I just finished the book When I Was a Slave edited by Norman R. Yetman. Through out the reading I am introduced to many different slaves who all have different slave experiences but seemed to all reflect on their connections to the church. Slaves were for the most part kept ignorant because of their masters not allowing them any sort of education and not even being allowed to look at books without getting whipped. But they were allowed to go to church on Sundays but had to sit in the back and not speak a word. They were allowed to hear the sermon but not allowed to hold their own prayer meetings. The slave owners contradicted them selves in allowing them to go to church but not allowing them to praise the god you introduced to them.
In a specific memoir in the book When I was a Slave from Mary Reynolds she explains what her and others around her prayed for, "We prays for the end of tribulation and the end of beatings and for shoes that feet our feet. We prayed that us niggers could have all we wanted to eat and for fresh meat" (Yetman 107). Religion was slaves only outlet of hope they believed God would one day help end their oppression and suffering. Many slaves renamed or referred to their oppressors as the devil or saying that when their masters died they went to hell. If many slaves were not taught to read this information was not from them reading the bible it had to come from the teachings of the white preachers. The white preachers of course would not say these things directly but in learning of their gods ways they started to make their own connections.
The slave owners who brought the slaves to the church wanted slaves who wouldn't give them any trouble, allowing their slaves to go to church allowed the slaves a positive outlet for a lot of their anger and frustration. The church gave the slaves something to look forward to if they did die a slave God would reward them with a easier life in heaven if they kept their faith in him. But it doesn't make sense why the slave owners would react so cruelty to prayer circles or meetings amongst just slaves themselves. In a different memoir from the book When i was a Slave we get to see what exactly the white preacher would preach to the slaves from William Moore who was born directly into slavery. "A white preacher always told us to obey our masters and work hard and sing and when we die we go to heaven" (Yetman 94). This isn't a passage from the bible, this was said in directly to try and control the slaves. If slaves were allowed to sit together and praise the lord as a whole without a someone watching it would allows ideas and plans to form together. Slave owners did not want this because if all slaves bonded together they knew they would be out numbered.
The contradiction between religion and slaves can be looked at in different ways but you have to remember who gave the slave this religion. It wasn't as if they had the choice to pick their own, it was given to them but then at the same time they were beaten for practicing it.
I like how you added quotes from the text correctly, I'm just a little confused on the contradiction. I understand that the slaves weren't aloud to read books, yet the contradiction stated, is a religious one. In other words when reading your blog I start thinking of a contradiction that is based on books. As i go on i noticed that it has nothing to do with books, instead its about going to church but not being able to praise God. In other words the part of your text where you mention the books, kind of throws me off the topic. Good job though.
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