by Colin Morley

Created on: August 10, 2007

I have just reviewed some accounts of the origins of this hymn. They differ very greatly in their supposed 'facts' about the author, John Newton. Not knowing anything about the said John Newton, I did a little research of my own.

It seems that there is one very bigoted 'Christian' (I use the term loosely) source on the internet which, for its own ends, paints a picture of Newton as a reformed 'sinner', who was formerly an alcoholic or mentally disturbed individual.

Please, before you write to this or any other heading, do some proper research. Don't rely on just one source or something your pastor or whoever told you. Most unbiased biographies of Newton will give you a more accurate picture of a good man who was persecuted and who worked hard toward eliminating the slave trade - not one who actually profited from it.

The song, which is one of my favourites even though I am not a christian, was written from the heart of a good man, a christian himself, who would no doubt be in apoplectic rage at how some of today's Christian right wing bigots are portraying him.

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