In the Appendix to ๐ฟ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ด๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ by Frederick Douglass (Boston: Anti-Slavery Office, 1845), Douglass wrote:
“I find, since reading over the foregoing Narrative, that I have, in several instances, spoken in such a tone and manner, respecting religion, as may possibly lead those unacquainted with my religious views to suppose me an opponent of all religion. To remove the liability of such misapprehension, I deem it proper to append the following brief explanation. What I have said respecting and against religion, I mean strictly to apply to the ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐โ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ of this land, and with no possible reference to Christianity proper; for, between the Christianity of this land, and the Christianity of Christ, I recognize the widest possible difference โ so wide, that to receive the one as good, pure, and holy, is of necessity to reject the other as bad, corrupt, and wicked. To be the friend of the one, is of necessity to be the enemy of the other. ๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ซ๐, ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐๐ก๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ก๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ: ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ก๐๐ญ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ญ, ๐ฌ๐ฅ๐๐ฏ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ง-๐ฐ๐ก๐ข๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ๐-๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ก๐ฒ๐ฉ๐จ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ก๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐. [Emphasis mine]. 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.”
The entire appendix – nay, the entire book, but the appendix is a representative summary of Douglass’ thought – is a short but compelling read, and I recommend it to anyone who wishes to understand the foundation of hate in Christian Nationalism.
The following text is a representation of how this attitude showed up in 1965, and which persists today, to the great shame and detriment of our society.
“The hate stare was everywhere practiced, especially by women of the older generation. On Sunday, I made the experiment of dressing well and walking past some of the white churches just as services were over. In each instance, as the women came through the church doors and saw me, the “spiritual bouquets” changed to hostility. The transformation was grotesque. In all of Montgomery only one woman refrained. She did not smile. She merely looked at me and did not change her expression. My gratitude to her was so great it astonished me.” Griffin, John Howard, Black Like Me.ยน
Given the gross disconnect between the Christianity found in the New Testament and the Book of Mormon, and the behavior of far too manyยฒ of those who profess to be followers of Christ in the current timeline, it is no wonder that so many people are turning away from mainstream Christian churches, citing loss of belief, negative experiences, LGBTQ-related concerns, scandals, and politics.
As a nation, we must do better if we are to have a country that works for everyone, with no one left out. R. Buckminster Fuller expressed this idea in what came to be known as his “World Game,” after which this blog is named:
โMake the world work, for 100% of humanity, in the shortest possible time, through spontaneous cooperation, without ecological offense or the disadvantage of anyone.โ
The Old Wolf has spoken.
Footnotes
ยน Black Like Me, first published inย 1961, is a nonfiction book by journalistย John Howard Griffinย recounting his journey in theย Deep Southย of the United States, at a time whenย African Americansย lived under theย Jim Crow laws. Griffin was a native ofย Mansfield, Texas, who had his skin temporarily darkened to pass as a black man. He traveled for six weeks throughout theย racially segregatedย states ofย Louisiana,ย Mississippi,ย Alabama,ย Arkansas, andย Georgiaย to explore life from the other side of theย color line.ย Sepia Magazineย financed the project in exchange for the right to print the account first as a series of articles.(Wikipedia)
ยฒ It goes without saying that there are countless people in all Christian denominations who do their best to emulate the teachings of Jesus and go about, in a quiet and unassuming way, doing good. These are they who form a bulwark against the flood of openly-practiced hate and division of the hypocritical Christian Nationalists.
Playing in the World Game 