Puritans

The Puritans


#1) The puritans believed that the bible was a good book and that it was necessary to read it as well as understand it. They also believed that a person’s individual life was nothing but a journey to salvation. However they believed that there were people who were chosen as leaders by god, and thought those certain people was chosen out of the whole crowd as the few whom were going to heaven; Because according to the puritans Christ died for those people only and not anyone else. They believed that since Adam and Eve sinned and they were the first humans on earth that everyone is automatically born sinful.

#2) I feel almost as if, the preachers in those times felt as if they preached because they had to. Like they didn’t feel the sermon as much as they should’ve. Directional text evidence would be, "After its initial presentation, the audience was so moved that many attendees were found openly weeping. There were also a number of reports of swooning, outcries, and convulsions from audience members. It was also reported that, unlike the stereotype of fire and brimstone preaching, Edwards read the sermon in a monotone voice with his eyes fixated on the church bellrope, and actually asked the audience to quiet down so he might finish his sermon."
Their life might have even been boring simply because they lived with the fact knowing that they were not one of the chosen to go to heaven; so I would imagine they lived life in fear of dying and going to hell. Their pastor preached upon ways how God would take them out of their life. He basically told them God had no mercy towards them and he would do just about anything to put them in the places they deserve to be depending on how they were living their lives down on earth.
Also in the Plymouth Plantation the Puritans believed that the god had brought them to safe land, which is an example of their faith. They knew the seas were fast and furious but they believed that god would protect them and keep them safe. Their faith increased even more when God also helped them to over-come starvation and harsh weather after arriving to the new land. Also almost all the religious sermons were based on Manifest Destiny, which is the belief that God tells you what to do and you do it with no problem (ex: moving out west and killing all the Indians for their land). John Winthrop taught his listeners to carry on God's mission and to set an example for the rest of the world. The sermons also helped warn the Puritans of Backsliding, which is the belief that Satan attacks the holy believers and they fall to his plans and become a sinner all over again. To prevent this, believers were expected not to become smug, to perform constant soul-searching, be thoughtful and kind and pray constantly.

#3) *Their judgement was already set no matter how much good or bad they actually did. If you were one of god’s chosen to go to hell, then you were going no matter what you did. "The wrath of God burns against them, their damnation does not slumber; the pit is prepared, the fire is made ready, the furnace is now hot, ready to receive them; the flames do now rage and glow."
*The belief that since Adam and Eve messed up in the beginning, everyone is born sinful. "God has laid himself under no obligation, by any promise to keep any natural man out of hell one moment."
* The Belief of Irresistible Grace.
"The arrows of death fly unseen at noon-day; the sharpest sight cannot discern them. God has so many different unsearchable ways of taking wicked men out of the world and sending them to hell. There is nothing that God had need to be at the expense of a miracle, or go out of the ordinary course of his providence, to destroy any wicked man, at any moment."

#4) I think they wrote in this style because they were depressed. They had to deal with the belief stating that their destiny was chosen for them already. So lets say Tim is a puritan, and Tim attends their religious meetings faithfully. Tim gives back to the environment at all costs never once has Tim been known to act against the "word". But Tim judgement is that he’s going to hell. Despite all that Tim did, he still in fact will attend the gates of hell when he dies.
Lets look at Bob, Bob is the worst puritan possible. Bob drinks, and stays out all night rather than attending the religious meetings. Bob curses and laughs at everyone when they try to warn him of Irresistible Faith. See Bob knows his judgement, he is one of the chosen to be in heaven. By knowing this Bob gets to act out and have the time of his life. Because according to his religion despite whatever he does Bob will be accepted into the pearly gates of Heaven.
A blind man can see that those judgements are too wrong and because of that I feel Puritans couldn’t possibly live a healthy, stress-free life. I could imagine they were constantly nagged by the fact that they were either going to Heaven or Hell and that they had to watch out for the Irresistible Faith and at the same time for Backsliding.

Introducing....Leslie-Ann

Hey!
I'm 17 years old and very outgoing. I used to attend Cedar Shoals, but i absolutely hated that school. The rules were ignorant. I have 3 brothers and 1 sister that live in Athens, and 5 brothers and 2 sisters that live in the Virgin Islands. My whole family excluding my generation was born in the B.V.I( The British Virgin Islands) so I am a Caribbean descendant. I love to dance, and listening to music is one of my favorite hobbies. I love all types of music. I consider myself open-minded, I love learning about new cultures. I hope to graduate from Classic City High in this current year(2007). After that I plan on attending college and receiving my RN nursing degree. Although I don't have any of my own,I love babies!!!! School is now....Money is the future.