An evangelical Christian of strong religious convictions, Brown was profoundly influenced by the Puritan faith of his upbringing.[1][2] He believed that he was "an instrument of God,"[3] raised to strike the "death blow" to American slavery, a "sacred obligation."[4] Brown was the leading exponent of violence in the American abolitionist movement,[5] believing it was necessary to end American slavery after decades of peaceful efforts had failed.[6][7] Brown said that in working to free the enslaved, he was following Christian ethics, including the Golden Rule,[8] and the Declaration of Independence, which states that "all men are created equal."[9] He stated that in his view, these two principles "meant the same thing."[10]
I was gonna say that he was one of the few getting the message of the bible, but you can justify anything using that thing, including slavery, so it all comes down to your values and what parts you decide to focus on. That book's a right mess and I guess that's why it is so popular. You can be sure to find your own messed up opinion somewhere in there. No need to actually read it.
Agreed. I meant to say that taking the parts he did from the bible, he had to have been a good guy. More props to him for it. That devine right sacred mission shit though...