Puritan View: God And Human Nature

Puritan View: God And Human Nature History is cyclical. That is the simple nature of it. There are always old ideas, traditional views of the way the world works that have been in place for a long time that are supplanted by new, radical ideas. These new ideas stay in place and become tradition until they are replaced by newer ideas and so on and so forth. That is the way of history and it is no different in the history of America. New England was born with the Puritan view of God and human nature and it stuck with that view for over a hundred years. Into this Puritan society, into a Puritan family, Benjamin Franklin was born. Benjamin Franklin did not agree with Puritans views and challenged them, with his Deist views. Deist ideas on God and human nature were vastly different than those of the Puritans, in that they disagreed on the nature of God and the afterlife which caused them to view human nature through different scopes. Deists, and for that matter Franklin, did not believe in the God of the Christians (or of Jesus being the Messiah). They believed in God as a creator, or as Franklin refers to him a First Mover and Maker of the Universe (Franklin, 6). The belief was that God created the universe with its many laws and then simply let it run by itself, a belief which Franklin shared. The Deist God was all-wise, all-good, [and] all powerful (Franklin, 6). Franklin believed that because God was all-powerful that there can be nothing either existing or acting in the Universe against or without his consent (Franklin, 6). Franklin furthered this thought with the belief that if it was true, and what he consents to must be good, because He is good; therefore Evil doth not exist (Franklin, 6). Franklin addressed a possible counterargument against this belief, one that might say things like murder of theft are inherently evil. Franklin counters this by saying to suppose any Thing to exist or be done, contrary to the Will of the Almighty, is to suppose him not almighty (Franklin, 6). Furthermore, if these acts are of God and God is all-good, then these things are inherently good. Puritans believed God to be intimately involved in their lives, punishing them and rewarding them as they sinned and did good respectively. The Puritan view of God was of a very judgmental God who used both wrath and mercy as He saw fit. Wigglesworth refers God being a judge several times in his poem. When Mary Rowlandson was taken captive by the Native Americans, she believed God was punishing her for not going to church and other sins and that it was righteousà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [for] God to cut off the thread of [her] life, and cast [her] out of his presence for ever (Rowlandson, 3). Upon reading a Bible given to her by one of her captors, Rowlandson found There was mercy promised again, if we would return to him by repentance (Rowlandson, 5). This is the way most Puritans viewed their lives: in terms of what they did to please and anger God. John Dane attributed each trouble he encountered, such as an allergic reaction to a wasp sting and palsy, to Gods retribution for sins he had co mmitted. He then says that when he did reform It pleased God in a short time to ease [him]à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and [he] stood in awe of Gods judgments (Dane, 4). Puritans did what they could to please God, and accepted His punishment when they sinned. Yet, Puritans believed that deep down they were all evil and only a few of them would be truly redeemed. The Deist Franklin did not believe that God created an afterlife for human beings, which is to say he did not believe in Heaven or Hell. Franklin instead believed in pleasure and pain; pain being the misfortunes and sorrows in life and pleasure being the satisfaction of the desire to be free from pain. Franklin believed that pleasure and pain are in balance in life and that one could not exist without the other. He believed that pleasure was wholly caused by Pain and, by his definition of pleasure, therefore pleasure must be equal, or in exact proportion to pain (Franklin, 7). Franklin really stresses this balance of pleasure and pain. He perceives a possible counterargument against this belief as well. Such an argument might object that there is no such balance in life because it is easy to see people who live their whole lives in misery and pain and die without ever being relieved of this pain. Franklin counters this by saying that no one can be proper Judges of the good or bad For tune of Others (Franklin, 8), which is to say that the balance of pleasure and pain is individualistic, and no one can say that was causes him or her pain causes anyone else pain. Franklin furthers this by saying that even if a person lives their whole life in pain, the receive release, and therefore pleasure, from this pain when they die. He says, Pain, though exquisite, is not so to the last moments of lifeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and tis quite an exquisite Pleasure to behold the immediate Approaches of Rest (Franklin, 8). In the end, there will be a balance of pleasure and pain. Franklin sees that as there is this balance, there is no need for an afterlife. One would not need heaven to make up for earthly pains, as they would have been balanced out in life. Puritans believed fiercely in Heaven and Hell, and that God had created both places of afterlife. God predestined everyones fate, and chose only a select few to be saved and spend eternity in Heaven. Most people were damned to spend eternity in Hell because of Original Sin. Thomas Shepard said, Your best duties are tainted, poisoned, and mingled with sin (Wigglesworth, 4). Thus, because of Original Sin no human action could be inherently good; and he went on to say your good duties can not save you, yet your bad works will damn you (Wigglesworth, 4). It was only by Gods grace that a person could be saved. The pain one experienced on earth was punishment for sin, and only received relief if they were chosen by God to go to Heaven. According to Wigglesworth, the greatest relief of Heaven is that saints are made sinless and finally do not have to fear forfeiting Gods love (Wigglesworth, 4). Puritans believed that the people who went to Hell deserved it, even so much as Wigglesworth desc ribes a father learning of his son being sent to Hell and says he doth rejoyce to hear Christs voice/ adjudging him to pain (Wigglesworth, 4). Puritans accepted the fact that most of them would be condemned to Hell. Because Franklins God was all-good, everything created was all-good, and there was no afterlife, he viewed life (specifically human nature) differently than most people. It allowed Franklin to believe that human beings were naturally good-natured and to place importance on the mortal life. Thus, Franklin believed in the importance of self-improvement and virtue without God demanding a need for it. Franklin believed that anyone could improve their station, both economically and morally. Franklin even said hed formd most of [his] ingenious acquaintance into a club of mututal improvement which [they] called the JUNTO (Franklin, 10). In Franklins words, this club was designed to discuss Morals, Politics, or Natural Philosophy (science)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [with the] sincere spirit of inquiry after truth (Franklin, 10). Franklin truly believed that people could grasp their purpose in life by pondering these things and thereby better themselves. Yet, perhaps the most important concept Franklin came up with in regards to human nature were his thirteen virtues. Franklins thirteen virtues were temperance, silence, order, resolution, frugality, industry, sincerity, justice, moderation, cleanliness, tranquility, chastity, and humility (Franklin, 12-13). In this, one can see how Franklin placed value on virtue outside of a religious need for it. Franklin said that in these virtues there is no mark of any of the distinguishing tenets of any particular sect. [He] had purposely avoided themà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [so] that it might be serviceable to people in all religions (Franklin, 15). Franklin said his virtues were in every ones interestà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ who wished to be happy even in this world (Franklin, 15).For Franklin, the mortal life was all one had and it was ones duty as a human being to become morally perfect and achieve ones fullest potential. Puritans had a completely different take on human nature, formed from their belief about God and the afterlife. To Puritans, human beings were naturally evil and they placed heavy importance on the afterlife. Dane was so convinced of his evil nature, he thought that it was a greater evil to live and sin against God than to kill [himself] (Dane, 6). The mortal life was about living in ways to please God or else risk his wrath and punishment. The Puritan life was centered solely on God because of his intimate involvement in their life. Dane puts it as Beating my thoughts on Gods infinite love took such an impression of my heart as that I thought I could do anything for God or suffer anything for God (Dane, 7). Dane warns that if one does not live their life like this they will bring sorrow and affliction on [their] heads and heartsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ to their great grief and sorrow (Dane, 7). It was not by their own hands that they could make themselves better, only by Gods providence. Bec ause Puritans accepted that most of them would go to Hell, it was their responsibility in the mortal life to do all they could to please God. At the same time, those predestined to be saved had the same responsibility or else risk eternal damnation. Yet most Puritans did not know what fate awaited them, so all had to live as if they were among the saved. The Deist Franklins God was all-good and did not create an afterlife, therefore it was human nature to be good and live their mortal life to its fullest potential. The Puritan God was intimately involved in their lives, judged them harshly for misdeeds, and eternally damned most of them. Therefore, it was human nature to be evil and sin and they had to live their lives by what God wanted in the hope that they were the ones God had chosen to save. It was because of their differing views on God that cause Franklin and Puritans to have such a different view on human nature.

Drowsy Chaperone

The Drowsy Chaperone The Drowsy Chaperone is an interesting show that was performed from October 31st to November 4th at Westminster College. The show is a parody of people in the 1920’s. The story revolves around a middle aged man in a chair who is a theatre fan who plays his favorite record for the audience to hear. The record is The Drowsy Chaperone and from start to finish the audience is in for a unique experience within this play. This play is comedic, upbeat and has a heartwarming story.The whole show mainly focuses on the relationship between the glamorous show girl Janet Van De Graaff and the handsome, poised Robert Martin; the main characters of the show in Westminster’s productions were played by Hannah Timm and Ian Davis. They did an extraordinary job in all of their appearances. Being involved in The Drowsy Chaperone was a special experience for me. This was the first show that I had speaking lines in, acted and performed in and was involved in helping with the construction and deconstruction of the set pieces. I have been involved in musicals and theatrical productions for six years now.Within those six years this year the year I was involved in The Drowsy Chaperone by far was my favorite production. This is due to the fact that I was highly involved in different aspects of the show. I greatly enjoyed being involved within the production of The Drowsy Chaperone as much as I was. I believe by being highly involved within the production of The Drowsy Chaperone, it has given me a better perspective to the work involved other than acting into developing a show. There is a ton of the work that goes into developing a play and I was always highly aware of this.However, now I am much more aware about the set design and it makes me appreciate the actual show much more because of it. At times I thought things were unnecessary when we were producing the set pieces for example the day when we would paint all of the trim multiple times in various colors. First we painted the molding in a bright yellow, then a light brown then dark brown also, an orange glaze may have been added if I remember correctly. I did not understand the point in painting the molding so many times. I vaguely remember thinking we should just have bought dark brown paint and just used that.I was thinking it would save us a lot more time and we could move onto a different more important project. Now, I understand that everything is important when producing a set this includes the smaller details. By repainting the molding numerous times it added depth to the wood. This helped add to the overall look to the set. Every minor detail is important even if it seems unnecessary at the time it reality it is important. Once the whole set was built and completely done I understood why so much time and effort was devoted to the set and how important the minor details were.I have been in numerous productions in the theatre since middle school. I always knew that tim e was devoted into producing a set; however, I did not have a deep appreciation for the set. My opinion has changed drastically since being involved in the production of The Drowsy Chaperone. By being involved with in the construction process and set design I now have a better understanding of what it entails. The set pieces tell their own story within the actual show. Everything that is designed and placed within a set has a purpose.There is a reason as to why it is placed and a reason to why it was designed in the first place. I learned numerous things while working on the set. Some of these things were; learning how to use the power tools, panting techniques, how to putty, building and helping construct certain objects. I had the pleasure of working on various projects I worked on the following things; constructing a door, painting the walls, painting the molding, helping construct the bed, working on the refrigerator, helping hang the mirror, helping hang the curtains, painting the statute pieces, helping with the windows.When the opening night of the show came I became nervous for the audience to see the sets and backdrops, this was the first time that this had ever happened to me. , The Drowsy Chaperone is a unique show that is revolved around the 1920’s. Westminster College did a production of the show this year. The performers within the show did a memorable job. I enjoyed being involved within this show because I was involved in other things besides acting. The time and dedication to put on the show and the effort of the performers, workers, and faculty is shown. The Drowsy Chaperone is truly a memorable experience.

The Pain of How to Write an Essay about Yourself for a Job

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Alice Dunbar-Nelson Harlem Renaissance Figure

Born in New Orleans, Alice Dunbar-Nelsons light-skinned and racially-ambiguous appearance gave her entrance into associations across racial and ethnic lines. Career Alice Dunbar-Nelson graduated from college in 1892, and taught for six years, editing the womans page of a New Orleans paper in her free time. She began publishing her poetry and short stories at age 20. In 1895 she began a correspondence with Paul Laurence Dunbar, and they first met in 1897, when Alice moved to teach in Brooklyn. Dunbar-Nelson helped found the White Rose Mission, a home for girls and when Paul Dunbar returned from a trip to England, they were married. She left her school position so they could move to Washington, DC. They came from very different racial experiences. Her light skin often allowed her to pass while his more African appearance kept him out where she was able to enter. He drank more heavily than she could tolerate, and he also had affairs. They also disagreed about writing: she denounced his use of black dialect. They fought, sometimes violently. Alice Dunbar-Nelson left Paul Dunbar in 1902, moving to Wilmington, Delaware. He died four years later. Alice Dunbar-Nelson worked in Wilmington at Howard High School, as a teacher and administrator, for 18 years. She also worked at State College for Colored Students and Hampton Institute, directing summer classes. In 1910, Alice Dunbar-Nelson married Henry Arthur Callis, but they separated the next year. She married Robert J. Nelson, a journalist, in 1916. In 1915, Alice Dunbar-Nelson worked as a field organizer in her region for womans suffrage. During World War I, Alice Dunbar-Nelson served with the Womens Commission on the Council of National Defense and the Circle of Negro War Relief. She worked in 1920 with the Delaware Republican state committee and helped found the Industrial School for Colored Girls in Delaware. She organized for anti-lynching reforms and served 1928-1931 as executive secretary of the American Friends Inter-Racial Peace Committee. During the Harlem Renaissance, Alice Dunbar-Nelson published numerous stories and essays in Crisis, Opportunity, Journal of Negro History, and Messenger.