The paternalistic ideology of the elite plantation class:

A) Masked the harsher beliefs of rich planters concerning the inferiority of blacks and the importance of making money
B) Was nothing more than a myth advanced by Southern writers
C) Was used to hide the belief by slaveowners that slavery was morally wrong
D) Was openly questioned by religious leaders in the antebellum South

The paternalistic ideology of the elite plantation class was used to justify the ownership of slaves by portraying them as childlike and in need of the guidance and care of their white masters. However, this ideology masked the harsher beliefs of rich planters concerning the inferiority of blacks and the importance of making money. It was a way to maintain power and control over the slave population while also justifying their actions to themselves and to others.