Age Quote by Frederick Douglass
“The church of this country is not only indifferent to the wrongs of the slave, it actually takes sides with the oppressors… For my part, I would say, welcome infidelity! Welcome atheism! Welcome anything! in preference to the gospel, as preached by these Divines! They convert the very name of religion into an engine of tyranny and barbarous cruelty, and serve to confirm more infidels, in this age, than all the infidel writings of Thomas Paine, Voltaire, and Bolingbroke put together have done!”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Anti‑Slavery Address, 1855
Religion can be twisted to justify oppression; rejecting it can empower resistance.
In simple terms: Religion used as tyranny.
Key Takeaway
Question institutions that enable cruelty.
Themes
religion
oppression
freedom
Mood
defiant
passionate
Type
political
ethical
When to use this quote
- civil rights activism
- political protest
- faith critique
Key Concepts
theology
social justice
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you separate faith from abuse?
- What alternatives replace oppressive structures?
A Different Perspective
Not all religious people support oppression.
![“If someone has a Muslim background and they're willing to reject those tenets and to accept the way of life that we have and clearly will swear to place our [American] Constitution above their religion, then, of course, they will be considered infidels and heretics, but at least I would then be…” quote by Benjamin Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/791/benjamin-carson-955_accepting_if-someone-has-a-muslim-background-and-t_800557.jpg)
