Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave generously provided the reader with details of the situations Douglass witnessed and lived through himself, giving the reader a vivid realization of what it was like to be a slave in slave-holding America. After learning how to read and write, Douglass gained knowledge about the barbaric institution of slavery, and the contradictory lives the white slaveholders of the south lived. When you are denied something, you only want it more. Douglass’s mind had been starved of education, so any opportunity that came before him, he grabbed it with full force. Education is what aided Douglass in interpreting the bible in his own way, vastly differing from the white slaveholders of the South’s interpretations.
Religion plays a major role throughout Frederick Douglass’s narrative. After having been moved back and forth, through the hands of many masters, it became evident that these white slaveholders shared something in common. They lived their lives in the most contradicting manner possible. Douglass describes a situation where a former master named Auld used religion to justify an action: “I have seen him tie up a lame young women, and whip her with a heavy cowskin upon her naked shoulders, causing the warm blood to drip; and, in justification of the bloody deed, he would quote this passage of scripture – He that knoweth his masters will, and doeth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes” (261). This was one of the many events Douglass witnessed that only made him hungrier in interpreting the text these barbarous people used in defending their inhumane actions
Throughout the narrative, Douglass at times seemed as if he had views opposing religion: “Does a righteous God govern the universe? And for what does he hold the thunders in his right hand, if not to smite the oppressor, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the spoiler?” (272). Here, Douglass expresses a loss of faith after events that would shatter anyone’s spirit. In the appendix of this narrative, Douglass clarifies with the reader that he opposes the “slaveholding religion” and loves the pure Christianity of Christ. “The man who wields the blood-clotted cowskin during the week fills the pulpit on Sunday, and claims to be a minister of the meek and lowly Jesus… He who proclaims it a religious duty to read the bible denies me the right of learning to read the name of the God who made me” (289). Frederick Douglass made it clear that he strictly defies the religion the white slaveholders aggressively practice and hold so dear and loves the version he interpreted on his own through his dedication to seek education.
I like how you mention Douglass’ lost of faith in God when he sees the inequality around him. As I was reading the many descriptions of brutality inflicted on the slaves, I found myself asking how Douglass can still believe there is a righteous God.
However, as many times Douglass lost his faith, he regained it through various fortuitous events. The fight he had over his faith was really prevalent throughout the narrative. I felt like many of his opinions on faith were affected by these events. When good things happened, he believed there was a God. When bad events occurred, God was not righteous. This influence events had on his faith definitely makes the narrative mote interesting but it brings into question the accuracy of Douglass’ story.
One question I had in regards Douglass’s relationship to Christianity is what made him so pious. Most of the people in which he describes as Christians are those whom he rejects, the slaveholders. The bible itself condones slavery and clear from all those suffering under slavery that their prayers do not work. But even so, he believes in God and rejects the superstitious religion of Sandy, regardless of the fact that he had a feeling that it had done something. Though a reason as to why he rejects the other religion is that it is the religion of the uneducated black slaves, a group with he worked hard to not be associated with by educating himself and escaping from slavery.