Term Paper on "Religion, More Than a Word Freedom"

Term Paper 10 pages (3223 words) Sources: 3 Style: MLA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Religion, MORE THAN a WORD

Freedom of religion, freedom of the press, and freedom of person under the protection of habeas corpus,...

These principles form the bright constellation which has gone before us, and guided our steps through an age of revolution and reformation."

Thomas Jefferson (Cited by Columbia University Press)

The Word "Religion"

The word "religion" brings to mind a mixture of conflicting words such as: bondage and freedom; darkness and light; evil and good; love and hate; war and peace. The words religion and freedom, on the other hand, as presented in the introductory quote by Thomas Jefferson: "Freedom of religion...guided our steps to an age of revolution and reformation," (Ibid) complement each other. Throughout history, men have not only used religion as a reason to begin battles, they have used religious concepts to end wars. Yinger (4) discusses a number of definitions of word "religion," pointing out that not only do a number of definitions accompany the word, but along with the numerous definitions, you're also numerous motives for the many definitions. Yinger (vii) propposes that "religion is defined as the totality of man's attempts 'to bring the relative, the temporary, the disappointing, the painful things in life into relation with what is conceived to be permanent, absolute, and cosmically optimistic.'"

Pilgrims and Puritans

The Pilgrims left England, their homeland and traveled to America in 1620, searching for religious freedom, all the while determining to secure the freedom to choose the religion they believed was best for them. Groups like the Puritans and Quakers founded America's first 13 colonies on principles of their religious beliefs. Ironically, despite their quest to escape persecution, some persecution still occurred in the colonies. (www.geocities.com/lawandabrewer_uncp"Brewer, Jaques, Jones, and King) Puritans, who traveled to Massachusetts in 1620, consisted of English Protestants who reportedly aimed "to reform and purify the Church of England of what they considered to be unacceptable residues of Roman Catholicism." (Crossing in the ocean...) During the 1620s, however, English state and church leaders began to challenge Puritan demands and insisted the Puritans conform to religious practices they hated. Many Puritan ministers who do not "reform," were removed from their offices and threatened with "extirpation from the earth." (Ibid) Puritan laymen who continued to display their religious zeal were routinely brutally punished. In 1630, one man: "was sentenced to life imprisonment, had his property confiscated, his nose slit, an ear cut off, and his forehead branded 'S.S.' (sower of sedition)." (Ibid)

Theologically, Puritans were identified as: "non-separating Congregationalists." Starting in 1630, as they sought to gain the freedom to choose how to worship God, as many as 20,000 Puritans immigrated to America from England. Although a number of the Puritans travelled to and settled in the West Indies, the majority of these individuals settled in New England. Puritans, unlike that Pilgrims, believed the Church of England, even though it needed to be reformed, constituted a true church. Each New England Congregational church, deemed an independent entity, was not accountable to any hierarchy. Initially, members of the Puritans sect consisted of men and women who experienced a spiritual conversion experience. Puritan leaders hoped that in time, England would imitate their church model.

The Puritans, however reportedly thought others ought to worship what they perceived to be the right way; the Puritan way: or in other words - their way. To help ensure their religion, Puritanism, reined in the new world, a number of individuals who did not conform were "fined, banished, whipped, and even imprisoned for not conforming to the way of the Puritans." (Ibid)

In Time

In time, the Puritans' practice of persecuting others who did not believe as they believed ended. Consequently, with the freedom to choose another religion, other religions began to evolve in America. As the Quakers settled in Pennsylvania in 1656, various religions migrated into the colonies. The Anglicans, a religious group already practicing their religion in the majority of the colonies, had been part of the nonconformist group the Puritans had persecuted. Other religious groups initially practicing in spreading their religion in America during this time included: Baptists, Roman Catholics and Protestants, along with a few some German religions. Later in time, groups of Lutherans and Presbyterians began to practice their religious beliefs. Instead of the single religion the Puritans had proposed, the diversity of religions became commonplace in colonial life. As more individuals from other countries, such as the Scotch-Irish, wanted the religious freedom found in America, more and more of them left their homelands to settle in America.

Religion in Politics the first American constitutional document, the Pilgrims drew up on the Mayflower in 1620, contained the phrase, "for the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith," as depicted in the following:

The first written constitution in the modern sense of the term, the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut (1639) asserted that the state owes its origin to "the wise disposition of the divine providence," the Bible requiring "an orderly and decent Government according to God, [to] maintain and preserve the liberty and purity of the Gospel." Massachusetts based its first New England law code (1641) on "humanity, civility and Christianity" and William Penn, framing his constitution for Pennsylvania in 1682, wrote, "Government seems to me a part of religion itself, a thing sacred in its institution."

All the early law codes and state constitutions accepted religion as the natural context of government. Indeed the emotional dynamic to the American Revolution was the first specifically American religious revival, the Great Awakening, which began in the 1730s. The first American widely known outside his own state, the first national figure, was not a politician but a preacher, George Whitefield. The Declaration of Independence itself invokes in its defense "the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God," and states that the right to "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness" exists because men were so "endowed by their Creator." Hence the new society was placed under "the Protection of Divine Providence." (Johnson)

According to Historical Records... During America's early history, religion contributed to a major part of American politics. The Cambridge Platform, established in the 1640's, part of the Puritan theology, adopted the Westminster Confession. The following Table of Contents from this document reflects its religious regime.

PREFACE

THE ORIGIN and FORMATION of the WESTMINSTER

CONFESSION of FAITH

CHAP. I. - of the Holy Scripture.

CHAP. II. - of God, and of the Holy Trinity

CHAP. III. - of God's Eternal Decree

CHAP. IV. - of Creation

CHAP. V. - of Providence

CHAP. VI. - of the Fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment thereof

CHAP. VII. - of God's Covenant with Man

CHAP. VIII. - of Christ the Mediator

CHAP. IX. - of Free-Will

CHAP. X. - of Effectual Calling

CHAP. XI. - of Justification

CHAP. XII. - of Adoption

CHAP. XIII. - of Sanctification

CHAP. XIV. - of Saving Faith

CHAP. XV. - of Repentance unto Life

CHAP. XVI. - of Good Works

CHAP. XVII. - of the Perseverance of the Saints

CHAP. XVIII. - of Assurance of Grace and Salvation

CHAP. XIX. - of the Law of God

CHAP. XX. - of Christian Liberty, and Liberty of Conscience

CHAP. XXI. - of Religious Worship, and the Sabbath Day

CHAP.XXII. - of Lawful Oaths and Vows

CHAP. XXIII. - of the Civil Magistrate

CHAP. XXIV. - of Marriage and Divorce

CHAP. XXV. - of the Church

CHAP. XXVI. - of the Communion of Saints

CHAP. XXVII. - of the Sacraments

CHAP. XXVIII. - of Baptism

CHAP. XXIX. - of the Lord's Supper

CHAP. XXX. - of Church Censures

CHAP. XXXI. - of Synods and Councils

CHAP. XXXII. - of the State of Men after Death, and of the Resurrection of the Dead

CHAP. XXXIII. - of the Last Judgment (the Westminster Confession)

During 1649, the Act Concerning Religion considered by some to be one of the greatest additions to the freedom of religion in America, was enacted. The following figure relates the first segment of the Maryland Act of Religion (1649) (Johnson):

Assembly Proceedings, April 2-21, 1649

Enacted and made at a General Sessions of the said Assembly held at St. Marys on the one and twentieth day of April Anno Dom. 1649 as followeth viz:

An Act Concerning Religion

Forasmuch as in a well governed and Christian Commonwealth matters concerning Religion and the honor of God ought in the first place to bee taken, into serious consideration and endeavoured to bee settled. Be it therefore ordered and enacted by the Right Honorable Cecilius Lord Baron of Baltimore absolute Lord and Proprietary of this Province with the advise and consent of this Generall Assembly. That whatsoever person or persons within this Province and the Islands thereunto belonging shall from henceforth blaspheme God, that is Curse him, or deny our Saviour Jesus Christ to bee the sonne of God, or shall deny the holy Trinity the father sonne and holy Ghost, or the Godhead of any of the said Three persons… READ MORE

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