Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Someone who's properly read the Bible

This is an excerpt from The clergy a source of danger to the American republic By William F. Jamieson:

Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe relates that in the unpopular days of abolitionism, a meeting of anti-slavery people was interrupted by a violent hail storm, the roar of the elements drowning, for a time, the voices of the speakers. During a lull and an awe like stillness, a frightened Methodist minister arose, and, with quivering lip, remarked he felt that God, in His wrath, was about to smite him for being present in such a meeting! At this juncture an old negress pointed her long, bony arm and finger toward him, and sought to soothe him, "Don't be skeered chile! keep quiet' for I 'spect as how God has not so much as hearn tell on ye!" The shouts of laughter which greeted this quaint speech submerged the sanctity of the priest.

Clearly someone had read their Bible. How sad is it that someone would be visibly shaken by fear because their God was pro-slavery.

This text has been very difficult to find but it's now available on Google eBooks for free.

Here is another passage (I haven't corrected the formatting yet):

The clergy as a rule are moral cowards They advocate such sentiments as are popular in their several localities In favor of temperance when it is the prevailing sentiment of community silent or opposed when unpopular So even with slavery Stephen S Foster when the war raged fiercely between abolitionists and pro slaveryites declared that the clergy in thejr ecclesiastical character have publicly defended the slave system as an innocent and heaven ordained institution and have thrown the sacred sanctions of religion around it by introducing it into the pulpit and to the communion table At the South nearly the entire body of the clergy publicly advocate the perpetuity of slavery and denounce the abolitionists as fanatics incendiaries and cut throats and the churches and clergy of the North still fellowship them and palm them off upon the world as the ministers of Christ I know it will be said that there are exceptions to this charge but if there be any I have yet to learn of them I know not of a single ecclesiastical body in the country which has excommunicated any of its members for the crime of slave holding since the commencement of the anti slavery enterprise though most of them have cast out the true and faithful abolitionists from their communion To understand the true character of the American Church and clergy and the full extent of their diabolism you must hear them speak in their own language Should I tell you the whole truth respecting them and tell it in my own words I fear you would entertain the same opinion of me which the Brahmin did of his English friend who on a certain occasion as they were walking together along the banks of a beautiful river admiring the richness of its scenery imprudently remarked that in his country during the winter season the water became so solid that an elephant could walk upon it The Brahmin replied Sir you have told me many strange and incredible things respecting your country before yet I have always believed you to be a man of truth but now I know you lie The Church and the clergy of the North voluntarily consented to become the watch dogs of the plantation SS Foster

I will say, Jamieson is no saint and I found several portions of the book to be racist and biased against the Native Americans tribes.

It was disconcerting to see someone who seemed to have a wider view than most, be so myopically racist. Where, in our own lives, are we so blind?

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