Elizabeth Reis, Damned Women

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Elizabeth Reis, Damned Women I feel that the seventeenth century Puritan beliefs of sin imbedded into both men and women were extreme. Women were no more evil than men in my opinion. People of the seventeenth century believed as their ancestors had done before them, the world was controlled by unseen forces that could influence or control, through the use of rituals and ceremonies. Magic was believed to be two parts; one was white magic, and it was the craft of healing. White Magic was practiced by cunning or wise people. Black Magic or Witchcraft was the pursuit of harming, and this was practiced by witches. I believe that we are all born in the image and likeness of God, with purity written in our hearts. We are born with a conscience, a rational nature, with all the faculties and powers of free moral agency. No one person is born with sin into their hearts. It is not until we become aware of right and wrong that sin is committed. Unfortunately, we, as humans, are open to corruption and sin. When we sin against our God given nature, we must ask God for His forgiveness. The Bible teaches us that “all men originate their own moral depravity” (Genesis 6:12; 8:21) The Puritans believed that all men and women, due to human nature, had the capacity for sin and evil, especially women. Many more women were punished over men for their inherent evilness. I do believe that we all have the capacity for evil and committing sin. It is up to us as individuals to seek redemption and salvation through accepting Christ as our personal savior. Puritanism revolves around the belief that man is made up of two separate entities, the tangible entity of the body and the intangible entity of the soul. (Reis pg 41) I agree with this; both body and soul need to be purified during a person’s life. Because Adam and Eve committed the first sin by eating the ‘forbidden fruit’, they lost
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