Who Was Benjamin Franklin Religion Essay

Who Was Benjamin Franklin Religion Essay Benjamin Franklins ideas on God and human nature were significantly different from the puritan norm at the time.   While Franklin saw God as a good and wise creator, the puritans feared Him as an almighty being.   The puritans saw human nature as the ultimate conduit for sin, while Franklin believed that humans as products of God were good at heart.   Franklin believed in a God discrete from both mans activity on earth and the puritan ideal of who He was, and in humans not as slaves to sin and redemption, but as masters of their own destiny. Puritanism was a very widely held belief system in the early colonies. A direct descendant of Calvinism, Puritanism had strong roots among a vast number of the colonists throughout early American settlements. As a sect of Christianity, they believed in the bible as the word of God, and Jesus as Gods son. It was common for puritans of the time to fear God and look at all misfortune that befell them as punishment for their sins. And as it struck my hand, so it struck my heart; for I suddenly rose up and went into a wood; and there I cried bitterly, and now concluded that God, God had found me out. (Dane, 4) The puritan God can almost be seen as a tyrannical leader; one who strikes fear into the hearts of His subjects, yet demands their love and respect. Franklins semi-present creator-God was distinctly different from that of the punishing overseer of the puritans. Franklin was one of few deists at the time. It is said that had he published his deism tract thirty years earlier, he would have risked imprisonment and execution in the British Empire. The norms of the time, the puritans, were an overwhelming majority. The puritan God was always there, always watching over his creations. As John Dane repeated from his mother, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Go where you will, God he will find you out. (Dane, 2) The puritans spent their lives with the ever present notion of Gods wrath hanging over their shoulders. Franklins God was not the same entity. He was the creator, and that to Franklin was as far as His relationship with man went. God did not inspire man to write the books of the bible, nor did he send His Son to die on a cross for mans sin. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦after doubting by turns of several pointsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I began to doubt of Revelation itself . (Franklin, 5) Franklins God gave man life and free will, and then gave him the reigns to control his own destiny. The puritan conception of human nature was based on the idea of original sin. Original sin is a term used to describe the bibles story of Adam and Eve eating the fruit from the tree of good and evil under temptation of Satan. Puritans believed that because of this original sin, humans are all inherently corrupt and impure of mind; because man is born into sin, it is impossible for him to escape it. Your best duties are tainted, poisoned, and mingled with some sin, and therefore are most odious in the eyes of a holy God. (Wigglesworth, 4) In the eyes of the church, the only redeeming quality of human nature was that they themselves were made by God. They were obedient to God and His word because they were afraid of his punishment. The only hope the puritans had in life was that they might be chosen in Gods eyes as worthy of redemption. Franklin saw the nature of humans in a very different light. While he did look to God for wisdom and insight, he believed that man could be good without God. He came to this conclusion not with religion, but with intellect and logic. He created a list of thirteen virtues that he believed could bring a man to moral perfection. These too were not created with any particular religious sect in mind, but rather with the idea that all people could better themselves through them. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦that vicious actions are not hurtful because they are forbidden, but forbidden because they are hurtful, the nature of man alone consideredà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Franklin, 15) He believed that evil or morally wrong actions were wrong, not because God said so, but because they were hurtful to humanity. Human nature by itself was not corrupt, and it was possible for a man to be truly good. Franklins beliefs on human nature were different in many ways than that of the puritans. While the puritans saw man as essentially evil from conception, Franklin saw man as able to create his own destiny. While both parties believed in God as being important to the life of men, Franklin saw his importance as more of a guide, and less as a strict path like that of the puritans. The Puritans had only one way to achieve completion in life; to earn Gods redemption. Franklin believed that as man tried to be a better person, he was achieving his destiny in life. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦tho I never arrived at the perfection I had been so ambitious of obtainingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I was, by the endeavor, a better and happier man than I otherwise should have been if I had not attempted ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Franklin, 14) The puritans did not believe this was the case, as good works to them meant nothing if God did not give favor. Your good duties cannot save you, yet your bad works will damn you. (Wiggleswort h, 4) The separate parties idea of human nature was directly affected by their respective ideas of God. The puritans believed in a God that was almighty and all encompassing. They thought of themselves as unworthy beasts without purpose, and only with the favor of God did they have any chance of happiness on this earth or after it. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦everyone sinned in Adam and everyone deserves eternal deathà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Wigglesworth, 4) Franklin saw a God that was less involved in the lives of men. He put much more emphasis on the worth of a persons works and endeavors, and less on whether or not this person had been chosen by God. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦there was in [my scheme] no mark of any of the distinguishing tenants of any particular sect. I had purposely avoided themà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ that it might be serviceable to people of all religionsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Franklin, 15) Both groups ideals were founded in belief, and were distinctly different because of the differences in the belief of each re spective God. As much as the puritan ideals were similar to that of the deist Benjamin Franklin, the differences of each faith is what defines them. Franklin believed in a God based in logic, while the puritans God was founded in faith and tradition. From this belief in separate Gods, separate belief in human nature arose; the puritans believing in Human nature as evil and Franklin believing in it as independent and just. Franklin found that the path to righteousness could be obtained through good works that bettered humanity; while the puritans believed that only strict adherence to the guidelines set forth by God could bring salvation. Each point of view has its own foundations and each gives historians a different yet equally relevant perspective on life in the early American colonies.

Day the Earth Stood Still

Ill never forget the day the earth stood still. It was as if the planet’s entire population had conspired against me to formulate the most detrimental plan that would forever change my life. In fact, it still seems like just yesterday Becky and I were walking on the beach hand in hand with that new relationship glow in our eyes. We were always a great team. A modern day Bonnie and Clyde it seemed like. But as the saying goes, things are never what they appear to be. The first time Becky and I considered one another an item, it seemed weird because we had always grown up best friends. We had never intended to be more than that but after spending countless hours together, we began to realize that our friendship started to develop into something more. At first, things were going really well. She was always really adamant about spending as much with me as possible, and we were always together. We would sit around my house and watch movies as we ate popcorn and acted like your typical adolescent couple. The only difference was this wasn’t puppy love to me, this was the real thing. Unfortunately after about a year, things progressively slowed down and our â€Å"newlywed† antics eventually died out. Things just didn’t seem as exciting as they used to be. Although we still hung out all the time, Becky started to drift. Her calls became more infrequent and her monotone voice provided a clear indication that she just didn’t feel the same anymore. Even still, we tried to fight through it and after a while things got somewhat better. It was only a few months later that our relationship went sour again. No matter how hard I tried, my best was just never good enough. Everything became an argument and it seemed like Becky and I had gone from being perfectly compatible, to mixing like oil and water. It’s sad to say, but I must have been blinded by all of the â€Å"I love you† and â€Å"you’re the only one I ever want to be with† comments because I became completely oblivious to what was occurring literally right under my nose. One night, I decided I would surprise Becky at her house after she got out of work. My plan was to sneak through her window, light up several candles throughout her room, and set a romantic tone for the evening. I called her several times and strangely, she didn’t pick up. Becky always worked late as the head waitress at Hooters, and she would always show up to my house dead tired from working so much. I figured she was probably just really busy and wasn’t able to answer her phone. Either way, I decided that I would go to her house about an hour prior to her getting out of work to ensure that I wouldn’t let her spoil the surprise in the event she came home early. I decided that I would go in through the back entrance of her complex, and park my car behind her building to avoid being spotted. I pulled in and began looking around for parking spaces that Becky wouldn’t drive by. As I pulled around the left side of the three story white building, I noticed something extremely odd. Becky’s car was parked in a guest parking spot. Not only was it parked in such a strange location, but it was sitting on the complete opposite side of her apartment. That’s when a feeling shot through my blood, and a voice within me began to tell me that something wasn’t right. I began creeping along side the building watching my every step to make sure I didn’t make any noise. I tried to look through her window but her blinds were down and the light was off. I walked slowly to the front door and turned the golden handle. I’ll never forget the sound of the door as I cracked it open slowly. It was so loud and blatant it seemed like the next door neighbors could have heard it. Luckily for me though, nobody did. I tip-toed to the door and put my ear up against it, only to hear the sounds that any man would pay to never have to listen to. I stormed through the door only to find Becky in bed with one of my co-workers who was also my best friend. I stood there speechless. I don’t think that anyone can fathom the feeling that runs through you when something like that happens. It’s not so much the actual sight of it that really made me feel like I had been treated so unfairly, it was the â€Å"it’s not what it looks like† and â€Å"let me explain† comments that did it. After I stood there with a smirk that would have made the devil cringe, I politely excused myself, told them I was sorry, and walked back to my car. Oddly enough, it would have been a lot easier to burst open the door, yell, scream, and really let them know how unfairly I had been treated by both of them. But what was the point? Once I left, they would go back to what they were doing and I would look like complete fool. Instead, I decided to be the bigger person, change my number, and let Karma do the rest.

Essay on John Herseys Hiroshima - 723 Words

John Herseys Hiroshima In John Herseys Hiroshima, he based his book upon the one perspective that, the bombing of Hiroshima was an act of inhumanity. What Hersey failed to do was to give the perspective of the Americans. Hersey did not account for the Pearl Harbor bombing of 1941 or the death march in the Japanese Bataan Camps in 1942. Without giving both perspectives, Hersey does not give the reader a fair chance to form their own opinion; instead, the reader is swayed into Herseys bias beliefs of the event. Herseys Hiroshima was originally an article written for The New Yorker Magazine in order to help a reader identity with deceased and survivors of the Hiroshimas bombing (The New Yorker). He accomplished this by†¦show more content†¦One scientist from the Manhattan Project, the creators of the atomic bomb, in response to Herseys article in the New Yorker wrote, I am filled with such shame to recall the whoopee spirit, at the announcement of bombing Hiroshima (The New Yorker). This type of reaction, after reading Herseys vivid work on the Hiroshima bombing, is understandable and expected. What Hersey failed to do was to give the other perspective, of why America took these actions against Hiroshima? The two major historic events that Hersey failed to mention were the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the death march at the Bataan Camps. These two instances show the attacks that Japan made against America. December 7, 1941, Japan performed a surprise attack on America at Pearl Harbor. According to Japanese feudal code of honor, the idea of a surprise is recommended and it raises no moral problems (Sulzberger 146). During Japans attack, they broke the seal of trust. Japans Ambassador and Diplomatic agent were in Washington pretending to have been seeking a negotiated settlement between the two countries (Sulzberger 146). America lost over 3,000 service men from this bombing. This type of betrayal could only cause anger and determination to strike back. The death march at the Japanese Bataan Camp, of April 1942, Japanese officers enslaved about 75,000 men, 12,000 of which were American soldiers (Bergamini 1168). The soldiers were forced to march sixty miles withShow MoreRelated John Herseys Hiroshima Essay623 Words   |  3 PagesJohn Herseys Hiroshima John Herseys Hiroshima is a factual account about the day the United States government dropped the first atom bomb on the city of Hiroshima, Japan. John interviewed six survivors and reported their stories in a factual but interesting fashion. He gives a brief description of each person and tells of his or her daily activities both before and after the explosion. Herseys descriptions of people and events give the reader a feeling of actually being at theRead MoreSignificance Of History Lessons And Education About Historical Events1727 Words   |  7 PagesHIROSHIMA   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is often said that history has a common tendency of repeating itself; thus, the significance of history lessons and education about historical events. There are some past events like drought or war that people do not wish to see happen again. One such event is the dropping of the first atomic bomb over the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the Pearl Harbor attack by the Japanese. After the attack on their land, the United States of America sought to put an end to theRead MoreThe Benefits of Dropping an Atomic Bomb on Japan Essay1279 Words   |  6 Pagesis no way of life.† On August 6, 1945 the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, a small city whose death toll rises to 90,000-166,000. 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Pronouncing the N in Spanish

The n of Spanish has three sounds, which are determined by the sound that follows. Two of the sounds of n commonly appear in English in much the same way, and the third one does occasionally. The most common sound for the n is similar to the n in words such as nice and dance. For Spanish speakers, the tongue may be a bit farther forward than what it is for many English speakers, at the top of the teeth rather than on the ridge between the teeth and the roof of the mouth. When the n is followed by an m or p, it has the same sound as the m. This phenomenon occurs in a few English words during casual speech. One of them is input, which is often pronounced the way that imput would be. Since the n is pronounced as an m when an m follows it, in effect the n becomes silent. Thus, for example, inmigracià ³n is pronounced the same as if the word were imigracià ³n. You might observe that many English cognates of Spanish words where the n has the m use the m in the English version. For example, à ©nfasis is the equivalent of emphasis and inmenso is the equivalent of immense. Note that the following sound doesnt have to be in the same word as the n, only pronounced immediately afterward. So con permiso is pronounced the same as compermiso would be. This running of words together, where the sounds of one word affect those of another, is known as elision. The third sound of the n occurs when it is followed by the k or hard  g sounds. Note that the k sound can be spelled using qu or with a c that is not followed by an i or e. The sound in these cases is much the same as in English when the n is followed by the same sounds, in words such as single or sink. Note that in these words the tongue doesnt touch the front of the mouth, and the sound comes from the back of the mouth as it prepares to pronounce the following sound. Thus the n of bank and the n of banco are similar. In our brief ​audio lesson on the n sound you can hear the phrases buenos dà ­as (good morning), lo siento mucho (Im very sorry), con permiso (excuse me), encantado de conocerla (pleased to meet you), and the word inglà ©s (English). The sound of the n should not be confused with the sound of the à ±, which is a separate letter of the Spanish alphabet.