A Scientific Understanding of God

On the contrary, writings ... ... middle of paper ... ...een altered since then. In conclusion, the advancement of these three philosophies from the theological Puritan views to the great scientific and reason ideals of the Enlightenment showed how a reform of beliefs and ideas resulted in the progressively modern ethics that our society is based on today. Scientific reasoning of the world ignited ideas that the ignorant society of the Puritans was immensely closed-minded about. These ideas gave way to how we explain how things happen through the use of science and reasoning. Though Puritans saw that this great reform was a blasphemy against God, the Enlightenment expanded different beliefs of religion which furthered societies intellect and understanding of religion.

On the contrary, writings from Enlight... ... middle of paper ... ...n, the advancement of these three philosophies from the theological Puritan views to the great scientific and reason ideals of the Enlightenment showed how a reform of beliefs and ideas resulted in the progressively modern ethics that our government is based on today. Scientific reasoning of the world ignited ideas that the ignorant society of the Puritans was immensely closed-minded about which gave way to how we explain how things happen through the use of science and reasoning. Though Puritans saw that this great reform was a blasphemy against God, the Enlightenment expanded different beliefs of religion which furthered societies intellect and understanding of religion. The social awakening of the arts help pave the way for entertainment we have today, and if not for this great “awakening” of knowledge our society would be far less advanced than we are today.

There were many causes that led to the American Revolution, some include economic situations, discontent with autocratic rule, and political changes in the British colonies. A major factor in the start of the revolution was the French and Indian War (1754 - 1763) changed the bond between the colonies and Britain, because of the colonists' identities. Thomas Paine (an American colonist born in Britain) published a Political Pamphlet in 1776, which supported the colonist into open rebellion. The excerpt, "Common Sense," Paine emphasized the case for the revolution in straightforward language, where it became clear and direct to understand the meaning of the excerpt. The excerpt itself influenced colonists to take actions for their tolerance from the British and gave them the strength they needed to become unified.

In addition, the new scientific approach led to new and revolutionary philosophies of government, which insisted that people are able to rule themselves in a just way. The ending conflicts, such as the Thirty Years War and Puritan's loss of control of the British government, caused a majority of Europeans to be sick and tired of religious controversies. Many of them saw that the only solution to prevent further quarrel was by modernizing their faiths or turning to a secular life-style. Some individuals took a more radical action and abandoned religious affairs altogether. Some of the new ways that branched out of the religious affairs were Pietism, Romanticism, and various ranges of Deism.

The Enlightenment (also known as the Age of Reason) is described by scholars a method of thinking and knowing (“epistemology”) based off of the ideas that the natural world is in fact better understood through close observation, as well as dependence on reason. An important note to point out is that the Enlightenment added a more secular environment to colonial life, which had always been based on religion. The ideas of the Enlightenment actually originated in eighteenth century Europe, allowing for the birth of colonial “deists” who often looked for God’s plan in nature more than the Bible as they had in the past. Many of the deists began to look at science and reason to divulge God’s laws and purpose. This period of Enlightenment encouraged people to study the world around them, think for themselves instead of what others had to say, as well as ask whether the chaotic appearances of things were masking a sense of order.

New England had a religious focus; the Chesapeake, an economic one. Therefore, New England became a highly ordered, model society centered around the Church and community, whereas the Chesapeake region became a crude, competitive community that focused on the labor of the individual. Differences in development created different sources of conflict: New England fought with those who challenged the order created by the Church, and the Chesapeake region dealt with the class antagonism created by its colonies’ profit-based nature. Ultimately, even though New England and the Chesapeake region were distinctive areas, their shared English origin would unite them again in the coming American Revolution.

I. The Enlightenment features ideas of secularism, limited government and more sovereign power to the people or individual provinces. These ideas would impact the American Revolution, the Framers of the Constitution specifically were impacted by these ideas, many of whom were devout Christians who read John Locke and studied science and secular philosophy. The Framers would ask for independence because King George III was acting like a tyrant instead of a leader. Because of these ideas, America became a republic, the freest in the world, which had a government that feared the people, which is exactly what the Enlightenment taught.

Although the English made up the bulk of the Chesapeake Bay and New England societies, these influences shaped their ways of life and created two distinct cultures with values that continue today. Unlike the Chesapeake Bay colony, the New England colonies were founded because of a desire for religious freedom. The Puritans wanted to 'purify' and fix the morally corrupt parts of the Church of England that were created by King Henry VIII; however, they faced discrimination and were subject to violence. The reformers fled England, working together to create a model of the perfect society, with strong family values. The Puritans generally were not wealthy, with many leading simple lives and using their time to help others in their community.

Afterward in his argument, McLoughlin writes" As the opinion (the great awakening) spread after 1742 throughout the colonies, many came to believe that Americans could not effectively fulfill this mission so long as they were tied to a corrupt, oppressive, and tyrannical monarch and Parliament in England " The general effect of this Great Awakening had the outcome that the colonies were able to develop a new kind of neocolonial unity. This could have also been part of the resistance to the laws and such if the British. Lastly, McLoughlin says that the revolution in a way can be described as the political revitalization of a people whose religious regeneration began in the Great Awakening.

The Second Great Awakening provided many moral conflicts through the increase of religion, which questioned traditional social norms. Overall, the Second Great Awakening was advantageous for America in regards to bringing equality and extinguishing unnecessary drinking. As the ideas that sprung up competed for superiority, religions thoroughly fueled the basis of how Americans should approach living life. Temperance and slavery were viewed to have evil qualities that would essentially ruin the United States and doom the people residing there to Hell. The Second Great Awakening awakened Americans to their new freedom to challenge tradition and form a newly structured nation.