Quote from Fredrick Douglass, A clear understanding of the corupt bond of capitalism and religion

[DrewFlorida]

Quote.
"I love the pure, peaceable, and impartial Christianity of Christ: I therefore hate the corrupt, slaveholding, women whipping, cradle-plundering, partial and hypocritical Christianity of the land. Indeed I can see no reason, but the most deceitful one, for calling the religion of this land Christianity. I look upon it as the climax of all misnomers, the boldest of all frauds, and the grossest of all libels. Never was there a clearer case of 'stealing the livery of the court of heaven to serve the devil in.' I am filled with unutterable loathing when I contemplate the religious pomp and show, together with the horrible inconsistencies, which everywhere surround me. We have men-stealers for ministers, women-whippers for missionaries, and cradle-plunderers for church members. 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....The slave auctioneer's bell and the church-going bell chime in with each other, and the bitter cries of the heartbroken slave are drowned in the religious shouts of his pious master. Revivals of religion and revivals in the slave trade go hand in hand together. The slave prison and the church stand near each other. The clanking of fetters and the rattling of chains in the prison, and the pious psalm and solemn prayer in the church, may be heard at the same time. The dealers in the bodies and souls of men erect their stand in the presence of the pulpit, and they mutually help each other. The dealer gives his blood stained gold to support the pulpit, and the pulpit, in return, covers his infernal business in the garb of Christianity. Here we have religion and robbery the allies of each other-devils dressed in angels robes, and hell presenting the semblance of paradise."

Fredrick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass.

This profound quote explains the same behavior of the bond of greed and religion we still see today, the essence of which is our most serious problem in society.

[Egalitarian Thug]

1. K&R. Thank you for this. Are we simply incapable of learning this lesson? n/t

[DrewFlorida]

2. Unfortunately, you are right, at least a large number of us are ignorant.

[CrazyOrangeCat]

3. DU Rec. n/t

[DrewFlorida]

5. DU Rec. n/t???????

[CrazyOrangeCat]

7. Well, I'm sorta busy, so I didn't comment.

But now I will. I have never seen this quote, and I like it.

Half-assed Christians are the worst thing that ever came down the pike.

So there.

[Egalitarian Thug]

9. OP is recommended and there is no additional text to read. Some people still have

slow connections, so by putting n/t (nt, nm, eom, etc.) in the subject line they can avoid clicking on the reply and waiting for it to load, only to find that there is nothing there. It's a courtesy thing.

[DrewFlorida]

10. Thank you, I learned something today!

[DonCoquixote]

4. this is worthy of a signature

"I love the pure, peaceable, and impartial Christianity of Christ: I therefore hate the corrupt, slaveholding, women whipping, cradle-plundering, partial and hypocritical Christianity of the land. "

[DrewFlorida]

8. Signature?

[DonCoquixote]

11. as in

the line at the end of a post here

[patrice]

6. Much to the painfully sad corruption of individual moral responsibility resulting in not only the

ABUSE of the American military in a war against an INNOCENT Muslim nation, Iraq, but also abdication of individual civic responsibilities, such as being fully and honestly informed on all of the issues when one steps into a voting booth, and abdication of individual responsibilities to all life on Earth, not to mention the future of our children's health, education, and welfare . . . It's all "Whatever" and "Shit happens."

I completely agree, ". . . the essence of which is our most serious problem in society . . . " - the root of all evil.

[WillyT]

12. K & R !!!

[zeemike]

13. That is because nothing has changed from then to now.

Capitalism or any power that rules marries itself to religion and then proceeds to corrupt it to be more like them....it has been like that sense Rome adopted Christianity...and probably before.

That is how power corrupts...it co ops things that can help it stay in power.