all the words of God, believe in the Bible, and at the same time believe slavery is a

system that should be upheld. No matter what religion you practice, if you feel it gives you cause

to enslave another person and steal them from many of their faith traditions and customs, then it

is no true religion. It is belief rooted in hate and fear.