John Winthrop stated an extremely fierce and vivid quote in A Model of Christian Charity, “If Americans turn away from the Christian God this nation will be punished.” I personally like this quote because my generation and the generations before me grew up saying “I pledge allegiant to the flag of the United States of American, And to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” Unfortunately, my son and his generation of children will grow up not reciting this before and during school hours due to the words, “under god.”
Growing up as a child can be difficult for most, especially once you hit your young adult ages due to others making opinions or believing in only their beliefs and not taking the time to understand others beliefs. My best friend during these years was a Menssianic Jew and these years were especially hard for her. The best way I can describe a Menssianic Jew in my words is it’s mostly a Christian whom believes in most Jewish Laws or customs. My friend being a Menssianic Jew would have to explain to the faculty and peers on why she would not be able to participate in certain plays, programs and activates during the holiday seasons. Unfortunately, in this small town school some faculty and most all peers looked down on her and treated differently as she didn’t fit in. My friend felt because she was a Menssianic Jew she was being punished at times as some teachers wouldn’t allow her to complete extra activates to subside for not being able to participate in the holiday plays, programs or activites. Some of our peers would also treat her like an outsider or make fun of her for being different. At times she was called cruel names, stared at or laughed about. ...
... middle of paper ...
...son, J. (1787). The Constitution. Retrieved from
http://idcontent.bellevue.edu/content/CAS/eBooks/Kirkpatr/Book1.pdf.
Madison, J. (1788). The Bill of Rights. Retrieved from
http://idcontent.bellevue.edu/content/CAS/eBooks/Kirkpatr/Book1.pdf.
Quotations on free thought & religion: Justice Hugo Black: Retrieved from:
http://atheism.about.com/library/quotes/bl_q_HBlack.htm
Rauchut, E.A. (2008), American Vision and Values: A Companion to the Kirkpatrick
Signature Series, Bellevue University Press
Week 4 Course Objectives & Introduction: Retrieved from:
http://idcontent.bellevue.edu/content/CAS/kss/Week%204%20American%20Values%20Introduction.pdf
Week 4 PDF Version: Retrieved from:
http://idcontent.bellevue.edu/content/CAS/eBooks/Kirkpatrick/Book2.pdf
Week 4 Required Videos Playlist: Retrieved from:
http://idcontent.bellevue.edu/content/CAS/kss/week4/
The New England colonies of Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and Maryland [Pa. and Md.are not in New England] were founded with the express purpose of dispensing of with a statechurch [not exactly. Rhode Island was “put together.” Maryland did not have a single statechurch, but the Calverts did not intend to dispense with state support of a church]. In this theydeviated not only from the other British coloes in the New World but also from their Motherlandand indeed all the civilizations of western Christendom to date. Before the founding of RhodeIsland, Pennsylvania, and Maryland these three colonies, a state without an official state churchwas inconceivable. As the Church of England evolved in Britain, the other British colonies inNorth America adopted either Congregationalism, Anglicanism, or Presbyterianism [never a statechurch in the colonies] as their own “state church.” The idea of a state without a state church wasunprecedented (Cohen 9/30).In place of the usual state church, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and Maryland adopted anew concept: “liberty of conscience.” Here, “liberty” is synonymous with “freedom.” By“conscience” our forefathers meant one's personal religious persuasion and its duties, as RogerWilliams explained to Governor John Endicott: “... I speake of Conscience, a perswasion fixed inthe minde and heart of a man, which inforceth him to judge (as Paul said of himself apersecutour) and to doe so and so, with respect to God, his worship, etc.” (Williams 340) To thefirst citizens of Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, civil “freedom of conscience” wasthe ability to live freely as a member of one's religion-that is, to perform such reli...
A Puritan lawyer, John Winthrop, immigrated to New England because his views on religion were different from those in England. Even though Puritans are Protestants, Puritans tried to purify the English Church. In 1630 on board of the Arabella on the Atlantic Ocean on way to Massachusetts, he wrote “A Model of Christian Charity” which gave his views on what a society should be. ‘…the condition of mankind, [that] in all times some must be rich, some poor, some high and eminent in power and dignity, other mean and in subjection….[Yet] we must knit together in this work as one man.’ (Doc. A). In this he is saying that men may be different but to make a new world work, they must work together. All through his speech he mentions God. For example, he opens his sermon with ‘God Almighty in his most holy and wise providence…’. This shows that in New England, the people were very religious.
By the early 1600s, the English were steadily making their way overseas to the New World in hopes of settling and prospering on foreign land. Among these were Puritans, or Protestants seeking exemption from the overbearing English Catholic Church. In his speech to the new colonists of the newly settled Massachusetts Bay Colony, John Winthrop, its Puritan governor, delivered a speech to encourage certain values and examples that new colonists should operate by in their daily lives on the settlement. He uses lines from the Bible itself to emphasize the ideal character of a colonist, constantly referring to the Lord and Christian doctrines. Winthrop’s intent to spiritually enlighten the new colonists of the Massachusetts Bay Colony is a lower
In the 2008 the United States Census Bureau, Self-Described Religious Identification of Adult Population, The Christian faith proved to be the more dominating religion out of all religions. So it would seem the words “Under God” would be beneficial for the majority, the Pledge of Allegiance allures and supports the loyalty of the majority of citizens. The nonbelievers of religion have had the right to not recite the pledge since 1943 but have been asked to quietly stand while the believers recite the pledge in its entirety. Even though leaving out “Under God” is not a difficult task we can clearly see a division has now developed, opposite of bringing the people together. Another example that shows the pledge allures and supports a loyalty to the majority of citizens, the acceptance and encouragement to keep ...
The Protestants who emigrated to America knew from experience of the negative effect the government had on religion when the two were operating together. With the mindset of creating a new perfect holy land, they decided to make sure both church and state worked separately. While Puritans still did everything they could to enforce their beliefs in New England, including exiling those who did not attend church regularly, the core idea of separation of church and state was in the minds of the people. In order to have a country that values the freedom of religion, the church has to be out of any government policy. Any laws that are created around a single church’s faith, even if the majority of the population believes in them, threaten the freedoms of all other denominations. Ame...
“...for wee must Consider that wee shall be as a Citty upon a Hill, the eies of all people are uppon us; soe that if wee shall deale falsely with our god in this worke wee have undertaken and soe cause him to withdrawe his present help from us…” Winthrop’s idea of “a City Upon a Hill,” was a model society for everyone else. It was based upon a solid Christian foundation, of serving God, being unified, and no one being better than thy neighbor. America is nothing close, nor will it ever be close to John Winthrop’s idea of “a City upon a Hill”. The citizens of America are consumed in themselves, their selfish actions have led to a corrupt nation.
In the United States, the average child goes through public funded schools that have a basic curriculum. According to the Texas Education Agency, some of the subjects include science, mathematics, social studies, English, and more. Nowhere in the subject is religion included. The basic curriculum is made in order to give students skills, knowledge, and to help develop the minds of the future. In science class, evolution is taught either briefly or detailed. It is taught because it is a popular theory that did not seem to choose a certain religion. So why believe that religion and science can be taught together? The evolution of Earth and the universe can be believed in any way an individual chooses.
The history of America actually begins in Europe, during a time of political tyranny and religious persecution, under an oppressive monarchy. Religious persecution began during the reign of King Henry VIII (1509-1547), as the king directed the establishment of a national church, and declared himself the presiding official. Subsequently (1558-1603), King Henry’s daughter, Queen Elisabeth, firmly solidified the “Church of England,” ensuring conformity of religious pursuit to the established doctrines of the Anglican Church. By the early 1600s, as the Bible became widely available to the average citizen, a public outcry demanded religious reform, and a return to less structured forms of worship. A group, labeled “Separatists,” believed the Church of England was beyond reform, and aimed to establish new congregations, basing worship, and church organization, on Biblical doc...
Until the early 1960s, religion was accepted in most public school systems across our nation. One of the main purposes for school in early America was for religious purposes (Prothero). Benjamin Franklin stated, "It is religion and morality alone which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand." Thomas Jefferson stated, "The question isn't what religion is true. The question is what religious traditions do we need to know something about in order to be an effective citizen." Something that can be beneficial to our nation should not be taken away. Even though religion offends some people, it should be allowed in public schools because of its influence on America and western civilizations, and its ability to help form closer relationships.
This quote by John Adams shows that at least one of the Founding Fathers was a firm believer in Christianity and that he thought the principles of Christianity should be used in government. Adams was not alone as a Christian man in the early years of our country. Others such as Washington stated, "While we are zealously performing the duties of good citizens and soldiers, we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of religion. To the distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian (Fairchild 1)." and Franklin who 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 (Fairchild 1).” were also obviously men of great faith.
When viewing the history of the United States of America and that of its revolution, it is plain to see that the United States owes a large amount of credence to its religious aspirations. The colonies were vibrant in religious practices. Some were more fundamentalist and some were more lax in their convictions. The one thing that was common though is that there was dissention and rebellion in their roots.
The question as to whether or not creationism should be taught in public schools is a very emotional and complex question. It can be looked at from several different angles, its validity being one of them. Despite the lack of evidence to support the fundamentalist idea of creationism, that in itself is not enough to warrant its exclusion from the curriculum of public schools in the United States. The question is far more involved and complex.
Today the controversy of the importance of Christianity to the colonists in the years preceding the American Revolution is raging. When the pilgrims moved to America, they hoped to find freedom of religion, and government. Therefore, when they left England, King James 1 wrote charters and laws for them to keep while in America. For he was technically still in charge of them, but just from afar now. One of the many charters written by the king said, “and well knowing when a people are gathered together the Word of God requires, that to maintain the peace and union of such a people, there should be an orderly and decent government established according to God, to order and dispose of the affairs of all the people at all seasons as occasions shall require; do therefore associate and conjoin ourselves to be as one public state or commonwealth, and do, for ourselves and our successors and such as shall be adjoined to us any time hereafter, enter into combination and confederation together, to maintain and preserve the liberty and purity of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus which we now profess” (fundamental orders of Conne...
“...for wee must Consider that wee shall be as a Citty upon a Hill, the eies of all people are uppon us; soe that if wee shall deale falsely with our god in this worke wee have undertaken and soe cause him to withdrawe his present help from us…” Winthrop’s idea of “a City Upon a Hill,” was a model society for everyone else. It was based upon a good Christian foundation, of serving God, and no one being better than thy neighbor. America is nothing close, nor will it ever be close to John Winthrop’s idea of “a City upon a Hill”. The citizens of this Nation are so consumed in themselves, the nation is corrupt because of their selfish actions.
Imagine what the world would be like if all schools taught religion. I think that the world would be a better place, especially if all students believed in what they were learning about. However, what if schools were forced to teach children about all religions equally? I think that it would cause a lot more confusion. People wouldn’t know which of the religions to believe in. Dan Dennette is an America philosopher, an evolutionist, and is also known as one of the “Four Horsemen of New Atheism.” Dan Dennette has been in several broadcasted debates, has received several awards for his research and understandings, and has been made more famous through his Ted Talk, called “Let’s teach religion- all religion- in schools.” In his Ted Talk he tries