Final answer:
Frederick Douglass viewed the Christianity of Christ as pure and spiritual, contrasting with the hypocritical version practiced by many in his time that supported slavery. He condemned the American Christianity of the era for imposing burdens instead of advocating universal love and equality as taught by Christ.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Frederick Douglass, the Christianity of Christ is pure and spiritual, starkly contrasting with the distorted form practiced in his time, which was complicit with the institution of slavery. Douglass highlighted the hypocrisy of a religion that justifies and maintains slavery, where so-called Christian slaveholders exhibited behavior that was antithetical to the teachings of Christ. He observed that instead of offering liberation, the Christianity professed by these individuals imposed 'heavy burdens' upon others, much like the ancient scribes and Pharisees, and failed to acknowledge the universalism and love for one's neighbor that were central to Christ's teachings.
This contrast between the pure, liberating Christianity of Christ and the oppressive version aligned with slavery is emphasized by Douglass's view on the American Christianity of his era. It was, in his words, a bastion of hypocrisy where religious leaders would preach virtue yet support or participate in the inhuman practice of slavery, thereby robbing millions of the sacred influences of marriage, family, and human dignity. This 'Christianity', for Douglass, was a mere semblance of the religion of Christ, tainted by inhumane practices and false piety. Thus, he advocated for a Christianity that aligned with the highest ideals of human civilization, embodying both spiritual purity and civil liberty.