Melville's View on Religon

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…the central issue of a Christian story to the world and its value systems at the time. After reading the story I think that it is difficult to tell whether Melville reserved a stronger condemnation for practical society or for Christianity itself. Perhaps we will never know what side he was trying to prove with this story, Billy Budd. I feel that Melville sided with the side of practical society rather than that of Christianity.