Why Blacks Would Be Religious During Slavery

1 Pages 266 Words

"Why Blacks would be religious during slavery"

Religion has always been a strong factor in the Black community. Many of us have grown up knowing and worshipping our Christian God. What many fail to realize is that this has not always been the case. In Africa, before the Middle Passage, natives practiced many different religions and were very spiritual. While being brought forcibly from their homeland, Africans were also forcibly removed from their religion. Former practices were not allowed and the spirits of the slaves were constantly tried and consistently broken.
When the slaves were encouraged to, and finally adopted the religion of their masters, it was for a variety of different reasons. Everyone needs something to believe in, something which gives hope. If you stand for nothing, you fall for anything. Slaves lived in such poor conditions with no hopes of differing circumstances, to have religion, and believe that there is a purpose to life and situations in it gives people the motivation to survive. Religion was also an outlet to the everyday toilsome work that the slave life consisted of. Sundays at church and gathering for meetings at the "bottoms" allowed for rest, fellowship, and togetherness. One of the more important concepts religion allowed for, was an avenue by which slaves could communicate with each other. By singing religious hymns, that held underlying meanings, slaves could deliver and receive important messages without the master suspecting foul play. Faith is a powerful weapon against people and a life set against someone. Without religion, slaves would have had very little to believe in and very few to trust....