Frederick Douglass: No God But Wealth
on Saturday, July 15, 2017Frederick Douglass Money Quote from an 1857 speech reflecting on how slave-holders and profiteers would respond to John the Disciple dismissing angelic visits from God to discuss wealth. Frederick Douglass said:
“But brother John, will it pay? Can money be made out of it? Will it make the rich richer, and the strong stronger? How will it affect property? In the eyes of such people, there is no God but wealth; no right and wrong but profit and loss” — Frederick Douglass
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In this quote, Frederick Douglass is criticizing a perspective that only values wealth accumulation and prioritizes financial gain above all else.
He implies that some people see wealth as the sole measure of worth or “God” and judge all things based on whether they can increase property and profits rather than considerations of morality.
The quote suggests these individuals would only support an idea or action if it further enriched the rich and powerful, with no regard for justice, equality or ethics.
Douglass is highlighting how a singular focus on money above other principles can lead people to condone or condemn things solely on their potential financial impacts rather than rightness or wrongness.
Birthday: c. February 1817 – Death: February 20, 1895