Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1850-01-05
NO9.170J
SLAVERY and tn, Popular Religion.


FRIESp JOHNSON Your kindness in publish
ing my FIRST attempt to write for thepublic eye,
and tho favorable opinion Of partial friends, have
induced me to send you few moro of my loose
thoughts yet am not desirous of seeing them
spread out on paper, unless your Judgment may
deem them worthy. The greatest desire of my
heart is to be useful in tho cause of humanity
and Il thought, word, or act of mine, can bcnc-
ft mankind, will not, because ought not to,
withhold il.
can hardly realize the fact that exist. A
few short years back, was almost on outcast
from society. I, who loved my Creator because
was his, and mankind because they were my
brethren, was denounced as an Infidcl, con-
temncr Of righteousness, because hated op-
preston, and hated the religion of the world be-
cause It sustained it. No change has taken
place in my sentiments, only that my hatred of
injustice and false religion has increased and
yet, many noble souls acknowledge congo
nality with mine, and very frequently do en-
JOY the social mingling of soul with soul, that
my outraged heart painted for. Wherever my
thoughts turn, the recollection of some friend
rises to my mind, whose last kind greetings arc
a sweet companionship to me in my solitary
hours.
Pardon this-I would not refer to II for sci
FISH reasons but from the reality of the change
in my own situation, my hopes of redemption
for the slave are strengthened. Yes Slavery
shall fall. Heaven and Earth have dccrecd the
downfall Of the accurscd system; and when the
shacklcs fall from the limbs of the slave the re-
religion that has so long stayed the course of
Justice shall fall from its blood-staincd throne,
never to rise again. Let no ono lift up their
eyes in holy horror. l said not that Christian
ity should fall. Christianity has affinity with
oppression. Christianity will redeem the slave
but popular religion is even now the main OBJ
staclc IN our path as VIC cndcavor to press on
ward to relieve our suffering brother; and that
religion must be brought into general contempt
before the slave can be cmancipatcd. What
mcthinks some zcalot here cxclans, is it not
enough that you would destroy our glorious
civil institutions; would you also deprive US of
our hopes Of Heaven; 1 tell you, pious friend,
l do not believe tho path to Heaven lies thu ough
your church she has no soy to unlock its glo-
rious portals; if you seek Heaven, examine
your own heart; if you find it not there, read
the parable of the good Samaritan there YOU
will find the pathway plainly marked out; walk
in it and you cannot miss tho heavenly city,
As for your government, it is with me a matter
of minor Importance; for what is your govern
mcnt, or any other government where the reo-
pie elect their representatives, but a common
sewer, where all the filth and scum that is en-
gcndcred in the Church--that modern Babylon
lis drained OFF, Ii VIC can destroy your city,
the moral pestilcnce that arises from it will be
at an end, and purer religion will produce
better government. Think You that tho whole
sale murder and extensive robbery that your
government has lately been engaged in, could
have taken place, had your churches inculcatcd
pure morals; Ii you do, then arc you truly un-
acquainted with tho power of religion Rcli-
gion makes the morals of any pcople-of all
people a bloody religion prevailing in any ma
ton will not produce morality that shuddcrs
at shedding of human blood; religion that is
all faith will not produce a public sentiment
that loves its ncighbor as itself; a religion that
a nation hate oppression; it is on the religion
of this country the guilt of Slavery rests, and
such a religion deserves universal cxecration;
such religion must be destroyed.
1 earnestly cntrcat all, who are yet clinging
to this religion of shadow without substance,
sound without sense, to examine it; search it
from its origin downwards; examine each tenet
that is preached to you and see whence it was
derived; then read the law OF Christ, and by
the light of your own understanding compare
what men have left us of his teachings with
what you have been accustomed to receive as
true religion; and let your own reason decide
whether you have been following the true light,
or an ignus fatuus. Then trace the Church re-
ligon, in all its winding operations from its
earliest days until now and l hazord nothing
in saying that you will discover that, wherever
nm imposing ceremonial has been attached to it,
the pageantry and parade has soon destroyed
pure and undcflod religion. Wherever the doc
trine of atoncment by blood has been generally
believed in, there have men been most inclined
to shedding human blood; wherever men have
most religiously believed that they could do
nothing for themselves, but that God and Christ
must do all, there have they ever been found
most backward TO relieve the suffering OF others.
And believe these dogmas arc naturally pro-
dnctive of this effect for if men conscientious
ly believe that God ordained human suffering,
how can they bo expected to raise their hand in
opposition to the decree of omnipotcncc, and
put an end to what God beholds with so much
complacencyi Or if they believe that God so
loves human blood that nothing else will recon-
cile him to his children, how can we expect them
TO hate what God delights in, and trcmble at the