Christianity: Pro or Anti Slavery?

           

Slavery has been a big topic of discussion in Christianity for many years now. On one hand, the bible asserts statements that seem to condone slavery, but on the other hand, there were plenty of abolitionist Christians fighting for slave rights. Christianity, in historical and recent times, has been incognizant about whether slavery is supported in their theology or not. 

            The concept of condoning slavery has been very prevalent in Christian theology. For example, Christians heavily support the bible and all its interpretations, but Ephesians 6:5 states “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ”. Also, when asked about pro-slavery thoughts in Christian theology, Frederick Douglass states “I love the pure, peaceable, and impartial Christianity of Christ; I therefore hate the corrupt, slave-holding, women-whipping, cradle-plundering, partial and hypocritical Christianity of this land”. He recalls the horrors that he has experienced throughout the religion, and even goes so far as to call it “bad, corrupt, and wicked”. 

Those who had slaves would say that they were saving the Africans from their “savage-like ways”, and were infusing them with Christian theology to control them. Christian slaveholders said that they treated their slaves kindly, and they thought that they were saving the slaves from a religion that “worshiped the devil, practiced witchcraft, and sorcery”. Many believed that giving slaves the freedom to practice would cause them to assume that they should be set free, especially after Nat Turner’s rebellion. Evidently, there are many affirmations that Christianity explicitly, and even implicitly, condones slavery.

Religious leaders and religion in the north played a significant role in condemning slavery. Although Southern ministers and churches were still pro-slavery, Northern ministers actually played a large role in the anti-slavery or abolitionist movement. In order to gain followers for the abolitionist movement in a time where the south and parts of the north depended heavily on slavery, the abolitionists described slavery as an “evil, un-Christian system” and “a stain on the values of the Declaration of Independence”. 

Many leading Abolitionists were guided by their religious beliefs. During a time known as the Second Great Awakening religious leaders told their congregations that they could achieve salvation by “building lives of morality” and “speaking out against sin”. Since slavery was considered one of the most sinful practices, the abolitionists attacked the movement with even more passion and people than ever before. Without the help of Northern ministers and churches, the abolitionist movement could have ended before it even began. People trusted their religious leaders and therefore the movement grew immensely when religion became a part of the argument against slavery.

Christianity has both condemned and condoned slavery at one point. You could argue either side in this case but ultimately it depends on how you interpret the bible. Religious leaders preached their interpretations of the bible whether it was pro or anti slavery.