How does religion play a role in Douglass’s life and abolition?

Douglass reserves some his most vehement words and anger for the way the Christian religion is abused at the hands of the slaveowners. In his appendix, he clarifies that when he condemns religion, he is not condemning the real Christianity of love, mercy, and compassion, which he embraces. Instead, he makes a distinction between such real Christians, including abolitionists such as Mr. George Cookman, and the false Christianity of the slaveholder. He writes of that false faith,

I look upon it as the climax of all misnomers, the boldest of all frauds, and the grossest of all libels.

Earlier in his narrative, when his cruel master experiences a religious conversion at a Methodist camp revival in Talbot County, Douglass has a "faint" hope that he might be freed, and he thinks that he and the other slaves might be treated with greater kindness and compassion. His hopes, however, are dashed. He finds his master even more depraved and savage after his conversion, because he now has religious approval for his deeds. Douglass says that, in general, becoming religious made slaveowners crueler, because they felt they had a divinely ordained right to beat their slaves to ensure they were obedient. He says that were he ever to be enslaved again, he would very much wish to owned by a non-religious person. He writes,

I assert most unhesitatingly, that the religion of the south is a mere covering for the most horrid crimes,—a justifier of the most appalling barbarity,—a sanctifier of the most hateful frauds,—and a dark shelter under which the darkest, foulest, grossest, and most infernal deeds of slaveholders find the strongest protection.

Douglass concludes that the religion of the South is hypocritical, stating,

The man who wields the blood-clotted cowskin during the week fills the pulpit on Sunday, and claims to be a minister of the meek and lowly Jesus.

In Douglass's opinion, a true Christian would emancipate his slaves or at least treat them with compassion. However, his experience of religion as a slave was overwhelmingly negative, as it was a tool used against him and his fellows without remorse.