This attitude was used to justify slavery and colonialism.

That would be akin to justifying slavery on the grounds of economic efficiency.

During the early decades of the 19th century, they used stories such as the Curse of Ham to justify slavery to themselves.

A large part of the book is devoted to describing the theological contortions used to justify slavery.

"He justified slavery in the Caribbean as being a way of bringing people into the Christian faith."

Most Americans agree it was wrong and unconstitutional to use religion to justify slavery, segregation, and denying women the right to vote.

This would be the equivalent of justifying slavery on the ground it gave work to idle black Africans.

Similar arguments have been used by white men to justify slavery and genocide of native peoples.

In the early years of this country, ministers cited passages in the Bible to justify slavery.

The effort spent in justifying slavery, the foundation of rural economy, sapped people.