Born in 1818 as a slave in Maryland, Frederick Douglas struggled deeply with the true definition of a Christian.  He wrote the following in, "A Narrative Life of a Slave."

"Between the Christianity of this land, and the Christianity of Christ, I recognized the widest possible difference–so wide, that to receive the one as good, pure, and holy, is of necessity to reject the other as bad, corrupt, and wicked.  To be the friend of the one, is of necessity to be the enemy of the other.  I love the pure, peacable, and impartial Christianity of Christ:  I therefore hate the corrupt, slaveholding, women-whipping, cradle-plundering, partial and hypocritical Christianity of this land.  Indeed, I can see no reason, but the most deceitful one, for calling the religion of this land Christianity.  I look upon it as the climax of all misnomers, the boldest of frauds, and the grossest of all libels."

Our context is different but should we be making the same distinctions as Douglas?  Is there a difference between the Christianity of Christ and the Christianity of our land?  If so, what are the distinctions?  Frederick Douglas felt that to be and American and a Christian was impossible…has anything changed?