One negative aspect to his essay would have to be his bias toward conservatives and the rich. He deliberately labels out the rich in many of his examples by pointing out how they claim to be Christian but do not wish to help aid the poor. As for conservatives, he not only points out George W. Bush but refers at times to religion as “conservative religion.” This clearly shows his bias toward them and could be a way for him to associate them with the American Christianity problem. I believe McKibben has a great point on this issue. As American Christians, we always believe that if we do good deeds or help ourselves we go to heaven.
The Puritans wanted to alter practices promoted by the Anglican Church as well as decrease the power of the discriminatory and corrupt bishops. After the death of the last Tudor, Elizabeth, King James I began to overtax the Puritans. The Puritans, persecuted by the King and angered by his favor towards the Catholics, had a falling out with England and therefore were voluntary candidates for colonists in the New World. Upon arrival in the New World; however, they preceded to practice intolerance towards others outside of their group. Puritan Massachusetts or the “city upon a hill” for example, instilled a theocratic government in which it was treason to oppose any Puritan practice.
It is doubtful that Darrow was as white or Bryan as black, or even Scopes himself as absolutely ignorant and innocent in resolute belief as is depicted. Characters such as the newspaper reporter and Scopes’ love interest have been given more ‘spirit’ to help the plot through. This, however, opened up the film to possibilities of backlash. It is fairer to approach the criticism, perhaps, in the words of the critics themselves. Robert Harsh, for example, declares in ‘Exposing the Lie: Inherit the Wind’ that "Christians, particularly William Jennings Bryan, are consistently lampooned throughout, while the skeptics and agnostics are consistently portrayed as intelligent, kindly, and even heroic.
He believed the selling indulgences was wrong, and even the pope, Pope Leo X, did not have the authority to abolish sins through payments. Luther recognized that at this time, the Church was more focused on accumulating money than saving its people and spreading the word of Christ. Luther believed that only God has the ability to take away the sins of humanity. Martin Luther published his opinions in a document titled Ninety-Five Theses. The monk's writing spread quickly around Europe, and he soon posed a serious threat to the Catholic Church.
One of his more famous works is The Bloody Tenent of Persecution. This is a dialogue between “truth and peace.” The first half “is a point-by-point rebuttal and a plea for liberty of conscience as a human right. The second half argues that a government is granted power by the people, most of whom are unregenerate. As delegates of the people, therefore, magistrates could not interfere with religion, for the unregenerate have no power in Christ’s church.” (Heath 348) His most famous letter is “To the town of Providence” that was trying to end a problem that divided the town over “religious autonomy and civil restraint.” He did not want one group (the Quakers) to be subjected to legal persecution, but instead “met their threat to social peace in his heavenly city by arguing
The degradation of dialect reveals how it is almost entirely impossible to object to the Party’s core beliefs. Through the protagonist character of Winston Smith, the importance of individualism is advocated through critical thinking. Firstly, the text illustrates how language and power can be used as a mechanism of control by discouraging an individual from expressing their true emotion. The controlled language, Newspeak, was created by the totalitarian state as a tool of power, its sole purpose being to restrict the people’s understanding of the real world. The gradually declining dialect limits the ideas that individuals have the potential of formulating and expressing, promoting a narrowing of thoughts and awareness to their system of control.
The second poem “Shine, Perishing Republic” by Robinson Jeffers mostly resembles my attitude towards America right now. I do believe that the government is trying to do anything possible to gain more power even if it means ruining or destroying the environment and society. I feel like the government pretends to actually care about our well-being but we're brainwashed to actually think that. I really don't understand how people can actually do whatever it is they want to do even if it isn't right just to make themselves happy and to have a good time. This era is actually really messed up, it seems like there isn't any structure with our society that everyone is just going with the flow of what's “in”.
Martin Luther’s responses to political and social questions during this time were often either revolutionary or conservative. Luther’s criticism towards the church’s practice of indulgences, and promoting sola fide can be considered to be revolutionary. However, Luther’s siding with the princes of the Holy Roman Empire during the Peasants Revolt can be seen as conservative. Indeed, when you look at the responses of Luther towards much disputed questions during his lifetime you will see that he was both a conservative and revolutionary. One of the major religious disputes during The Protestant
Ironically, the Puritans persecuted their own. Miller’s paradox implies that “in order to keep [a society] together, [the puritans] must tea it apart.” Because their religion led them to believe they were the chosen people of God, they also believed their unethical actions were being justified. This strongly relates to the political climate of the early 1950’s in which
These included the issue of taxation without representation in the British parliament, searches and seizures without credible reasons, the taking away of Americans’ firearms, the taking away of their land, and many other problems. However, it was the American religion, particularly New England religion, which gave Americans the mental frame for comprehending their problems with England. Furthermore, It was religion which informed the Americans that the British government was not only instituting foolish policies, but also trampling the rights of Americans which were accorded to them by God. Americans believed the King and his parliament were engaging in what amounted to a war against God. It was religion which persuaded the Americans that they had a holy obligation to commence a rebellion.