First & Last Name

Prof. Martin

Engl-2327

6 August 2006 this essay was written when page-length requirements were shorter

Christianity of America vs. Christianity of Christ 
“Between the Christianity of this land, and the Christianity of Christ, I recognize the widest possible difference—so wide, that to receive the one as good, pure, and holy, is of necessity to reject the other as bad, corrupt, and wicked” (Douglass 2093).
In my opinion, the double-faced Christianity of America is a major cause of many of the issues that face our country today.  Eighty-five percent of Americans claim to be Christian, yet every time we turn around, there is another lawsuit arguing the separation of church and state (Stephen 1).  We have cases fighting for the removal of “Ten Commandment” displays, removal of “under God” from our pledge and removal of every Christian symbol from nativity scenes at Christmas to jewelry worn by High School students.  In a truly Christian society, Abortion would have never become legal, Slavery and segregation would have never occurred and gay rights would not exist.  If America were truly eighty-five percent Christian, almost all of our current issues would just be non-issues.
When we take a look at those who claim to be Christian, yet are caught up in the issues of the day, we tend to find some major conflicts.  One example, as found in literature, is from Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin.  Here, we find Senator John Bird and his wife Mary in a heated debate about some recently passed legislation.  Mary begins the discussion:
“…is it true that they have been passing a law forbidding people to give meat and drink to those poor colored folks that come along?  I heard they were talking of some such law, but I didn’t think any Christian legislature would pass it!”
“Why, Mary, you are getting to be a politician, all at once.”
“No, nonsense!  I wouldn’t give a fip for all your politics, generally, but I think this is something downright cruel and unchristian.  I hope, my dear, no such law has been passed.”
“There has been a law passed forbidding people to help off the slaves that come over from Kentucky, my dear, so much of that thing has been done by these reckless Abolitionists, that our brethren in Kentucky are very strongly excited, and it seems necessary, and no more than Christian and kind, that something should be done by our state to quiet the excitement.”
“And what is the law?  It doesn’t forbid us to shelter these poor creatures a night, does it, and to give ‘em something comfortable to eat, and a few old clothes, and send them quietly about their business?”
“Why, yes, my dear; that would be aiding and abetting you know” (Stowe 1686-1687).
	After some continued debate, Mary attempts to conclude her argument by saying, “Now, John, I don’t know anything about politics, but I can read my Bible; and there I see that I must feed the hungry, clothe the naked and comfort the desolate; and that Bible I mean to follow” (Stowe 1687).
	I was surprised to find the following information in an article written just four months ago.  “I spotted something unusual in the political columns in Washington last month.  Senate Republicans were introducing a peculiarly hateful bill that would have made it illegal for Americans to offer aid of any kind to clandestine immigrants.  What struck me most was the response of Senator Hillary Clinton.  The bill, she said, was “certainly not in keeping with my understanding of the Scriptures, because this bill would literally criminalize the Good Samaritan and probably even Jesus himself” (qtd. in Stephen 1).  Sound familiar?
	According to the Christian Coalition of America, “the left-wing in this nation is thoroughly wrong when they argue that ‘because Christ showed compassion to all of God's children, Christians should ignore violations of the law by aliens’” (Combs).  I don’t think we should ignore the law, or break the law. I argue that as a ‘Christian’ nation, these laws should have never been passed.  I agree that illegal immigration is a problem in our country, but does that mean we are to be inhumane to these people?
	Like Stowe’s book Uncle Tom’s Cabin, the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is written to get people’s attention regarding the horrific issue of slavery.  “By common consent Douglass’ Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave is recognized as the best among the many slave narratives that appeared with increasing frequency during the years preceding the Civil War.  His narrative, however, is not superior simply for aesthetic reasons, because it is more polished than the others; it is better in large measure because Douglass, more than any other author of a slave narrative, is able and committed at once to articulate and mediate between the fact of the existence of slavery in a Christian, democratic society and state and the facts of his life as felt and understood by the person of Frederick Douglass” (Gibson).
	The several poems quoted throughout Douglass’ narrative bring to light the hypocrisy of this “Christian” nation, which is perhaps why this account strikes such a cord.  
“Come, saints and sinners, hear me tell
How pious priests whip Jack and Nell,
And women buy and children sell,
And preach all sinners down to hell,
   And sing of heavenly union” (Douglass 2095).
There is one account in the narrative in which the slaves were meeting on the Sabbath day and the Christian masters find the meeting and attack the slaves with sticks and stones, about which Douglas remarks that they are, “all calling themselves Christians!  Humble followers of the Lord Jesus Christ!” (2076).  No wonder there is such a bitter hatred of American Christianity.
	  A strong emotional response is inevitable when we read the graphic details of slaves being beaten and killed in the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.  Each description brought tears to my eyes, however one account in particular disturbed me more than the rest in which a fourteen year old girl was whipped on a daily basis, and Douglas reports that, “the head, neck, and shoulders of Mary were literally cut to pieces” (Douglas 2055).  In enrages Americans to hear stories of humans being tormented in such ways, however, in this same country, we have legalized abortion and was away our guilt by claiming that the baby is just a fetus and feels nothing.  ‘Jane Roe’, who is made famous by the Roe v. Wade case, “said her experience working in abortion clinics in the 1990s and her conversion to Christianity in 1995 made her regret the part she played in making abortion legal” (Burchfiel).
	So where are all the people in America who claim to be Christians?  Why does it seem like the ‘minority’ of non-Christians run the country or at least seem to get their way more often than the Christians?  Douglass was right in the Appendix of his narrative, dividing the nation into those believers who worship the “Christianity of this land” and those who are part of the “Christianity of Christ” (2093).  I am at times fearful of the direction of our Country down an immoral road, however, when looking at the past through the literature named here, I realize that the issues of today are no different from the issues of the years gone by, and yet, I wonder if there are individuals, such as Harriet Beecher Stowe and Frederick Douglass, who are willing to stand up and fight for that which is pure, right, moral and holy.  And if there are, will they be able to rally up the true Christians of this nation to truly make a difference?     

Works Cited MLA requirements have changed since this essay was written
Burchfiel, Nathan. "Norma McCorvey (Roe) Laments 'Holocaust of Abortion'" Crosswalk. 6 

Aug. 2006 <http://www.crosswalk.com/news/religiontoday/1307907.html>. 

Combs, Roberta. "Washington Weekly Review." Christian Coalition of America. 7 Apr. 2006. 6 

Aug. 2006 <http://www.cc.org/content.cfm?id=320>. 

Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by 

Himself. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. New York: WW Norton & 

Company, 2003. PAGE NUMBERS HERE

Stephen, Andrew. "Worshipers of Wisteria Lane." New Statesman 10 Apr. 2006: 30-31. 

Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Collin County Community College District. 6 Aug. 

2006. Keyword: United States Christianity.

Gibson, Donald B. "Reconciling Public and Private in Frederick Douglass' Narrative." American 

Literature 57 (1985): 549. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Collin County 

Community College District. 6 Aug. 2006. Keyword: Frederick Douglass.