In my opinion, much of it is historical in nature. The slaves had nothing else to hope for other than an afterlife if happiness. Their dystopian existences were designed to make them feel that they were entitled to no happiness in earth and were here to function as slightly more intelligent than an animal. The pain, physical and mental, was so intense that these blacks had to comfort themselves with something. Imagine living your entire life and having absolutely no control over it. This is why black woven iften commuted suicide with their babies rather than continue in slavery. So, many slaves believed that they could not save themselves, but only through the beneficence of the creator. In the meantime, they continued to be abused here in earth. Thus came the idea that their salvation wou