A leading theologian declared selling slaves aroused no more guilt than selling a horse

Evidence

Manly was widely recognized as the leading theological apologist for slavery in his day. While some other religious leaders would defend slavery by arguing that it was not a moral but a pragmatic or political issue, Manly asserted forcefully an unapologetic theology of white supremacy, arguing that slavery was not an unfortunate necessity but rather part of the divinely ordained hierarchical order of Christian society. Manly’s views were disseminated through his prolific writing, and he frequently engaged in debates with northern abolitionists. When challenged about the right of whites to own and sell African Americans as slaves during one of these exchanges, Manly delivered a vivid declaration of his unencumbered conscience, declaring, “I had no more doubt or compunction than in pocketing the price of a horse or anything else that belonged to me.” — Robert P. Jones, White Too Long, 105

Categorization

• CANDY: The horse-pricing line is a sharp, quotable historical sound bite.
• SHARE: Worth sending to anyone interested in religious justifications for slavery.
• XREF: connects to: The leading southern Baptist theologian felt no moral qualm about owning slaves — Robert P. Jones, White Too Long: The Legacy of White…, 105; Religion supplied slaveholders moral sanction rather than conscience for cruelty — Robert P. Jones, White Too Long: The Legacy of White…, 246; Theological blessing of slavery severed slaveholders’ natural moral impulses — Robert P. Jones, White Too Long: The Legacy of White…, 251 (+4 more)

Broader Connections

• The leading southern Baptist theologian felt no moral qualm about owning slaves #corroborates (0.85) — Robert P. Jones, White Too Long, 105
• Religion supplied slaveholders moral sanction rather than conscience for cruelty #corroborates (0.80) — Robert P. Jones, White Too Long, 246
• Theological blessing of slavery severed slaveholders’ natural moral impulses #corroborates (0.75) — Robert P. Jones, White Too Long, 251
• Racist theological ideas sanctioned and made American slavery acceptable to Christian churches #corroborates (0.75) — Ibram X. Kendi, Stamped from the Beginning, 20
• Religious blessing of slavery severed white Christians’ natural moral restraint #corroborates (0.75) — Robert P. Jones, White Too Long, 251
• Western religious doctrine gave slavery its highest moral sanction #corroborates (0.75) — Cedric J. Robinson, Black Marxism_ The Making of the Black…, 1709
• The profit motive of slavery was concealed behind religious justifications. #corroborates (0.70) — Ibram X. Kendi, Stamped from the Beginning, 56