Posted on 10/29/2001 6:17:43 PM PST by futurepotus
The Puritans, who made the trip to Massachusetts in the 1630's, in order to freely attempt to purify the Anglican Church, did not represent the American way. Social well being of the Puritans in Salem was virtually non-existent. The Puritan government functioned in accordance with Puritan religious beliefs. Puritan religion held the same exclusivity as a present-day country club. The arrogance of Puritan leaders like John Winthrop was disgusting in itself. Winthrop said, "we shall be as a city upon a hill, the eyes of all people are upon us." None of the Founding Fathers of the United States shared these sentiments. The Puritans did not represent the true American way.
The Puritans had a lot on their plate in 1692. Disease, poverty, and paranoia about the Indians did a number on the social way of life in Salem. Teenage girls were unhappy with their mothers. The girls decided the best solution was to make others pay for their "suffering"- the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Those who wrongly accused citizens of witchcraft and those who had to defend themselves were often rivals. Farmers from Salem Town and merchants from Salem Village always tried to one-up the other. The Puritans never gave what is now known in America as a fair trial. Nineteen people were hanged as a result of predominantly hostile testimony. These malicious killings show how the Puritans lacked the sense to realize that one foot was already in the grave, and the other wasn't far behind. The Declaration of Independence states that all men are created equal; a belief that the Puritans did not exhibit. The Puritans had the false notion that only "Saints" could receive God's grace. Reverend John Cotton said, "We teach that only Doers will be saved." If a person living in Salem was not a Doer, he or she was outcast from society, which is not the American way. The American way teaches that different is good. The Puritans were saved, somewhat, when Governor Phips stopped the witch trials. No outside factor was to blame for the failure of the Puritan society. The culprit was their own weak psychological state-of-mind.
The Puritans were religious zealots who alienated their fellow man and thought it was right. Any Puritan who wanted the gift of grace was required to go through the conversion experience. The conversion experience was often extremely humiliating, because the experience consisted of the potential member having to confess all of their sins in front of the congregation. The Puritans, in their disillusionment, were unable to see the complete and utter correctness of the beliefs belonging to Anne Hutchinson and Roger Williams. Hutchinson, who was eventually banished to Rhode Island, believed in immediate conversion by God. Williams, who was banished along with Hutchinson, believed in the separation of church and state. Religion was not meant to be controlled, as it was by the Puritans. The American way is that all people should have the right to practice religion if they should choose to do so, and to choose what religion to practice. Once again, the Puritans failed to show any similarity to the American way.
Separation of church and state was unheard of in the Puritan way of life. The Puritans were governed by John Winthrop's Bible Commonwealth, which met where the town church did, at the town meetinghouse. A moral decision is not always correct. The Puritans, however, did not figure that out. Puritan government, especially in Salem, was certainly not competent. The government lacked all of the principles a government should possess. Citizens under the control of a governing body should not be alienated by that very governing body, and yet the Bible Commonwealth alienated many a righteous Puritan. The Bible Commonwealth or General Court blew any minor flaw that a person had out of proportion, and that person was shunned. Government should be fair to all people. Puritan government was, by no means, fair.
The only thing that Americans in the 21st century can learn from the Puritans of the 17th century is that Puritanism is exactly what should not be happening today. If the United States government were solely concerned with religious matters, nothing would get accomplished. Americans today practice many different religions freely, from Christianity to Buddhism, from Judaism to Islam. The United States has been deemed a "melting pot," because of its acceptance of all people, no matter what race, culture, or creed they are. The Puritans did not represent the American way. They helped the formation of the American way, by allowing the Founding Fathers to see what should be avoided.
Give him a D.
Calvinism is the target of secularists. We have known that on Free Republic for a long time now.
But in these perilous times, when Calvinists are shot down like geese in a Pakistani church by armed anti-Christians in the name of "holy war", we need to strengthen our righteous
so that the generation after this futurepotus (gad!) don't fall into the same pit.
.....sinners in the hands of an angry God.....(oh my)
You get an "F."
As a physical descendent of the Winthrop expedition, AND a spiritual descendent of both Roger Williams and R.L. Dabney, etc., I recognize that the Winthrop "experiment" was not perfect. In fact, my family's settlement of Connecticut, first in Stonington and later in Woodbury, resulted from splits in the Winthrop structure. However, I am still awed when I contemplate that the first of my family to be born on this continent prayed for God's blessings upon himself, his company, and all of his posterity when overlooking the site of Woodbury, Connecticut and establishing that town.
The blood of the Puritans flows through my veins, and I am always aware of their influence.
(Yes, "Mom" there are plenty of my relatives living not far from you!)
High School FReepers-- do you realize what a resource you have here? Especially with the archives? You can kick butt on your assignments, give a multitude of sources (with their original URL's) from one site. Almost as good as Lexis-nexis, and way cheaper!
The problem is that the educrats don't know any better. They think that's what Puritanism is all about too. So of course thats the spin our high school freepers will be given.
The first is on the influence of Calvinism (the theology of the Puritans) on the formation of America, The Root of America. The second is a compendium of important source documents for American and Western history and civilization, the American Colonist's Library.
You will find that these links will greatly broaden your education in this vitally important area.
Replace that with "Biblical Christianity," and it's just as true.
But in these perilous time...we need to strengthen our righteous Calvinist counteroffensive.
Where do I sign up?
"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled." -- II Corinthians 10:3-6
so that the generation after this futurepotus (gad!) don't fall into the same pit.
Some of us, only by the Sovreign grace of God, haven't. God always preserves for himself a remnant. "Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace." (Romans 11:5, slightly out of context, but it still works.)
.....sinners in the hands of an angry God.....(oh my)
Actually, we did read that in my AP US History class. I remember being so impressed with it that I posted it on my website.
A little more reserch would show you that the Puritans did not trave ldirectly from there problems in England to America but first went to Holland. When they found there a society which they found to ungodly, they resolved to move on, but they were such good citizens that the Dutch BEGGED then to stay, even offering to build them homes if they would stay. Does this sound like the kind of hateful folks you have been told about? (source: a sermon by D. James Kennedy- who has more degrees than you can fit on a buisness card. I think he knows a thing or to about research)
You will find, as you mature, that every source of information brings a bias to the way it is presented. Those which you have been reading have a libral anti-standards bias, those which i might prefer have a conservitive pro-morals bias. The truth, of course, is somewhere in between.
Let me tell you what these people were. The were human. Neither worse or better than you, either in their practices or there beliefs. Yes they may have done things we would not aprove of, but I doubt any of us approve of Washington and Jefferson owning slaves either, but if we are wise, we apricaite what they contributed to history anyway. They were creatures of their times. And if this world stands another 400 years, no doubt those people will look back on you and me and shake their heads in reproach as well.
And BTW, you should be very proud of your fellow posters generosity, I speak from experience when I say none of my profs would have went that high either.
It contains opinion to be sure...but the opinions are supported by exhaustively documented historical facts and events. Your essay is an opinion supported by...well, nothing but assertion and invective. Poor persuasive techniques, to be sure...you deserved a C or worse.
I do not agree with all of the authors' opinions, as I'm sure you won't. But you would have been in a MUCH better position to write a solid essay had you read this book first.
He wrote it for his AP History class. This means he is a high schooler. This is the way that the story of the Puritans has filtered down through the educational system to our youth. Sad. Give him a D.
I agree AG,this is the most troublsome part of this..not the paper itself.
This is a bright conservative kid taking an AP course.
He said that it was written from his classroom notes (so we know the instructors bias).
Most of it is the teaching agenda and the fact that kids are not taught to read "critically". it is not his fault,he is doing what he has learned.
It is sad to see an observation like the following...unable to seperate the temperal from the spiritual "The Declaration of Independence states that all men are created equal; a belief that the Puritans did not exhibit. The Puritans had the false notion that only "Saints" could receive God's grace. Reverend John Cotton said, "We teach that only Doers will be saved.
By today's standards, the Puritans were quite incredibly incorrect. However, as others have pointed out, it is inappropriate to judge those of one age by the standards of another. (BTW, As I am doing to your essay!)
I personally would rather judge the Puritans by the monuments they left behind for all Americans, including myself. (Whom they would have cheerfully whipped naked down the mean streets of Boston)
Do you need proof of my assertion? Look at the messes left behind for all time in Latin America by contemporary, and equally intolerant Catholic rulers.
Your assignment for Thanksgiving is three-fold:
1) Write a prayer of Thanksgiving for what these politically incorrect Puritans left behind.
2) Be the only scholar in your class to know the difference between a Pilgrim and a Puritan.
3) Read the works referenced by factmart.
I hope you make it to Harvard (which was founded by those politically incorrect Puritans) and I look forward to your presidency.
Jerry what I find most interesting in all of this,is that as a "product" of Catholic education (hardly puritian *grin*)We were taught the history and the contribution of the Puritians from a very positive viewpoint.
This slander being taught our kids is another tool of the anti-christ.The sad part of it is,there is no basis of comparison for the average student that is more worried about a grade than searching out the truth.
Even though I do not see eye-to-eye with all of Willison's conclusions, he has done a pretty good job of stripping away much of the mystery and legend surrounding the Pilgrims. He traces them from their beginnings in England, chronicles their stay in Holland, and does a good job of describing conditions in America.
"A moral decision is not always correct."
Moral relativism raises it's ugly head, and it the saddest consequence of modern "education".
So, if "moral decisions" are not always correct, I guess that "immoral" or "amoral" decisions may be. As John Stossel says, "Give me a break!"
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