Christina McCarty February 18, 2009 Leaving You Behind
Basic Passage: For many more that came to them, and many more that desired to be with them, could not endure that great labor and hard fare, with other inconveniences which they underwent & were contented with. But though they loved their persons, approved their cause, and honoured their sufferings, yet they left them as it weer weeping…
Correlate: Continuing from the passage I described last week on children in the Puritan era, this passage describes the sacrifices families made to better their lives. Many people on the vessels were men, leaving behind mothers and children to hopefully adapt to a better life in America. The men, never knowing if they would return or not, would attempt to seek a place of religious refuge for their families. Taking the brave step out for freedom from their religious oppressors was the first step in making new lives. These men knew they could not take along their wives and children, fearing that something may happen to them with unfamiliar conditions, settings, and diseases about. Wanting to keep the family safe yet still take a risk, these men selflessly agreed to colonize with their fellow settlers.
The situation parallels an experience of mine a few years back. My mother, unemployed and living off her deceased father’s inheritance money, was offered a top-paying job across the country. Unfortunately, in Las Vegas, Nevada, there were not many decent schools to choose from. Doing what was best for me, she made me stay behind while she built her career and successful life across the country. Though I wanted to be with her, I empathize what the Puritan families left behind felt because I knew it was what she (like the settlers) had to do for prosperity and freedom. Though the difference being I see my mother a few times a year and the Puritans may not have seen some loved ones ever again, I understand what it feels like to be left behind for all the right reasons. Thriving and completely out of debt, my mother is the modern-day version of a successful European settler.
Basic Passage: “There was a proud and very profane young man, one of the sea-men, of a lustie, able body, which made him the more haughty; he would always be contemning the poor people in their sickness, and cursing them daily with greeous execrations, and did not hesitate to tell them, that he hoped to help cast half of them overboard before they came to their journeys end, and to make merry with what they had; and if he were by any gently reproved, he would curse and swear most bitterly. But it pleased God before they came half seas over, to smite this young man with a grievous disease, of which he died in a desperate manner, and so was himself the first one thrown overboard.”
Correlation: This passage is basically saying you must be careful with what you do or say because whatever it was that you said or did, the same thing will happen to you. The young man in the passage above was a clear example of that. Just because you’re healthy that doesn’t give you the right to talk down to those who are sick because that could be you in that same position someday. If he saw that some of them were sick, he should have offered to help them in some kind of way and not disrespect them. Just think, during those times the Puritans didn’t have health insurance to take care of themselves. They probably relied on special remedies they thought would help cure them but instead would make them even sicker instead of better. Some probably didn’t know they were sick until it was too late for them to get help. You look at people living in other countries and see that they are in the same positions as the Puritans were. They don’t or didn’t have health insurance to take care of themselves and had to heavily rely on special remedies they thought would help cure them but didn’t. As Americans we should feel lucky that we have health insurance to take care of ourselves because if we didn’t, we would be in the same position as the Puritans and people living on other countries. So if you should treat someone badly because they are sick, one should think twice because that could be you one day.
Title: Why do American’s always seem to come together during hard times?
Basic Passage: “Partake in each other’s strengths and infirmity; joy and sorrow, weal and woe.” – From the Christian Charity, by John Winthrop
Correlation: In 1630, before all the many men and women got aboard the Arbella, John Winthrop gave a thesis (preaching) on the values and ways people should live their lives and values to take with them. These words he left with the people gave them empowerment and a hopeful mindset on what was the come in their future and how working together would lead them to be more successful. He encouraged these people to stick together through all of the hard times that they would be facing ahead and to know that they would always have each other in these times of despair and happiness. Today in our society, there are many different lifestyles that we each possess. People don’t all believe in the same religion or believe in what’s the best way to live there life. But as America as a whole, we stand for something very strong and powerful. In times of distress and turmoil that gets put upon our country, most individuals will come together and work for the same cause for our country. For instance, the Coast of the United States has been impacted by many hurricanes. After hurricane Katrina, many people from all over the U.S. helped out to make the situation get better faster, whether it was getting numerous people together to pray or send food to the people who lost everything or even go down to the destruction sight and lend a hand themselves. In many instances, it takes a tragedy to remind all of the people that we all need each other to make the world go round and continue to be a positive place to live in. Winthrop’s thesis he wrote many hundred years ago still stands true to most of the values and ways American’s work and bond together today.
Title: Who did Gods providence apply to? Basic Passage: “September 6. These troubls being blowne over, and now all being compacte together in one shipe, they put to sea againe with a prosperous winde, which continued diverce days together, which was some incouragmente unto them; yet according to the usuall manner many were afflicted with sea-sickness. And I may not omite hear a spetiall worke of Gods Providence,” (Of Plimouth Plantation, pg. 132)
Correlation: Dictionary.com defines providence as the foreseeing care and guidance of God or nature over the creatures of the earth. It also defines it as a manifestation of divine care or direction. The Puritans believed in God’s providence. They prove God’s providence by telling the story of the “evil” man who became diseased on the Mayflower and died. He had gone around saying only weak people would die and he would throw them overboard and live off any belongings they had. They explained that God killed him because God didn’t like him so this evil man was smite by God. They also supported proof of God’s providence with the man God liked on the Mayflower. This man was blessed and became very involved in the church all because the Puritans believed God liked him. They were very selective when proving God’s providence with extreme examples of a man being either evil or good. In reality, people existed who act in between these two extremes. Back then and today people can do wrong but also change and start doing things for the good. How were the Puritans to know how God was working? They also faced challenges with their ships, and even had to turn around and go back to England. Could that have been God punishing them for something they had done wrong? Or did it only apply to people on either end?
Basic Passage: Many people across the world are so complacent with just settling for less when they can stride for more. They are blind eyed to the things they can have if they just knew or wasn’t so reluctant for change.
Correlate: Change has sculpted the history of the United States and the way we look at things to do. But for change to occur their always have to be someone whose willing to step out on faith and make a change for better or worse. The thought of “change” seems so simple, but many Americans are reluctant or just stuck in the same mind frame. Those who don’t want change often live by the motto “if it’s not broke don’t fix it”, but when step out and change its like gambling either you win or lose. You might not be successful when try to change, but your effort might lead to others who take what you done and use that as a building block. The fight for Civil Rights Martin Luther King lead, many felt it didn’t accomplish much, because segregation was still in the mind of many Americans. His fight for change lead to the running and election of the first African American President, something many thought would ever be achieved. An locally you can see youth in Mobile growing up around drugs and crime, and as they get older they follow down the same path as other individuals they saw in their neighborhood. Many of them have it bestowed in their mind that the only way to survive is to sell drugs or rob and steal. That’s where the lack of knowledge plays apart in the willing to change for the better. If it wasn’t for the millions that want change we wouldn’t have Barack Obama as President.
In class we discussed whether America should “invade” other countries to help them . . .
I believe that we as Americans view our way of living to be better than the way some people live in other countries. I understand the concept of stepping in when need be, but is it always necessary? Should we as Americans assume that our way of living and governing is best for everyone? Take for example the ongoing war in Iraq. While I support our troops and pray that they return home safely, I can’t help but wonder why they are still there. We saw Saddam Hussein as a man that shouldn’t be running a country the way he was and doing the things to the people of his country that he was doing, but I would have to assume that there are those Iraqi citizens that just accepted it as a way of life the same way we as Americans accept our way of living. America invaded Iraq and disrupted their normal way of living and yet we wonder why there are those Iraqi people that hate America and don’t want our soldiers in their country any longer. There were long periods of time that the innocent civilians didn’t even have power or water. Was it right of America to invade Iraq and change everything including their government? How would you feel if another country invaded America and changed your way of life just because they felt it was necessary because our way of living was wrong in their eyes? I’m sure that we too would feel as some of the Iraqi people do if our “normal” way of living was suddenly disrupted.
Passage: "I believe that nothing happens apart from divine determination and decree. We shall never be able to escape from the doctrine of divine predestination - the doctrine that God has foreordained certain people unto eternal life."-Charles Spurgen
Correlation: Predestination is a wild belief. A belief that every person's fate in the afterlife was determined before their birth, regardless of worldly actions. Although, it was believed by most that the heaven worthy lived a more pure life. Regardless, it is hard to believe that no matter how a person acts on this world, it does not determine their life in the afterlife. In logic, a long time serial killer could be a saved soul. This however could not be the case. It would be believed that God predestined this man as a killer and sinner before he was created. In class today, we talked about being a "half-hearted" christian. Christian's that have a desire to sin, but do not do so because of their fear of their fate in the afterlife. People were scared to indulge in sinful acts because they did not know if they were saved or not. We talked about a mother who threw her daughter in the well, just so she would know for good that she was not a saved soul. This seems a little to extreme, but some people just have to know. Predestination is simply an old and outdated belief. Now days, most religions believe that a person's actions on this earth determine their fate after death. It is a more civil and logic theory for a more logic and civil society.
Basic Passage: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Correlation: Throughout my life I’ve had obstacles which I had to overcome in order to become the person that I want to be. In Philippians 4:13 the passage reads” I can do all things through Christ who Strengthens me.” I myself believe that is true and no matter what obstacles I am faced with God will help me overcome them. In our previous class discussion we talked about the myth that people put into our heads as we grew up that if we work hard we can be anything we want to be. Some parents like mine often encourage me to work hard and reach all of the goals that I have set for myself thus far. However, some children do not have parents or a person to tell them that if they work hard they can be whatever it is that they want to be. Some people today do not believe that because of the lack of guidance that they have. I have met people who think college is a waste of time and it does not matter whether they have a college degree or even a high school diploma. I have graduated with people who have been asked what will they do after high school and their response were get a job, work at McDonalds, have babies and get on welfare, I couldn’t believe it!!!!!! I have been taught not just by my parents but my previous teachers from kindergarten and so forth that it is important to graduate from high school and attend college because that is the only way to obtain a good job. I have seen so many people who worked at McDonalds during high school, graduated from high school and still work there and I often wonder to myself is that the life they have settled for because they heard college was hard? As I started to sit and think I realized some children did not have the parents like mine to guide them throughout life and to tell them that yes, high school is important and it’s ok to work at McDonalds as longs as you don’t make a career out of it. They did not have those types of parents that would encourage them on a daily basis to work hard in school, go to college and work harder and you can be anything you want to be.
Basic Passage: We talked in class about how many people regardless the situation refuse to change, while others want to become more always wanting to become bigger and better things.
Correlation: As we talked about the thoughts of people that didn’t even know what a toothbrush is makes you wonder why someone would want to hold themselves back in that manner. In this everything is relative that the only thing that a certain social perspective could believe is “normal” is what is surrounding them and what their direct contacts choose to try to accomplish. Generally, as a country we believe in upward mobility, in that any regular person has the right and opportunity of an education and the gateways to the upper level jobs. In capitalistic and market societies that correlation between economic success and social class is strongly positive in that the more wealth a person accumulates that they are in a higher society. One term that is highly related to this that is thrown around a lot is the “American Dream.” Andrew Carnegie is a great example of what it is in that he was a dirt poor immigrant who worked himself into being one of the wealthiest men of all time. He gave people who had nothing, the hope to drive themselves to better themselves and their family. Yet there are people such as poor, extremely rural folk that truly believe in simplicity and love the life that they are blessed with. Yet this is what defines the United States as what we are to people, each and every one of us is completely free and able to choose what we get to do with our futures. The ideal of the American Dream and Social Class is relative because to each and every person, because each and every one of us has a different dream and who is it to judge whether or not it's socially the correct path to chose.
Basic Passage: “daily life affected by the belief in the return of Christ”
Correlation: Should we live our lives as if any moment Jesus Christ will knock on our front door and ask what we’ve been up to... better have the right answer, huh?
The Puritans lived their lives specifically this way. They seemed to have lived every detail of their lives to meet some level of excellence leaned from the Bible. It makes sense that only a few people were educated and literate. These people probably held powerful positions in society so they had the task of reading the Bible, interpreting it and passing its message to the common folk. In doing so, a great emphasis was placed on how their daily lives should be carried out. In the spirit of controlling the gullible, I mean, illiterate and uneducated, these leaders instilled fear that someday each person will be judged. They would tend to make their life’s choices guided by the fear they will go to Heaven or Hell. Otherwise, the masses would be much harder to unite as a structured society.
I have made a similar rational for raising children today: Parents raising children with the help of religion have an easier time than parents raising them without a religious background. I mean, when a child is raised to believe that there is an invisible man always looking over their shoulder, they will make their decisions bearing God’s judgment. Specifically, when a child is in a room, behind a closed door with no chance of any authority finding out their activities, what would keep them on the strait and narrow? God does, that fear of being judged. If a child is not raised with this understanding, what drives him/her to the right choice? A conscience!... which has to be taught by parents. These parents build the child’s conscience based on human character and pride in one’s self.
Basic Passage: For many years langauge has been our center of knowing how to communicate among ourselves. We have written, and we have spoken it and it has always made sense to us. It has given us a way to communicate anywhere in the world either by voice or by paper, which you can write on. It has made a way for us to do good in school just as long as you learn how to read and spell.
Correlation: We have been reading our book in class for about four weeks now. When we started i couldn't but help to see how the words were spelled out. I thought to myself is this really how the Puritans spelled out words back then. To me it sounded like they were trying to sound to smart or they were trying to hard to spell. They really did a good job with spelling the words but some of the words had some letters that did not have to be involved. Its like every word had an e at the end of it and some of the words didn't even make sense. I just thought that the words had no meaning and i couldn't recognize them either. Now, language today has evolved into a better sensible manner. We have changed the words to become more standardized and make more sense. The way our language has changed has really been a big deal. Just think if it wouldn't have changed, it still would be the same today as it was back then. Now it wouldn't been a problem because all of the words would still sound the same and they would be spelled the same also. Although, I am glad that our language has changed because i couldn't have put up with the way it was spelled.
Basic Idea:When Winthrop wrote “A Model of Christian Charity”, it is evident that he was hoping for an America with Communitarian qualities.
Communitarianism is the idea that a country or group of people should balance individual rights and interests with the safety and wellbeing of the community as a whole. The America we know does not seem this way at all. You see it often in today’s society, a dog-eat-dog world full of people with “every man for himself” ideals, with huge corporations crushing small businesses. Yes, Americans have had their egos filled to the limit with “Hard work will make you stand above the rest,” and “You can be anything you want to be!” But there is a difference in wanting to have a successful, happy life and wanting to do whatever it takes to be at the top. I’m not meaning to de-motivate those who are striving to do their best. What I’m saying is that our country would be a much stronger nation if we focused not only on ourselves, but on our neighbors and their security as well. Vowell says Winthrop had these hopes of America being “fervently devoted to the quaint goals of working together and getting along.” Somewhere along, we lost the goals of “love thy neighbor” and became focused on the idea that one solitary man could make it alone, without needing any help from anyone.
If we wish to remain a strong country, we must remember that we do need each other. After 9/11, US citizens were closer than they had ever been before. As money troubles continue to worsen, I can see in the years ahead that we are going to have to learn to depend on one another. Listen to John Donne, “No man is an island, entire of itself...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."
Basic Passage: Chapter 9 from Of Plimoth Plantation, about the young seaman cursing and wanting to throw half the people overboard that were aboard the Mayflower. In the end the young man became ill and shortly there after he died before their voyage was over.
Correlation: People say that if bad things are done or happen then Karma will bite them in the butt. Is this always true? Does God have a hand in this? Karma is defined as the good or bad emanations felt to be generated by someone or something. In better words this is also known as destiny or fate. We will never know the true answer but only theories. The young seaman from John Winthrop’s Of Plimoth Plantation, became had a part in karma. He cursed, hated and wanted to kill many of the people aboard their ship by throwing them overboard because he just wanted too. Before their journey ended he had been bitten in the butt and became ill and died not to long after. I do not believe in any of this karma stuff, but many do. Because this man wanted to do evil to others, God struck him down slowly so that no harm could be done. What he was doing to others was seen as bad, therefore, something bad was done to him. For example, radical Islamist (mainly in Afghanistan, or a new form of the KKK) believe that the United States is not helping their country in the war, but only doing evil. This is why they have attacked us in the past and will continue to attack us until they believe their work is done. Karma wall always find someone.
Harrison Bullock A.Title: Killing for God B.Basic Passage: Last week in class we listened to an article from NPR called: Iraqi Insurgent Continues Fight Against U.S. Troops. In this article NPR gets first hand account from an Iraqi terrorist who says "I have killed many Americans, not just one or two. When I kill them, I feel happy, like victory is coming," says Aziz.” C. Correlate: When I first heard this I was enraged. Being a member of the United States Army, it really angered me to know that I will be sent overseas in a few years to help others who get pleasure from killing Americans. Then Aziz stated, "If you look into my heart, you won't find any sympathy for the Americans at all. That's not because I have no human feelings, but because I feel that they are here to harm us, to steal from us, to kill our women and our children," he said. As I heard more of this article, I continued to get angrier. After telling a reporter the Americans killed 11 members of his family in an airstrike, he said, "I then had two motivations to continue with the resistance. The first was for my religion. The second was revenge," he said.” After I heard this, I thought of the bible verse, Matthew 5:39, which says, “But I say to you, that you resist not evil: but whoever shall smite you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.” In this verse Jesus does not forbid the judicial application of the law, but personal revenge, such as was common among the Jews. Instead of turning upon those who injure us, and becoming a party to personal broils, it’s our duty as followers of God, not just Christians.
Basic Passage: “The constant uncertainty - is it streets of gold for me or am I merely lighter fluid for the flames of hell?”
Correlation: For John Calvin, the church is the body of the “elect” - those predestined by the love of God to salvation, faith, and grace. Predestination is the belief that God made certain people for salvation and certain people for damnation. All are guilty of falling short of God’s measure and might deserve damnation. Perhaps it is not God’s knowledge of one’s future good works or use of grace which prompts God to be righteous. Foreknowledge means to have knowledge of things to be. Foreknowledge is an attribute of God, while predestination and election are acts of God. A scientist can tell when there is to be an eclipse of the sun at a certain day, hour, minute, and second, but the scientists do not bring about the eclipse. God has foreknowledge, and therefore knows the future, but that is where is ends. A particularly daunting question comes to mind when entertaining the teachings of Calvinism, and that is this: If God made certain people specifically to be doomed to hell then wouldn’t we consider the conditions upon which every sin they committed as entrapment? Entrapment is when governing authorities purposely lure someone to do wrong. Then, once the person succumbs to the temptation, they are arrested and thrown in jail. Hell is for those who have practiced sin and have never accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. But if a person is created to be damned then it would seem that God would not punish him or her for acting in ways that are familiar to the nature of one who is already condemned. However, hell is a punishment and punishments are made for those who are spiritually dead by their own choice, just as jail is a place for those who choose to criminals. Immorality is a choice not a calling. And therefore to go to hell is not a calling, but a choice.
Basic Passage: People today are afraid of change. Some people are content with the small things they have and aren’t very willing to branch out to better themselves and the people around them.
Correlation: My mother and father always told me that I could be whatever I wanted to be if I just put my mind to it. The world today has changed dramatically over time. Our economic system is at its worst since The Great Depression. But why are so many people settling for just high school diplomas or G.E.D’s? Why are people content with the small apartment they live in or the average car they drive? I think the generation gets lazier and lazier as it goes on. People’s parents who didn’t have very much aren’t as strict on their kids about having a higher education. There are actually some people here in the U.S. who doesn’t understand why college is so important. My cousin lives in a small town in Mississippi and he didn’t finish high school because he felt like it was a waste of time. He works hard all day doing labor in the hot sun and he is happy about his job. I tell him all the time that he doesn’t have to do that. He looked at me crazy when I told him that I was going to college when I graduated from high school. People like my cousin are the people who are afraid to change what their doing to better themselves. He is content about being twenty eight and still staying with his parents. He is content about working vigorous hours in the hot sun. I think its time for people to wake up and smell the coffee. The world is getting more complex as time moves on and a lot of people are going to be stuck in the past if they don’t better themselves by gaining more knowledge.
Basic Passage: In class we talked about how the early puritans believed that bad things happen to people, just because god hates that person. Unfortunately, there are still many out there that believes in the same philosophy.
Correlate: According to dictionary.com the word smite literally means “to strike or hit hard, with or as with the hand, a stick, or other weapon.” Is god that mean, just because someone didn’t obey his rule, someone has to pay for it with their life, or is it just our foolish imagination. This general idea does not only apply to Christianity, but also to many other religions. I’ve heard in many instant, someone referring that god hated somebody and at the end he cursed him. Even when I was a little kid, my mom and dad used to tell me stories about god cursing people, resulting in loss of their children or their love ones. According to Islam, it is believed that god is the most merciful and whatever he does is for your own good. But on the other hand many imams (Islamic priest) preaches that one should stay away from the major sins otherwise god will smite you hard. I don’t how cursing someone shows the love and passion from god. For example, after September 11th 2001 many in the Arab world felt that it was gods will and that god cursed America because of the injustice it has havocked. My question is if god does actually hates America, why would he choose three thousand innocent civilians. Isn’t that injustice from god?
Basic Passage: Some people are never able to change their circumstances.
Correlate: In class we talked about people who never change, and are complacent. The Puritans seem to want to better themselves. They take a journey that is unknown, and follow what they feel God is telling them to do. I know there were probably some people who were suppose to get on that ship, but backed out at the last minute. Sometimes complacency is the easiest thing to do. I know in my life most of the women in my family never went to college. They stayed at home and raised their children. That was good for them, but they always had to rely of a man for everything. Growing up I would often hear my mother say "never have to depend on man". I always thought about that growing up, and that is why I am in college trying to earn a degree so I will be able to make my own way. On the other hand there are some children at my church who come from a generation of poverty. The grandparents, the parents, and now the children are following this mentality of just not caring about anything. One girl in particular makes good grades in school, and can sing beautifully. I asked her a while back if she wanted to live in poverty for the rest of her life. She said no. Now when I see her she does not even want to look me in the face, because she is following in her mother's foot steps. She is trying to get pregnant, and she is only seventeen. She has had several pregnancy scares. The difference between her family and mine is that my family let me know there are ways to better your self. The young girl I am talking about doesn't have that. She just has me telling her my point of view. The Puritans probably had people encouraging them, and praying for them. On the other hand some might have not had that and stayed back. Complacency will not get you far in life. Always reach higher, and set new goals.
passage:“But for John Winthrop and the men and women like him, this (Calvinism) way of life is a stirring challenge, a thrilling project, and sometimes even a joy.”
correlate:Could you imagine going about your daily routines constantly wondering about how you will spend the rest of your eternity? Imagine having to live your life by written history and having everyone scrutinizing your every move. That is how the Puritans lived early life. But was this mindset good for a person’s health? I am sure if the Puritans were to travel thru time to the present, they would not last a day in today’s society. When I say this, I do not mean with the advances in technology, but with the advances in sciences and social sciences. Some would spend majority of their time sitting on some shrink’s couch trying to find a way to guarantee a ticket to heaven. Others would commit crimes (such as the lady Winthrop tells of who threw her baby in the well) to others or possible themselves just to know their destiny. However, the Puritans were not the only people that tend to suffer from “small minded-ness”. Many people in todays also lack the intelligence to see the bigger picture. It is more prevalent in the poor and discouraged. From my experience, children that grow up in homes that do not encourage success tend to not to want to do anything for themselves; but who is to blame? Do we blame the parents for not enticing their children to want more out of life? Do we blame society for not funding our schools correctly and not staying on top of those that tend to drift away? Or is it safe to blame the founders of our country who only lived to stress over their destiny?
Devin Lochridge Title: predestination or free will Basic Passage: Response to in class discussion on predestination. Correlation: Some Christians claim that God predestines people for hell. This concept is never stated directly, although the Bible indicates that God does use evil people to accomplish his purposes. Paul says in the book of Romans that evil Pharaoh was “raised up” to demonstrate God’s power. Paul goes on to say that God chose Jacob over his brother Esau, and that he chooses to have mercy on some people over others. John says that God will give the kingdom of Israel to the beast to fulfill his word. Jesus said that he chose the apostles, including the one who would betray him. Even Judas as a worker of evil, was fulfilling part of the redemptive purpose of God. Presumably, people who are predestined to serve the purposes of God through their evil will eventually go to hell. However, they still possessed free will and would have done evil under any circumstances.
Does God not love all of his children? Would he use some of us to demonstrate his power? There are many verses that specifically state that people have free will to execute their own choices. In the book of Deuteronomy, God himself tells people to choose to follow him to receive his blessings, “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants.”
A. The American Dream: Out of reach? Eric Richardson
B. Compare his hard, cold fact that “some must be rich, some poor”. –Winthrop being quoted in the wordy shipmates
C. For some other countries, America is viewed has a place of endless possibilities. A place where you can escape your current poverty situation and strive to make more money. Is there a downside to our seemingly perfect system? We are viewed as an individual based community. Meaning that each individual is their own sole provider. Is this such a good thing? For example say you were thriving, you had enough money to pay your bills and then some but your neighbor was struggling just to put food on the table for his family. Would your wealth over shadow your neighbors poverty in the broader picture of America? Many countries do not believe this to be true. A good example is Japan and China, unlike the U.S. they have community based economic systems. So they base many of their economic actions not on personal gain but on what is best for my community.
For many of the people that are in already in America, this dream seems out of their grasps. Working class people can see themselves as “stuck”in the life of struggling to make it from paycheck to paycheck. These people have seen their parents do it and this type of life is all they know. Not that many are complaining, most of the working class are content with their current situations. They have no desire or drive to do anything better with their stations in society because they have not experienced the so called finer things in life. So you have to ask yourself, Is the American Dream a feasible reality or just a visionary falsehood?
Correlation: Why do Americans stick together? Other countries such as Afghanistan and many other countries all have wars within themselves. We stay peaceful even through the most trying of times. For example we just elected an African American president and instead of wars breaking out we have stuck together and welcomed him. There are a few reasons why we stick together. A lot of what keeps us together are the laws that are set in place. Everyone knows that to live in this country you have to follow the laws. Yes, America is a free country but it wouldn’t be free if these laws were not put in place. Laws make us think the same about the realization of American life.The next topic is ethics, which also is a part of following the laws. Being ethical is doing what the law requires. Ethics are instilled in us through our families and school. Ethics make people want to fit in. No one wants to be looked down upon or considered different in a bad way. Ethics bring us together through us not wanting to be embarrassed with our actions. Americans now for the most part dress and act the same. People want to fit in and don’t want to be different.
Correlate: Discussions in class mentioned John Calvin and his followers and their feelings of predestination. They believed that God “predetermines” his chosen followers and that they are automatically going to heaven. However, as a result of being a chosen one and going to heaven, you have to still strive to be the best Christian possible. As for the unlucky ones who are damned to an eternity in Hell from the start should probably give up and be as wild as self-centered as possible. However, this radical teaching is only one of Calvinism’s drastic theologies. Calvinists also believe in “total depravity”. This is a theology pertaining to the Original Sin. It states that people do not naturally love God, that they are inherently self absorbed. However, God’s love and Divine Power can overcome our narcissism. It states that God will overcome those who are destined to be in His Kingdom for eternity and those who aren’t will suffer eternal damnation. Both of these theories are incredibly depressing and seem to rob Christianity of it’s joyous nature in Faith. Christianity is meant to be a decision to follow Christ and turn your life to him. Calvinism has no faith and is full of doubt and questioning. That is why it goes against all that Christ himself stood for.
(I forgot my name the first time so here's my post again)
Basic Idea:When Winthrop wrote “A Model of Christian Charity”, it is evident that he was hoping for an America with Communitarian qualities.
Communitarianism is the idea that a country or group of people should balance individual rights and interests with the safety and wellbeing of the community as a whole. The America we know does not seem this way at all. You see it often in today’s society, a dog-eat-dog world full of people with “every man for himself” ideals, with huge corporations crushing small businesses. Yes, Americans have had their egos filled to the limit with “Hard work will make you stand above the rest,” and “You can be anything you want to be!” But there is a difference in wanting to have a successful, happy life and wanting to do whatever it takes to be at the top. I’m not meaning to de-motivate those who are striving to do their best. What I’m saying is that our country would be a much stronger nation if we focused not only on ourselves, but on our neighbors and their security as well. Vowell says Winthrop had these hopes of America being “fervently devoted to the quaint goals of working together and getting along.” Somewhere along, we lost the goals of “love thy neighbor” and became focused on the idea that one solitary man could make it alone, without needing any help from anyone.
If we wish to remain a strong country, we must remember that we do need each other. After 9/11, US citizens were closer than they had ever been before. As money troubles continue to worsen, I can see in the years ahead that we are going to have to learn to depend on one another. Listen to John Donne, “No man is an island, entire of itself...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."
Basic Passage: In class we discussed being complacent with your situation, whatever it may be.
Correlation: Routine is big part of our life in the United States. We tend to have the belief that the “American dream” is nothing more than Birth>School>Work> Money> Death. While I do not necessarily agree with the way the Protestants came over to this land, and stole it from the Indians. I do have respect for them. They wanted a positive change in their lives, and acted upon that desire for change. Recently “change” has been a word tossed around frequently since its use in the recent election. Hopefully we do not lose focus on how change is made possible. Change is a joint effort by everyone; one single person can’t do it all. There are plenty of things going wrong in the world today that we would all like to see change. It is evident that if we all “unite” together change is possible. This was displayed just by all of us coming together for the election and letting our voice heard for a new President. It shows that change is very possible. We just have to BE the change. Also, change is not a quick process. Change takes time, and a gradual shift. Just as when you leave a dark room and enter the light, you must gradual get used to the light or you will be momentarily blinded. The same goes for change in the world. It cannot be an instant transformation. It takes a gradual shift in consciousness to awaken us from the dead state our country and world are in right now. The root of all this is complacency. If one is complacent, they forget what change is in the first place.“Stop hoping for action, be action”- STS9
( PAWS system was down last night, and I could not retrieve my password to log into the blog)
Basic Passage: “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined he also called, those he called he also justified; those he justified he also glorified” (Romans 8:29 NIV)
Correlate: The first definition of Calvinism that I heard was the belief that someone cannot determine his own salvation, that it was determined by God before he was born. Sects of Christians have beliefs about the bible, sometimes taking scriptures out of contexts and making them say whatever they want. For the Puritans it was a more widely accepted belief than today that people can do nothing to alter their salvation. Calvinism was the motive behind the woman in Winthrop’s journal who murdered her child. Looking to see if a life lines up with Christ to determine salvation is a backwards approach from the way most theologians interpret the Bible. After the readings I saw the side of Calvinism where people knew what sin looked like from viewing groups clearly living sinfully. Vowell likens the Calvinist to a war correspondent after reading Thomas Hooker’s sermon. Their awareness of sin is a prerequisite to salvation. By increasing their doubt of their own fate, it gave them a humble attitude. They left the judgment to God. The man who recently threw his children off the bridge was likely not a Calvinist, but the woman Winthrop knew did not have a better excuse. Being strongly affiliated with the church, the Puritans tended to be too religious. They followed their opinions and interpretations of scripture, and a literal interpretation became more important than using common sense. When Vowell quotes John Calvin’s will he says God’s grace has made him more guilty. Calvinists examine themselves carefully since they place weight on being like Christ as proof of salvation. They believe that stopping sinning is the least they can do to thank God for salvation.
26 comments:
Christina McCarty
February 18, 2009
Leaving You Behind
Basic Passage: For many more that came to them, and many more that desired to be with them, could not endure that great labor and hard fare, with other inconveniences which they underwent & were contented with. But though they loved their persons, approved their cause, and honoured their sufferings, yet they left them as it weer weeping…
Correlate: Continuing from the passage I described last week on children in the Puritan era, this passage describes the sacrifices families made to better their lives. Many people on the vessels were men, leaving behind mothers and children to hopefully adapt to a better life in America. The men, never knowing if they would return or not, would attempt to seek a place of religious refuge for their families. Taking the brave step out for freedom from their religious oppressors was the first step in making new lives. These men knew they could not take along their wives and children, fearing that something may happen to them with unfamiliar conditions, settings, and diseases about. Wanting to keep the family safe yet still take a risk, these men selflessly agreed to colonize with their fellow settlers.
The situation parallels an experience of mine a few years back. My mother, unemployed and living off her deceased father’s inheritance money, was offered a top-paying job across the country. Unfortunately, in Las Vegas, Nevada, there were not many decent schools to choose from. Doing what was best for me, she made me stay behind while she built her career and successful life across the country. Though I wanted to be with her, I empathize what the Puritan families left behind felt because I knew it was what she (like the settlers) had to do for prosperity and freedom. Though the difference being I see my mother a few times a year and the Puritans may not have seen some loved ones ever again, I understand what it feels like to be left behind for all the right reasons. Thriving and completely out of debt, my mother is the modern-day version of a successful European settler.
Title: It Could Be You
Basic Passage: “There was a proud and very profane young man, one of the sea-men, of a lustie, able body, which made him the more haughty; he would always be contemning the poor people in their sickness, and cursing them daily with greeous execrations, and did not hesitate to tell them, that he hoped to help cast half of them overboard before they came to their journeys end, and to make merry with what they had; and if he were by any gently reproved, he would curse and swear most bitterly. But it pleased God before they came half seas over, to smite this young man with a grievous disease, of which he died in a desperate manner, and so was himself the first one thrown overboard.”
Correlation: This passage is basically saying you must be careful with what you do or say because whatever it was that you said or did, the same thing will happen to you. The young man in the passage above was a clear example of that. Just because you’re healthy that doesn’t give you the right to talk down to those who are sick because that could be you in that same position someday. If he saw that some of them were sick, he should have offered to help them in some kind of way and not disrespect them. Just think, during those times the Puritans didn’t have health insurance to take care of themselves. They probably relied on special remedies they thought would help cure them but instead would make them even sicker instead of better. Some probably didn’t know they were sick until it was too late for them to get help. You look at people living in other countries and see that they are in the same positions as the Puritans were. They don’t or didn’t have health insurance to take care of themselves and had to heavily rely on special remedies they thought would help cure them but didn’t. As Americans we should feel lucky that we have health insurance to take care of ourselves because if we didn’t, we would be in the same position as the Puritans and people living on other countries. So if you should treat someone badly because they are sick, one should think twice because that could be you one day.
Hannah Mims
Title: Why do American’s always seem to come together during hard times?
Basic Passage: “Partake in each other’s strengths and infirmity; joy and sorrow, weal and woe.” – From the Christian Charity, by John Winthrop
Correlation: In 1630, before all the many men and women got aboard the Arbella, John Winthrop gave a thesis (preaching) on the values and ways people should live their lives and values to take with them. These words he left with the people gave them empowerment and a hopeful mindset on what was the come in their future and how working together would lead them to be more successful. He encouraged these people to stick together through all of the hard times that they would be facing ahead and to know that they would always have each other in these times of despair and happiness. Today in our society, there are many different lifestyles that we each possess. People don’t all believe in the same religion or believe in what’s the best way to live there life. But as America as a whole, we stand for something very strong and powerful. In times of distress and turmoil that gets put upon our country, most individuals will come together and work for the same cause for our country. For instance, the Coast of the United States has been impacted by many hurricanes. After hurricane Katrina, many people from all over the U.S. helped out to make the situation get better faster, whether it was getting numerous people together to pray or send food to the people who lost everything or even go down to the destruction sight and lend a hand themselves. In many instances, it takes a tragedy to remind all of the people that we all need each other to make the world go round and continue to be a positive place to live in. Winthrop’s thesis he wrote many hundred years ago still stands true to most of the values and ways American’s work and bond together today.
Alicia Vance
Title: Who did Gods providence apply to?
Basic Passage: “September 6. These troubls being blowne over, and now all being compacte together in one shipe, they put to sea againe with a prosperous winde, which continued diverce days together, which was some incouragmente unto them; yet according to the usuall manner many were afflicted with sea-sickness. And I may not omite hear a spetiall worke of Gods Providence,” (Of Plimouth Plantation, pg. 132)
Correlation: Dictionary.com defines providence as the foreseeing care and guidance of God or nature over the creatures of the earth. It also defines it as a manifestation of divine care or direction. The Puritans believed in God’s providence. They prove God’s providence by telling the story of the “evil” man who became diseased on the Mayflower and died. He had gone around saying only weak people would die and he would throw them overboard and live off any belongings they had. They explained that God killed him because God didn’t like him so this evil man was smite by God. They also supported proof of God’s providence with the man God liked on the Mayflower. This man was blessed and became very involved in the church all because the Puritans believed God liked him. They were very selective when proving God’s providence with extreme examples of a man being either evil or good. In reality, people existed who act in between these two extremes. Back then and today people can do wrong but also change and start doing things for the good. How were the Puritans to know how God was working? They also faced challenges with their ships, and even had to turn around and go back to England. Could that have been God punishing them for something they had done wrong? Or did it only apply to people on either end?
David Broadnax
Title: The Fear of Change
Basic Passage: Many people across the world are so complacent with just settling for less when they can stride for more. They are blind eyed to the things they can have if they just knew or wasn’t so reluctant for change.
Correlate: Change has sculpted the history of the United States and the way we look at things to do. But for change to occur their always have to be someone whose willing to step out on faith and make a change for better or worse. The thought of “change” seems so simple, but many Americans are reluctant or just stuck in the same mind frame. Those who don’t want change often live by the motto “if it’s not broke don’t fix it”, but when step out and change its like gambling either you win or lose. You might not be successful when try to change, but your effort might lead to others who take what you done and use that as a building block. The fight for Civil Rights Martin Luther King lead, many felt it didn’t accomplish much, because segregation was still in the mind of many Americans. His fight for change lead to the running and election of the first African American President, something many thought would ever be achieved. An locally you can see youth in Mobile growing up around drugs and crime, and as they get older they follow down the same path as other individuals they saw in their neighborhood. Many of them have it bestowed in their mind that the only way to survive is to sell drugs or rob and steal. That’s where the lack of knowledge plays apart in the willing to change for the better. If it wasn’t for the millions that want change we wouldn’t have Barack Obama as President.
Jennifer Gray
Right or Wrong?
In class we discussed whether America should “invade” other countries to help them . . .
I believe that we as Americans view our way of living to be better than the way some people live in other countries. I understand the concept of stepping in when need be, but is it always necessary? Should we as Americans assume that our way of living and governing is best for everyone? Take for example the ongoing war in Iraq. While I support our troops and pray that they return home safely, I can’t help but wonder why they are still there. We saw Saddam Hussein as a man that shouldn’t be running a country the way he was and doing the things to the people of his country that he was doing, but I would have to assume that there are those Iraqi citizens that just accepted it as a way of life the same way we as Americans accept our way of living. America invaded Iraq and disrupted their normal way of living and yet we wonder why there are those Iraqi people that hate America and don’t want our soldiers in their country any longer. There were long periods of time that the innocent civilians didn’t even have power or water.
Was it right of America to invade Iraq and change everything including their government? How would you feel if another country invaded America and changed your way of life just because they felt it was necessary because our way of living was wrong in their eyes? I’m sure that we too would feel as some of the Iraqi people do if our “normal” way of living was suddenly disrupted.
Eric Dobbs
Title: Chosen Ones
Passage: "I believe that nothing happens apart from divine determination and decree. We shall never be able to escape from the doctrine of divine predestination - the doctrine that God has foreordained certain people unto eternal life."-Charles Spurgen
Correlation: Predestination is a wild belief. A belief that every person's fate in the afterlife was determined before their birth, regardless of worldly actions. Although, it was believed by most that the heaven worthy lived a more pure life. Regardless, it is hard to believe that no matter how a person acts on this world, it does not determine their life in the afterlife. In logic, a long time serial killer could be a saved soul. This however could not be the case. It would be believed that God predestined this man as a killer and sinner before he was created. In class today, we talked about being a "half-hearted" christian. Christian's that have a desire to sin, but do not do so because of their fear of their fate in the afterlife. People were scared to indulge in sinful acts because they did not know if they were saved or not. We talked about a mother who threw her daughter in the well, just so she would know for good that she was not a saved soul. This seems a little to extreme, but some people just have to know. Predestination is simply an old and outdated belief. Now days, most religions believe that a person's actions on this earth determine their fate after death. It is a more civil and logic theory for a more logic and civil society.
Shareca Hawthorne
I can do it!!!!!!!!
Basic Passage: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Correlation: Throughout my life I’ve had obstacles which I had to overcome in order to become the person that I want to be. In Philippians 4:13 the passage reads” I can do all things through Christ who Strengthens me.” I myself believe that is true and no matter what obstacles I am faced with God will help me overcome them. In our previous class discussion we talked about the myth that people put into our heads as we grew up that if we work hard we can be anything we want to be. Some parents like mine often encourage me to work hard and reach all of the goals that I have set for myself thus far. However, some children do not have parents or a person to tell them that if they work hard they can be whatever it is that they want to be. Some people today do not believe that because of the lack of guidance that they have. I have met people who think college is a waste of time and it does not matter whether they have a college degree or even a high school diploma. I have graduated with people who have been asked what will they do after high school and their response were get a job, work at McDonalds, have babies and get on welfare, I couldn’t believe it!!!!!! I have been taught not just by my parents but my previous teachers from kindergarten and so forth that it is important to graduate from high school and attend college because that is the only way to obtain a good job. I have seen so many people who worked at McDonalds during high school, graduated from high school and still work there and I often wonder to myself is that the life they have settled for because they heard college was hard? As I started to sit and think I realized some children did not have the parents like mine to guide them throughout life and to tell them that yes, high school is important and it’s ok to work at McDonalds as longs as you don’t make a career out of it. They did not have those types of parents that would encourage them on a daily basis to work hard in school, go to college and work harder and you can be anything you want to be.
Brian Strong
Title: Upward Mobility and the American Dream
Basic Passage: We talked in class about how many people regardless the situation refuse to change, while others want to become more always wanting to become bigger and better things.
Correlation: As we talked about the thoughts of people that didn’t even know what a toothbrush is makes you wonder why someone would want to hold themselves back in that manner. In this everything is relative that the only thing that a certain social perspective could believe is “normal” is what is surrounding them and what their direct contacts choose to try to accomplish. Generally, as a country we believe in upward mobility, in that any regular person has the right and opportunity of an education and the gateways to the upper level jobs. In capitalistic and market societies that correlation between economic success and social class is strongly positive in that the more wealth a person accumulates that they are in a higher society. One term that is highly related to this that is thrown around a lot is the “American Dream.” Andrew Carnegie is a great example of what it is in that he was a dirt poor immigrant who worked himself into being one of the wealthiest men of all time. He gave people who had nothing, the hope to drive themselves to better themselves and their family. Yet there are people such as poor, extremely rural folk that truly believe in simplicity and love the life that they are blessed with. Yet this is what defines the United States as what we are to people, each and every one of us is completely free and able to choose what we get to do with our futures. The ideal of the American Dream and Social Class is relative because to each and every person, because each and every one of us has a different dream and who is it to judge whether or not it's socially the correct path to chose.
Title: Ready to decide?
Basic Passage: “daily life affected by the belief in the return of Christ”
Correlation:
Should we live our lives as if any moment Jesus Christ will knock on our front door and ask what we’ve been up to... better have the right answer, huh?
The Puritans lived their lives specifically this way. They seemed to have lived every detail of their lives to meet some level of excellence leaned from the Bible. It makes sense that only a few people were educated and literate. These people probably held powerful positions in society so they had the task of reading the Bible, interpreting it and passing its message to the common folk. In doing so, a great emphasis was placed on how their daily lives should be carried out. In the spirit of controlling the gullible, I mean, illiterate and uneducated, these leaders instilled fear that someday each person will be judged. They would tend to make their life’s choices guided by the fear they will go to Heaven or Hell. Otherwise, the masses would be much harder to unite as a structured society.
I have made a similar rational for raising children today: Parents raising children with the help of religion have an easier time than parents raising them without a religious background. I mean, when a child is raised to believe that there is an invisible man always looking over their shoulder, they will make their decisions bearing God’s judgment. Specifically, when a child is in a room, behind a closed door with no chance of any authority finding out their activities, what would keep them on the strait and narrow? God does, that fear of being judged. If a child is not raised with this understanding, what drives him/her to the right choice? A conscience!... which has to be taught by parents. These parents build the child’s conscience based on human character and pride in one’s self.
Orin Eleuterius
Title: Language, Then and Now
Basic Passage: For many years langauge has been our center of knowing how to communicate among ourselves. We have written, and we have spoken it and it has always made sense to us. It has given us a way to communicate anywhere in the world either by voice or by paper, which you can write on. It has made a way for us to do good in school just as long as you learn how to read and spell.
Correlation: We have been reading our book in class for about four weeks now. When we started i couldn't but help to see how the words were spelled out. I thought to myself is this really how the Puritans spelled out words back then. To me it sounded like they were trying to sound to smart or they were trying to hard to spell. They really did a good job with spelling the words but some of the words had some letters that did not have to be involved. Its like every word had an e at the end of it and some of the words didn't even make sense. I just thought that the words had no meaning and i couldn't recognize them either. Now, language today has evolved into a better sensible manner. We have changed the words to become more standardized and make more sense. The way our language has changed has really been a big deal. Just think if it wouldn't have changed, it still would be the same today as it was back then. Now it wouldn't been a problem because all of the words would still sound the same and they would be spelled the same also. Although, I am glad that our language has changed because i couldn't have put up with the way it was spelled.
Basic Idea:When Winthrop wrote “A Model of Christian Charity”, it is evident that he was hoping for an America with Communitarian qualities.
Communitarianism is the idea that a country or group of people should balance individual rights and interests with the safety and wellbeing of the community as a whole. The America we know does not seem this way at all. You see it often in today’s society, a dog-eat-dog world full of people with “every man for himself” ideals, with huge corporations crushing small businesses. Yes, Americans have had their egos filled to the limit with “Hard work will make you stand above the rest,” and “You can be anything you want to be!” But there is a difference in wanting to have a successful, happy life and wanting to do whatever it takes to be at the top. I’m not meaning to de-motivate those who are striving to do their best. What I’m saying is that our country would be a much stronger nation if we focused not only on ourselves, but on our neighbors and their security as well. Vowell says Winthrop had these hopes of America being “fervently devoted to the quaint goals of working together and getting along.” Somewhere along, we lost the goals of “love thy neighbor” and became focused on the idea that one solitary man could make it alone, without needing any help from anyone.
If we wish to remain a strong country, we must remember that we do need each other. After 9/11, US citizens were closer than they had ever been before. As money troubles continue to worsen, I can see in the years ahead that we are going to have to learn to depend on one another. Listen to John Donne, “No man is an island, entire of itself...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."
Penelope Humenansky
Do to others what you want done to you.
Basic Passage:
Chapter 9 from Of Plimoth Plantation, about the young seaman cursing and wanting to throw half the people overboard that were aboard the Mayflower. In the end the young man became ill and shortly there after he died before their voyage was over.
Correlation:
People say that if bad things are done or happen then Karma will bite them in the butt. Is this always true? Does God have a hand in this? Karma is defined as the good or bad emanations felt to be generated by someone or something. In better words this is also known as destiny or fate. We will never know the true answer but only theories. The young seaman from John Winthrop’s Of Plimoth Plantation, became had a part in karma. He cursed, hated and wanted to kill many of the people aboard their ship by throwing them overboard because he just wanted too. Before their journey ended he had been bitten in the butt and became ill and died not to long after. I do not believe in any of this karma stuff, but many do. Because this man wanted to do evil to others, God struck him down slowly so that no harm could be done. What he was doing to others was seen as bad, therefore, something bad was done to him. For example, radical Islamist (mainly in Afghanistan, or a new form of the KKK) believe that the United States is not helping their country in the war, but only doing evil. This is why they have attacked us in the past and will continue to attack us until they believe their work is done. Karma wall always find someone.
Harrison Bullock
A.Title: Killing for God
B.Basic Passage: Last week in class we listened to an article from NPR called: Iraqi Insurgent Continues Fight Against U.S. Troops. In this article NPR gets first hand account from an Iraqi terrorist who says "I have killed many Americans, not just one or two. When I kill them, I feel happy, like victory is coming," says Aziz.”
C. Correlate: When I first heard this I was enraged. Being a member of the United States Army, it really angered me to know that I will be sent overseas in a few years to help others who get pleasure from killing Americans. Then Aziz stated, "If you look into my heart, you won't find any sympathy for the Americans at all. That's not because I have no human feelings, but because I feel that they are here to harm us, to steal from us, to kill our women and our children," he said. As I heard more of this article, I continued to get angrier. After telling a reporter the Americans killed 11 members of his family in an airstrike, he said, "I then had two motivations to continue with the resistance. The first was for my religion. The second was revenge," he said.” After I heard this, I thought of the bible verse, Matthew 5:39, which says, “But I say to you, that you resist not evil: but whoever shall smite you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.” In this verse Jesus does not forbid the judicial application of the law, but personal revenge, such as was common among the Jews. Instead of turning upon those who injure us, and becoming a party to personal broils, it’s our duty as followers of God, not just Christians.
Lauren Harris
Title: To be condemned?
Basic Passage: “The constant uncertainty - is it streets of gold for me or am I merely lighter fluid for the flames of hell?”
Correlation: For John Calvin, the church is the body of the “elect” - those predestined by the love of God to salvation, faith, and grace. Predestination is the belief that God made certain people for salvation and certain people for damnation. All are guilty of falling short of God’s measure and might deserve damnation. Perhaps it is not God’s knowledge of one’s future good works or use of grace which prompts God to be righteous. Foreknowledge means to have knowledge of things to be. Foreknowledge is an attribute of God, while predestination and election are acts of God. A scientist can tell when there is to be an eclipse of the sun at a certain day, hour, minute, and second, but the scientists do not bring about the eclipse. God has foreknowledge, and therefore knows the future, but that is where is ends.
A particularly daunting question comes to mind when entertaining the teachings of Calvinism, and that is this: If God made certain people specifically to be doomed to hell then wouldn’t we consider the conditions upon which every sin they committed as entrapment? Entrapment is when governing authorities purposely lure someone to do wrong. Then, once the person succumbs to the temptation, they are arrested and thrown in jail. Hell is for those who have practiced sin and have never accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. But if a person is created to be damned then it would seem that God would not punish him or her for acting in ways that are familiar to the nature of one who is already condemned. However, hell is a punishment and punishments are made for those who are spiritually dead by their own choice, just as jail is a place for those who choose to criminals. Immorality is a choice not a calling. And therefore to go to hell is not a calling, but a choice.
Shaun Kyles
“Upward Mobility”
Basic Passage: People today are afraid of change. Some people are content with the small things they have and aren’t very willing to branch out to better themselves and the people around them.
Correlation: My mother and father always told me that I could be whatever I wanted to be if I just put my mind to it. The world today has changed dramatically over time. Our economic system is at its worst since The Great Depression. But why are so many people settling for just high school diplomas or G.E.D’s? Why are people content with the small apartment they live in or the average car they drive? I think the generation gets lazier and lazier as it goes on. People’s parents who didn’t have very much aren’t as strict on their kids about having a higher education. There are actually some people here in the U.S. who doesn’t understand why college is so important. My cousin lives in a small town in Mississippi and he didn’t finish high school because he felt like it was a waste of time. He works hard all day doing labor in the hot sun and he is happy about his job. I tell him all the time that he doesn’t have to do that. He looked at me crazy when I told him that I was going to college when I graduated from high school. People like my cousin are the people who are afraid to change what their doing to better themselves. He is content about being twenty eight and still staying with his parents. He is content about working vigorous hours in the hot sun. I think its time for people to wake up and smell the coffee. The world is getting more complex as time moves on and a lot of people are going to be stuck in the past if they don’t better themselves by gaining more knowledge.
Title: GOD SMITES PEOPLE?
Basic Passage: In class we talked about how the early puritans believed that bad things happen to people, just because god hates that person. Unfortunately, there are still many out there that believes in the same philosophy.
Correlate: According to dictionary.com the word smite literally means “to strike or hit hard, with or as with the hand, a stick, or other weapon.” Is god that mean, just because someone didn’t obey his rule, someone has to pay for it with their life, or is it just our foolish imagination. This general idea does not only apply to Christianity, but also to many other religions. I’ve heard in many instant, someone referring that god hated somebody and at the end he cursed him. Even when I was a little kid, my mom and dad used to tell me stories about god cursing people, resulting in loss of their children or their love ones. According to Islam, it is believed that god is the most merciful and whatever he does is for your own good. But on the other hand many imams (Islamic priest) preaches that one should stay away from the major sins otherwise god will smite you hard. I don’t how cursing someone shows the love and passion from god. For example, after September 11th 2001 many in the Arab world felt that it was gods will and that god cursed America because of the injustice it has havocked. My question is if god does actually hates America, why would he choose three thousand innocent civilians. Isn’t that injustice from god?
Jennifer W.
February 18, 2009
Title: Do not be complacent
Basic Passage: Some people are never able to change their circumstances.
Correlate: In class we talked about people who never change, and are complacent. The Puritans seem to want to better themselves. They take a journey that is unknown, and follow what they feel God is telling them to do. I know there were probably some people who were suppose to get on that ship, but backed out at the last minute. Sometimes complacency is the easiest thing to do. I know in my life most of the women in my family never went to college. They stayed at home and raised their children. That was good for them, but they always had to rely of a man for everything. Growing up I would often hear my mother say "never have to depend on man". I always thought about that growing up, and that is why I am in college trying to earn a degree so I will be able to make my own way. On the other hand there are some children at my church who come from a generation of poverty. The grandparents, the parents, and now the children are following this mentality of just not caring about anything. One girl in particular makes good grades in school, and can sing beautifully. I asked her a while back if she wanted to live in poverty for the rest of her life. She said no. Now when I see her she does not even want to look me in the face, because she is following in her mother's foot steps. She is trying to get pregnant, and she is only seventeen. She has had several pregnancy scares. The difference between her family and mine is that my family let me know there are ways to better your self. The young girl I am talking about doesn't have that. She just has me telling her my point of view.
The Puritans probably had people encouraging them, and praying for them. On the other hand some might have not had that and stayed back. Complacency will not get you far in life. Always reach higher, and set new goals.
passage:“But for John Winthrop and the men and women like him, this (Calvinism) way of life is a stirring challenge, a thrilling project, and sometimes even a joy.”
correlate:Could you imagine going about your daily routines constantly wondering about how you will spend the rest of your eternity? Imagine having to live your life by written history and having everyone scrutinizing your every move. That is how the Puritans lived early life. But was this mindset good for a person’s health? I am sure if the Puritans were to travel thru time to the present, they would not last a day in today’s society. When I say this, I do not mean with the advances in technology, but with the advances in sciences and social sciences. Some would spend majority of their time sitting on some shrink’s couch trying to find a way to guarantee a ticket to heaven. Others would commit crimes (such as the lady Winthrop tells of who threw her baby in the well) to others or possible themselves just to know their destiny.
However, the Puritans were not the only people that tend to suffer from “small minded-ness”. Many people in todays also lack the intelligence to see the bigger picture. It is more prevalent in the poor and discouraged. From my experience, children that grow up in homes that do not encourage success tend to not to want to do anything for themselves; but who is to blame? Do we blame the parents for not enticing their children to want more out of life? Do we blame society for not funding our schools correctly and not staying on top of those that tend to drift away? Or is it safe to blame the founders of our country who only lived to stress over their destiny?
Devin Lochridge
Title: predestination or free will
Basic Passage: Response to in class discussion on predestination.
Correlation: Some Christians claim that God predestines people for hell. This concept is never stated directly, although the Bible indicates that God does use evil people to accomplish his purposes. Paul says in the book of Romans that evil Pharaoh was “raised up” to demonstrate God’s power. Paul goes on to say that God chose Jacob over his brother Esau, and that he chooses to have mercy on some people over others. John says that God will give the kingdom of Israel to the beast to fulfill his word. Jesus said that he chose the apostles, including the one who would betray him. Even Judas as a worker of evil, was fulfilling part of the redemptive purpose of God. Presumably, people who are predestined to serve the purposes of God through their evil will eventually go to hell. However, they still possessed free will and would have done evil under any circumstances.
Does God not love all of his children? Would he use some of us to demonstrate his power? There are many verses that specifically state that people have free will to execute their own choices. In the book of Deuteronomy, God himself tells people to choose to follow him to receive his blessings, “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants.”
A. The American Dream: Out of reach?
Eric Richardson
B. Compare his hard, cold fact that “some must be rich, some poor”. –Winthrop being quoted in the wordy shipmates
C. For some other countries, America is viewed has a place of endless possibilities. A place where you can escape your current poverty situation and strive to make more money. Is there a downside to our seemingly perfect system? We are viewed as an individual based community. Meaning that each individual is their own sole provider. Is this such a good thing? For example say you were thriving, you had enough money to pay your bills and then some but your neighbor was struggling just to put food on the table for his family. Would your wealth over shadow your neighbors poverty in the broader picture of America? Many countries do not believe this to be true. A good example is Japan and China, unlike the U.S. they have community based economic systems. So they base many of their economic actions not on personal gain but on what is best for my community.
For many of the people that are in already in America, this dream seems out of their grasps. Working class people can see themselves as “stuck”in the life of struggling to make it from paycheck to paycheck. These people have seen their parents do it and this type of life is all they know. Not that many are complaining, most of the working class are content with their current situations. They have no desire or drive to do anything better with their stations in society because they have not experienced the so called finer things in life. So you have to ask yourself, Is the American Dream a feasible reality or just a visionary falsehood?
Title: America Sticks like glue
Basic Passage: America as one nation
Correlation: Why do Americans stick together? Other countries such as Afghanistan and many other countries all have wars within themselves. We stay peaceful even through the most trying of times. For example we just elected an African American president and instead of wars breaking out we have stuck together and welcomed him. There are a few reasons why we stick together. A lot of what keeps us together are the laws that are set in place. Everyone knows that to live in this country you have to follow the laws. Yes, America is a free country but it wouldn’t be free if these laws were not put in place. Laws make us think the same about the realization of American life.The next topic is ethics, which also is a part of following the laws. Being ethical is doing what the law requires. Ethics are instilled in us through our families and school. Ethics make people want to fit in. No one wants to be looked down upon or considered different in a bad way. Ethics bring us together through us not wanting to be embarrassed with our actions. Americans now for the most part dress and act the same. People want to fit in and don’t want to be different.
Stuart Lang
Passage: Calvinism and its teachings
Correlate: Discussions in class mentioned John Calvin and his followers and their feelings of predestination. They believed that God “predetermines” his chosen followers and that they are automatically going to heaven. However, as a result of being a chosen one and going to heaven, you have to still strive to be the best Christian possible. As for the unlucky ones who are damned to an eternity in Hell from the start should probably give up and be as wild as self-centered as possible.
However, this radical teaching is only one of Calvinism’s drastic theologies. Calvinists also believe in “total depravity”. This is a theology pertaining to the Original Sin. It states that people do not naturally love God, that they are inherently self absorbed. However, God’s love and Divine Power can overcome our narcissism. It states that God will overcome those who are destined to be in His Kingdom for eternity and those who aren’t will suffer eternal damnation.
Both of these theories are incredibly depressing and seem to rob Christianity of it’s joyous nature in Faith. Christianity is meant to be a decision to follow Christ and turn your life to him. Calvinism has no faith and is full of doubt and questioning. That is why it goes against all that Christ himself stood for.
Laura Butler
(I forgot my name the first time so here's my post again)
Basic Idea:When Winthrop wrote “A Model of Christian Charity”, it is evident that he was hoping for an America with Communitarian qualities.
Communitarianism is the idea that a country or group of people should balance individual rights and interests with the safety and wellbeing of the community as a whole. The America we know does not seem this way at all. You see it often in today’s society, a dog-eat-dog world full of people with “every man for himself” ideals, with huge corporations crushing small businesses. Yes, Americans have had their egos filled to the limit with “Hard work will make you stand above the rest,” and “You can be anything you want to be!” But there is a difference in wanting to have a successful, happy life and wanting to do whatever it takes to be at the top. I’m not meaning to de-motivate those who are striving to do their best. What I’m saying is that our country would be a much stronger nation if we focused not only on ourselves, but on our neighbors and their security as well. Vowell says Winthrop had these hopes of America being “fervently devoted to the quaint goals of working together and getting along.” Somewhere along, we lost the goals of “love thy neighbor” and became focused on the idea that one solitary man could make it alone, without needing any help from anyone.
If we wish to remain a strong country, we must remember that we do need each other. After 9/11, US citizens were closer than they had ever been before. As money troubles continue to worsen, I can see in the years ahead that we are going to have to learn to depend on one another. Listen to John Donne, “No man is an island, entire of itself...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."
Title: Be the Change
Basic Passage: In class we discussed being complacent with your situation, whatever it may be.
Correlation:
Routine is big part of our life in the United States. We tend to have the belief that the “American dream” is nothing more than Birth>School>Work> Money> Death. While I do not necessarily agree with the way the Protestants came over to this land, and stole it from the Indians. I do have respect for them. They wanted a positive change in their lives, and acted upon that desire for change. Recently “change” has been a word tossed around frequently since its use in the recent election. Hopefully we do not lose focus on how change is made possible. Change is a joint effort by everyone; one single person can’t do it all. There are plenty of things going wrong in the world today that we would all like to see change. It is evident that if we all “unite” together change is possible. This was displayed just by all of us coming together for the election and letting our voice heard for a new President. It shows that change is very possible. We just have to BE the change. Also, change is not a quick process. Change takes time, and a gradual shift. Just as when you leave a dark room and enter the light, you must gradual get used to the light or you will be momentarily blinded. The same goes for change in the world. It cannot be an instant transformation. It takes a gradual shift in consciousness to awaken us from the dead state our country and world are in right now. The root of all this is complacency. If one is complacent, they forget what change is in the first place.“Stop hoping for action, be action”- STS9
( PAWS system was down last night, and I could not retrieve my password to log into the blog)
Brett Allen
Calvinist Influence
Basic Passage: “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined he also called, those he called he also justified; those he justified he also glorified” (Romans 8:29 NIV)
Correlate: The first definition of Calvinism that I heard was the belief that someone cannot determine his own salvation, that it was determined by God before he was born. Sects of Christians have beliefs about the bible, sometimes taking scriptures out of contexts and making them say whatever they want. For the Puritans it was a more widely accepted belief than today that people can do nothing to alter their salvation. Calvinism was the motive behind the woman in Winthrop’s journal who murdered her child. Looking to see if a life lines up with Christ to determine salvation is a backwards approach from the way most theologians interpret the Bible. After the readings I saw the side of Calvinism where people knew what sin looked like from viewing groups clearly living sinfully. Vowell likens the Calvinist to a war correspondent after reading Thomas Hooker’s sermon. Their awareness of sin is a prerequisite to salvation. By increasing their doubt of their own fate, it gave them a humble attitude. They left the judgment to God. The man who recently threw his children off the bridge was likely not a Calvinist, but the woman Winthrop knew did not have a better excuse. Being strongly affiliated with the church, the Puritans tended to be too religious. They followed their opinions and interpretations of scripture, and a literal interpretation became more important than using common sense. When Vowell quotes John Calvin’s will he says God’s grace has made him more guilty. Calvinists examine themselves carefully since they place weight on being like Christ as proof of salvation. They believe that stopping sinning is the least they can do to thank God for salvation.
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