Final answer:
Mr. Covey had Douglas lead singing during family devotions, revealing the contrast between his public religiosity and his cruel, deceptive behavior. Mr. Covey's manipulation of religion exemplified the hypocritical justification of slavery by some religious slaveowners.
Step-by-step explanation:
The religious job that Mr. Covey had Douglas do for him was to lead the singing portion of family devotions. Mr. Covey would read his hymn and nod at Douglas to commence singing, as Mr. Covey was a poor singer himself. This signified how Mr. Covey, a slaveholder and a professed Christian, used religion as a cover for his deceitful and oppressive behavior. Despite his public displays of piety and religion, his actions in his private life, particularly how he treated his slaves, stood in sharp contrast to the moral and ethical principles the religion supposedly upheld.
Mr. Covey's use of religion was manipulative, illustrating how it could be twisted to justify the ownership and cruel treatment of slaves. This hypocrisy is exemplified by his actions and the high regard he held for his own ability to deceive, even believing he could deceive the Almighty with his outward shows of devotion while engaging in morally reprehensible actions.