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Examples of spiritual journeys
Ben franklin impact on america
Ben franklin impact on america
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Essay #5 Benjamin Franklin and Johnathan Edwards were both influential thinkers of their time in very different ways. Franklin was a scientific man, and when United States citizens think of him, they often think of his contribution to the discovery and use of electricity. Franklin used logic and reason in his everyday life, and these principles converted to his thoughts about Christianity and religion. Edwards, however, possessed strong religious beliefs, and he thought everyone’s lives should revolve around Christianity. Devotion to God’s word and solemn practice were the most important aspects one could strive for because they were the key into entering Heaven. The differing religious beliefs of Benjamin Franklin and Johnathan Edwards illustrated …show more content…
Franklin stated, “I believe he is not offended when he sees his Children solace themselves in any manner of pleasant Exercises and innocent Delights, and I think no Pleasure innocent that is to man hurtful” (50). Franklin believed that everyday pleasures were a necessity in life, and God believed these pleasures were justified and innocent. Franklin believed people should both enjoy life and worship God. Johnathan Edwards, however, was much more strict with his beliefs. Edwards thought life should revolve around religion, and it was sinful to indulge in worldly pleasures. Edwards looked at those who lived leisurely with disdain, as shown when he stated:
…those things of which they were extremely fond, and in which they seemed to place the happiness of their lives, and which nothing before could induce them to forsake; as their frolicking, vain company-keeping, night-walking, their mirth and jollity, their impure language, and lewd songs. (52).
Edwards believed that this kind of lifestyle was impure and unrighteous, and he thought God would deem this behavior as unacceptable. He, therefore, felt it was everyone’s mission in life to serve God in the most solemn, reverent manner, and enabled his mission by becoming part of a movement called the Great Awakening to restore purity within society and
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Religion played a key component in everyone’s lives, and most colonists thought about God frequently throughout the day. Colonists lived their lives according to what they believed as the will of God. With this being said, however, religion differed greatly regionally. In some parts of colonial America, such as Massachusetts, religion was strict. They read their gospel diligently, as shown when Edwards said, “We have a rule at hand, a sacred book that God himself has put into our hands, with clear and infallible marks…” (53) Along with reading the Bible, they worshipped and lived their everyday lives in a no-nonsense fashion. They believed solemn, stern worship was the way to enter Heaven. Those in other parts of the country, such as Philadelphia, had much more loose beliefs. People in these parts, such as Benjamin Franklin, expressed deistic ideas. For the Record states, “As he worked, Franklin also studied, and those studies led him to rebel against the religious orthodoxy of his parents and embrace deistic concepts of God, man, and nature” (48). The beliefs that Franklin possessed, along with many others of his time, display how analytical he truly was. Deistic ideas embrace the fact that there is a God, but He does not interfere with everyday life. Deists see God through logic and reason in nature, but they do not think He interacts with people
1) Jonathan Edwards delivered this sermon during the first Great Awakening, a time of religious revival in Europe and America. During the Great Awakening, christianity shifted its focus from ceremonies and rituals, and began to realign itself with introspection to encourage fostering a deep sense of morality and redemption. Edwards was a key preacher and minister that delivered many sermons preaching about revival and reformed theology.
Religion was a key component to the construction of the early American colonial society. It shaped the beliefs and actions of the settlers within the society in many ways. Originally, the newcomers settling on North American land had main motives of owning their own land, increasing their country’s empire and gaining personal profit. Alongside those motives came the sheer desire to spread their religion with whom they encountered in the new land of opportunity. As stated, settlers set out to convert others towards Christianity because they believed freedom was found in worshiping God. Socially, if a person identified as a Christian they automatically were placed higher on the hierarchy. In the same respect, religion and politics at this time were delicately intertwined. Being Christian also meant the government heavily favored you and your peoples since you were to be considered influential in society. In the Maryland Act Concerning Religion (1644), John Winthrop’s Speech to the Massachusetts General Court (1645), the Trial of Anne Hutchinson (1637) and Roger Williams Letter to the Town of Providence (1655) one can notice the striking role religion plays both socially and
Thomas Jefferson is most closely associated with deism than any other of America’s founders. The rise of deism began during a season of new discoveries, inventions, and beliefs that challenged the social norm. Deism was influenced by the enlightenment period and was a rational, law-governed faith that believed in a world created by a “watchmaker” (Onuf). Thomas Jefferson was so involved in deism that he even created his own Bible. Deism was its strongest during the mid-seventeenth centuries through the mid-nineteenth centuries, but there are still some Deists today. Thomas Jefferson is one of the most well-known Deists because he was a founding father of a nation that seemingly had all trust and hope in a god that was worthy of praise. Deism
Government itself was based on religion in the colonies and promoted by the ministers. Ministers or preachers controlled people’s emotions and influenced what the colonists believed by stating that it was God’s purpose for them to “play a role in God’s providential plan for redemption of mankind.” After 1742, many colonists were convinced that not only were they part of God’s plan, but that the colonists could not fully do God’s purpose if they were connected with Parliament because they were not godly or
African or black history was not a study that was done by many until the last century. Studying African Americans accurately as part of American History was an even newer field of history. John Hope Franklin’s obituary calls him, “the scholar who helped create the field of African-American history and dominated it for nearly six decades.” He would call himself an historian of the American South.
Prior to Enlightenment the colonists, like the Europeans, were guided by their fear of God and rulers. They followed their church’s teachings blindly, as many of them could not read the scripture themselves. As the colonists began to educate themselves, they found that their interpretation of the readings did not always match what was preached to them in Sunday’s sermon. Even with the vamped up services and revivals during the Awakening many continued to question organized religion and separate from the Catholic Church. Many smaller denominations resulted from these breaks caused by the Awakening, leading to the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther even wrote entire doctrines based on his differences of opinion which would eventually form the basis for the Lutheran Church. The colonists also questioned the authority of their European rulers. Many believed that God himself had put their rulers in charge, but with all the political disasters and condemnation they were seeing they began to question their...
Religion was the foundation of the early Colonial American Puritan writings. Many of the early settlements were comprised of men and women who fled Europe in the face of persecution to come to a new land and worship according to their own will. Their beliefs were stalwartly rooted in the fact that God should be involved with all facets of their lives and constantly worshiped. These Puritans writings focused on their religious foundations related to their exodus from Europe and religions role in their life on the new continent. Their literature helped to proselytize the message of God and focused on hard work and strict adherence to religious principles, thus avoiding eternal damnation. These main themes are evident in the writings of Jonathan Edwards, Cotton Mathers, and John Winthrop. This paper will explore the writings of these three men and how their religious views shaped their literary works, styles, and their historical and political views.
“Religion is the backbone of evolution.” Without the cultural differences and belief systems we would not have a regulated religious base. It is evident some religions can be both alike but yet still very different. The historical William Bradford and Jonathan Edwards demonstrate this theory. William Bradford portrays more leniencies while allowing for more religious tolerance within the puritan community. With some contrasting beliefs but familiar goals, Jonathan Edwards, pursued a stricter religious background. Both of these author’s play an important role in sculpting the puritan way of life.
Now we will look at the religious views of both Franklin and Edwards. Franklin thought spirituality was not a concern. He thought man was the center of life, not God. He thought man was basically good and prudence, hard work, and frugality was what made man good, not God’s gr...
Benjamin Franklin is self-righteous and materialistic because he always took his ideas a step further compared to most of his academic peers. Franklin believed that the in bringing these new scientific and philosophical concept to the people, while philosophers were happy to argue with each other about humankind of nature. His leadership was appealed from his intellect and wit. In Poor Richard’s Almanack, Franklin’s aphorisms and sayings were about to make the colonists life that revealed some of the colonists imperfections. Franklin believed that common people had innate freedom and the people had the right to follow their destinies. Benjamin Franklin’s true nature is a man who is worried about society in general along with its treatment of
Benjamin Franklin uses analogies as an attempt to get the delegates attention. As Franklin begins to compare “most men” to “most sects in religion”, he states that people will never say they are in the wrong with their opinion. He believes that men relate to religions because most religions believe that only their religion is right, just like the delegates opinions. He also uses rhetorical devices to inform the secrecy of this meeting. “Within these walls they were born, and here they shall die”(44), Franklin states, wanting to make sure of the confidentiality. Using this device shows the importance of this meeting being
Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography was published in 1793, with the intended audience being the people of the United States, or anyone for that matter, who were interested in his thoughts, routines, or beliefs. Franklin wanted to give a unique, and almost unheard of, perception of life and its principles. Chapter three, “A Colonial Life”, of Franklin’s autobiography provides excellent insight on his opinions of religion in the colonies, and his daily routine as well. Franklin was raised as presbyterian, and as a young man, he developed opinions about the church and how it operated. Later in his life, Franklin would be defined simply as a deist. A deist is a person who believes in a supreme entity that created the world and everything in it, and rarely have connections to the church itself. Franklin believed and followed many religious-based principles, but never tied himself to one denomination. His thoughts are reflected through his words in his autobiography. He states, “I never was without some religious
The Franklin wanted the best of everything and lived for happiness to every extent. He had the finest food and wine and was obsessed with them. He was not religious. He was so obsessed with food that he had to have the finest there was and if he sis not he blamed the cook.
Benjamin Franklin is one of the most influential and famous figures of all time. Ben Franklin if often referred to as the "self-made man," and his philosophies and principles in the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, edited by Louis P. Masur, has served as a self-help book for millions around the world. Franklin's Autobiography is a prime example of the American dream, a rag to riches story that has inspired many people to think of themselves and the community in a different light. Franklin's moral and social philosophies are packed deeply into his Autobiography. Franklin believed that improving ones self was the key to success. Self-improvement, self-education, and self-discipline are the main factors of a self-made man. Improving yourself will ultimately improve the society as a whole. Franklin speaks of principality and inclination. His idea was to produce the principle man with the awareness of man's natural inclination. Throughout the text Franklin provides examples from his own life that contradicts his moral and social philosophies. These contradictions are mostly caused by natural inclinations. Franklin uses these contradictions to educate people to be aware of their natural inclinations and to try and overcome them. Franklin's realizes that improving oneself is a road with many imperfections. Not even the "self-made man" was completely perfect.
One of the many effects of Benjamin Franklin’s plan for self-improvement was his own happiness. Many people strive for perfection throughout their lives. This is essentially what Franklin was also attempting to reach, but he, like others, fell short. However, most people will feel unaccomplished when they fail to reach perfection, Franklin was not like them.“Tho’ I never arrived at the perfection