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The role of religion in the development of a society
Ben franklin influence on america
Ben franklin influence on america
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The men who founded America were men with deep religious beliefs and a firm faith in God. They based their actions and decisions on what the Bible teaches, and used God’s laws to write the laws of our nations. Benjamin Franklin once said “Here is my Creed. I believe in one God, the Creator of the Universe. That He governs it by His Providence. That He ought to be worshipped…as to Jesus of Nazareth, my opinion of whom you particularly desire, I think the system of morals and his religion, as he left them to us, is the best the world ever saw, or is likely to see.” (Franklin, Founding Faith Archive). His statement was not only indicative of his beliefs, but of the beliefs of the rest of the founding fathers. They believed that a successful country was built upon principles laid out in the Bible by God, and that ultimately, the “ideal society” could be formed if everyone adhered to the guidelines established throughout the word of God. While these men were not deities that served as any sort of moral standard, they did serve as Godly influences. Their belief that the guidelines for a successful country were written in the Bible ultimately led to these men laying the foundation for one of the most dominant societies this world has ever seen.
In the past few years, America has been becoming more and more liberal with its stance on various issues. We are changing laws and practices that have long been in place, and while some view it as progressive, others view it as morally wrong. By encouraging changes in practices that were established with a Biblical mindset, America has begun to subtly alienate the Christian. Although America is still a land where individuals are free to practice their faith freely, it is becoming harder to display...
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Without respect, intolerance will continue to exist. If we do not respect each other, we cannot hope to work together to build a pluralistic society. Continued intolerance will only result in people changing their beliefs and values in order to be accepted, much like how Christians have begun to change their faith and beliefs. The type of society where people are forced to change in order to be respected is unacceptable. We must work to reverse the trend of intolerance against the Christian before it develops into a more serious issue. As we do this though, we must examine all groups to ensure that something beneficial to one group does not cause something detrimental to another. While this is a difficult task to undertake, it is necessary if we are to ever develop a truly pluralistic society that is respectful of not only the Christian, but of everyone.
On July 4, 1776 the Declaration of Independence was signed. The thirteen colonies were no longer under King George III rule. It was a new world that needed a new type of leadership. On July 12, 1776 the Second Congress proposed the Articles of Confederation. The articles were ratified by all thirteen states on March 1, 1781.
Robert Laurence Moore has written a delightful, enlightening, and provocative survey of American church history centered around the theme of "mixing" the "sacred" with the "secular" and vice versa. The major points of conversation covered include the polarization caused by the public display of religious symbols, the important contribution that women and Africans have made to the American religious mosaic, the harmony and friction that has existed between science and religion, the impact of immigration on religious pluralism, and the twin push toward the union and separation of religion and politics.
The post-revolutionary war period of the Unites States saw the establishment of the first party system and an enlarging gap in viewpoints between the wealthy and the common man. The contradictory views of Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson were primarily responsible for the rise of political parties from 1783-1800.
George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were two important men who affected our nations independence and the beginning years of our country. They helped form this nation into a free and sovereign country. Yet, they were different in many aspects they shared a few common features. Both Washington and Jefferson grew up in the southern state of Virginia and like most owned land to grow and harvest crops. In growing up they came from two different class levels of living. The Jefferson family was more famous and richer than Washington’s giving him a greater advantage and opportunity to succeed, especially in higher education. After Jefferson finished regular schooling he was able to attend the College of William and Mary were he studied law. He did so under the teaching of George Wthe who was considered perhaps the greatest teachers of law in Virginia at the time. Washington however was taught by his mom mainly in mathematics and received no higher education. Washington was still knowledgeable and began to put it to use in the army to become as a young British soldier. He interred the army at the young age of nineteen were he began to learn leadership and military strategy which would prove useful in the Revolutionary War to come. Jefferson on the other hand was involved in the laws, courts, and small politics. At the young age of twenty-five Jefferson was elected to the House of Burgesses in Virginia were he served for five years. Washington was known for his great motivational speeches that would rally troops together to prepare for war and lead on to victory. Jefferson was more of a writer not a speaker and by using his skill he wrote and brought forth fresh ideas of independence and freedom.
Thomas Jefferson was born in 1743 in Virginia (Whitehouse.gov, n.d., para. 2). He came from a rich family, which afforded him to be very well educated. Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence; served as minister of France, governor of Virginia, secretary of state during George Washington’s presidency, and vice-president under John Adams (Thomas Jefferson, n.d., para. 1.) He was also the third president of the United States. Jefferson was an avid opponent of royal ruling and the suppression of individual’s rights, “…I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man” (Whitehouse.gov, n.d., para. 1).
There were many men involved in the establishment of the government, the laws regulating states and people, and individual rights in the construction of the United States of America. Two men stand out as instrumental to our founding principles: Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton.
Thomas Paine was one of the great supporters of the American Revolution. He was a journalist and used his pen and paper to urge the public to break free from Great Brittan. He wrote anonymously, yet addressed the public as he spoke out about his beliefs. The first pamphlet he published, influencing independence from Brittan, was called Common Sense
New brands of distinctly American Christianity began developing early in the country’s history. Before the revolution, George Whitefield set the stage for American religious movements. The most important factor that helped launch these movements was the American Revolution. The country was ripe with conversation and action on a new understanding of freedom. The revolution “expanded the circle of people who considered themselves capable of thinking for themselves about issues of … equality, sovereignty, and representation” (6). The country was beginning to move toward an understanding of strength lying in the common people, and the people’s ability to make their own personal decisions on issues of leadership and authority. There was a common belief that class structure was the major societal problem. The revolution created the an open environment that pushed equality of the individual, allowing political and religious beliefs to flourish and grow without being held in check by authoritarian leaders.
The United States of America was formed by many president's of our time. One of these very influential presidents was George Washington. Courageous, smart and firm. The "founding father" has influenced many people today. He was a commander in chief of the forces during the Revolutionary War, chairman of the convention that wrote the Constitution, and the very first president. He has made very important decisions that still influence our country today.
America today still maintains the separation of church and state, an idea that was founded by some of the earliest colonists.... ... middle of paper ... ... William Penn, Quaker and founder of Pennsylvania, soon after wrote the Pennsylvania Charter of Privileges and Liberties, a constitution for the colony of Pennsylvania, which enabled the people to freely practice their religion of choice without fear of government punishment. American colonies were clearly established with the intent to all live together with Christian beliefs, but with so many interpretations and versions of the same religious scripture, freedom to practice whichever adaptation feels right became most important in colonial life. And as a safe haven for those who were persecuted in their home countries, America truly flourished as a place for the religiously tolerant.
Both the Federalists, those promoting a strong central government, and the Anti-federalists, those believing that liberties including the right of self-rule would be protected best by preservation of local self-government, agreed that arms and liberty were in no doubt linked. The first discussion in which these views were articulated occurred in the context of Article 1, section 8 of the Constitution concerning the powers of Congress to raise a standing army and its power over the militia. As initially proposed, Congress was to be provided the power to raise armies. Objections were raised that there was no check against standing armies in time of peace. The debate focused on how to avoid the dangers of a standing army; there was no dispute that a standing army posed a significant threat to the liberty of the people. The dilemma was that some type of national army would be necessary in time of war, but the results of waiting until war occurred to raise a national army could be disastrous.
In the year 1789, was the beginning of a great country. On that year, George Washington became the first president of this nation. Washington alone has created multiple precedents that has become common practice used today. This nation has not been created alone by one man, but rather seven others. These key individuals were later identified as the Founding Fathers. There are too many things to list what each Father did, but what I can do is talk about three great members that made a memorable change in the beginning of our nation. George Washington, John Adams, and Alexander Hamilton are three people who have made the most remarkable additions made to our new country. As a result, these three Founding Fathers contributed the foundation of the United States of America.
On April 30, 1789, George Washington became the United Stated of America first president. When he took the oath he asked that the Bible be opened to Deuteronomy 28 and after the oath he added, “So help me God.” (1)This is only one example in my opinion of how I believe our nation was founded on Christian principles. The nation’s capital is filled with religious monuments and religious imagery yet, we as a nation look to these structures as a political homage.
No other independent enlightenment in the world allows individual independence to the United States of America. American courts, especially the Supreme Court, have improved a set of lawful policies that comprehensively shelter all types of the power of appearance. When it comes to appraising the level to which people take benefit of the occasion to convey believes, many members of culture can be accountable for misusing the boundary of the First Amendment through openly offending others through racism or obscenity (Karen O’Connor & Larry J. Sabato 2006). America is what it is because of the Bill of rights and the Constitution of the United States of America. The ratification of the Constitution warranted that religious dissimilarity would continue to develop in the United States. American has enhanced a different nature toward the power of word throughout history.
In the book, Vanishing Grace, Phillip Yancey seeks to explore and understand what has caused a dramatic plunge in the favorable impression of Christianity. He seeks to understand why Christians stir up such hostile feelings, and what, if anything, we should do about it. Yancey’s thesis is that hostile feelings, and a plunge in general perceptions and attitudes about Christian stems from a lack of grace. Yancey decided to write this book after viewing survey results from George Barna. As he states, “A few telling statistics jumped off the page. In 1996, 85 percent of Americans who had no religious commitment still viewed Christianity favorably. Thirteen years later, in 2009, only 16 percent of young ‘outsiders’ had a favorable impression of Christianity, and just 3 percent had a good impression of evangelicals.” Throughout the book, Yancey uses interactions with a book club that he belongs to in Colorado. The members of the club are a potpourri of religious and social