When talking to Hale, we learn that John only goes to church sometimes and that his third son has not been baptized. This is a surprise to Hale because keeping the Sabbath and religion are very important to Puritans and not keeping it is a sin and even a crime in the people's eyes. Seeing as John does not keep the Sabbath, this causes both the characters and the readers to question whether or not John really is a Christian/Puritan. John is definitely a free thinker. He is certainly not a sheep that blindly follows everyone else.
Examine two critiques of the relationship between religion and morality. It has long been common thought that there is a distinct link between Religion and the fundamental moral laws upon which we base our lives upon. These heteronomous moral codes were used as the basic principles of everyday life. From this viewpoint then, it is hard to imagine a world without the concept of religion, as sure anarchy and suffering would ensure across the Globe. However, if this link between religion and morality is criticised, then there are sufficient grounds for secularist and atheistic ways of life.
He was the man responsible for a majority of quotes that made this text popular. Voltaire’s satire evolves around Pangloss’s optimism. His philosophical views mainly target conceptions from the Enlightment. His views state that, “the conception that if God is all good, and all-puissant God had engendered the world and that, therefore, the world must be impeccable.” It is believed through his philosophy that it is seen as misguided or evil, it is because they do not understand the overall good that the “evil” is designated to accommodate. Like Candide, Pangloss is not a tenable character; rather, he is a distorted, hyperbolized representation of a philosopher whose beliefs and perspective is considerable linked to his philosophy.
Critical Evaluation: Secular Lives, Sacred Hearts: The role of the Church in a time of no religion | | | | Introduction: We are living in a society today where the word Church will bring up many contentions and unsociable remarks. The Church needs to think about the apathy that frequents the locals, in the communities who choose not to come to a regular worship service. Alan Billings has written a book entitled, “Secular Lives, Sacred Hearts, The role of the Church in a time of no religion”. This book encapsulates the dilemma the Church is in and consequently the demise of a generation of Church goers. But, this book does offer hope for the spirituality of those who do not attend church regularly.
Socrates suggests Euthyphro must be an expert in religious matters to be willing to prosecute his own father, and Euthyphro agrees: "I should be of no use, Socrates, and Euthyphro would not be superior to the majority of men, if I did not have an accurate knowledge of all such things." (Plato, Euthyphro, Moral Philosophy: Selected Readings) Socrates firmly believes that knowledge only comes when we are able to justify and account for our beliefs so
Using the scripture to make political arguments is trashy and unfair. As a Speech and Debate acc. veteran, I’ve had personal experience with religiously inclined ‘support’. As a non-Christian, I felt disadvantaged and nervous to make a comeback because I didn’t want to offend anyone. But hey, before I go off on a nostalgic rant, let me back up.
Overall the Puritans were a religious group with a core of specific beliefs that are at the essence of the Puritan Faith. Those two beliefs are the belief that man is predestined or divided into two groups, the damned and the elect. The second core belief is that of free grace versus a doctrine of works. This means that man cannot save himself by changing his ways and doing good deeds. Instead it means than humanity is only saved by the free grace and mere good will of God and that whosoever believes in Christ and has faith may escape Hell.
In the quote below Rand explains why she rejects religion outright, and she believes man himself deserves the attention: Just as religion has preempted the field of ethics, turning morality against man, so it has usurped the highest moral concepts of our language, placing them outside this earth and beyond man’s reach. “Exaltation” is usually taken to mean an emotional state evoked by contemplating the supernatural. “Worship” means the emotional experience of loyalty and dedication to something higher than man… But such concepts do name actual emotions, even though no supernatural dimension exists; and these emotions are experienced as uplifting or ennobling, without the self-abasement required by religious definitions.
He will be judged by those who know him in the real world, and if a higher power exists, will also be judged in the spiritual world as well. An unethical action performed by a man with a religious belief is the most unlikely event that would occur out of the four possible scenarios because he will most likely not place himself in a situation where he needs to make a decision that could potentially be considered unethical. If this situation were to occur, he could simply confess his sins and be forgiven on the spot, avoiding judgment once the confession is made in full and pity is recognized in self. “It seems that morality and religion are perceived as separate realms in order to accomplish the teleological suspension.” -The Teleological Suspension of the Ethical by Dr. C. Matthew McMahon Let’s think about why a religious man committing an unethical deed is deemed justified in the name of God. Why does he get a special treatment because of his beliefs?
He did not want to be remembered as a friend of the “devil” he didn’t want to have a blackened name. John wanted to be remembered as the man who gave his soul to protect his family and friends. Signing his name would mean he would be remembered for the bad not the good, John did not want his children living in humiliation, John preferred not to live rather than live with a blackened name. By handing his soul over Proctor believed he would regained his goodness, all the good left in him was his name, and he believed that this was the only thing he should leave behind. Reverend Parris was the opposite to John Proctor, he also feared for his name but not in the same way.