Christian Living In America

The New England colonies developed rapidly, largely due to the influence of the Puritans. The Puritans came to the new world seeking religious freedom and helped found most of the colonies in the New England region. The Puritans wanted a United government that will later become the basis for the Unites States, they believed that the overall well being of the people was more important than the well being of the few, and the Puritans believed that religion, church, and community were important aspects of the people’s lives. The Puritans’ religion allowed them to prosper in the political, economical, and social development of the New England Colonies in the 1630-1660’s.

With religious reforms causing controversy in England came the Puritans, known for their simplicity in their way of life. They wore basic clothing and were against consumption of alcohol and sex (unless married). With the disagreements of the religious conflicts happening in England, the puritans “wanted to purify the Church of England from within.” The sole reason the idea sparked to settle a colony in America was in search of a Puritan lifestyle and the freedom to do so. On March 4, 1629 King Charles gave the Massachusetts Bay Company a charter while not knowing the true nature of what this colony was to become and for the reasons behind it. Still, the Puritans left for America in March 1630. In contrast to the type of people who immigrated to Virginia, the Massachusetts population was mostly nuclear families, meaning husband, wife, and kids. Also differing from the colonists in Virginia, the settlers in Massachusetts Bay worked together for the common good of the colony. Along with their lives and beliefs, their government and politics were religiously based as well and soon they decided upon a Congregationalism form of church government. Their churches were a matter of choice but in order to become a member they had a strict regulation “In order to join one (a church) a man or woman had to provide testimony–a confession of faith–before neighbors who already had been admitted as full members.” Because religion was the bases behind Massachusetts being colonization crimes and religious disagreements called for serious

Most people believe that the United States was founded as a Christian nation. After all, our money is emblazoned with “In God We Trust,” our Pledge of Allegiance declares that we are “one nation under God,” and in court we swear to “tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God.” It’s true that the Founders were heavily influenced by Christian ideals. And while the U.S. Constitution prohibits any religious test or requirement for public office, the majority of U.S. presidents have been openly Christian. Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln, two of our most famous presidents, however had no formal religious affiliations. Jefferson shunned orthodox Christianity at an early age and cut and pasted together a condensed version of the New Testament, removing most miracles and all references to Jesus’s divinity. He did, however, continue to believe in God as a precise, impersonal creator of the universe and its laws. Lincoln, on the other hand, spoke frequently of God during his presidency but never formally joined a church. Today, academics remain uncertain about whether or not he was a Christian as some aspects of his faith remain a mystery.

The Protestant reformers believed the Pope was the “antichrist” and wanted to correct the errors of the Papacy. These ideals were brought to New England in the Colonial era by predominately British Puritans who were fleeing persecution from the Church of England. The new settlers disseminated their anti-clericalism beliefs through written and spoken propaganda, cementing the anti-Catholic movement with a serious of laws that imposed specific proscriptions. Religion played a far greater role in people’s lives, which made religious differences a matter of great concern. U.S. culture and Protestantism had evolved along parallel lines, stressing individualism and self–reliance, whether in making one’s fortune or in gaining salvation through the teachings of the bible (Parrillo, 2014, p. 391). U.S. Protestants feared the Catholic Church because of their structured practices and bureaucratic operations that extended back to the Pope in Rome. Many Protestants believed that Catholicism was enigmatic and also felt that if a Catholic loyalist gained any political power, they would take control of the country and Rome would gain complete

In the trial of Anne Hutchinson, we meet a well intentioned yet lost people described and labelled as the Puritans of the Massachusetts Bay Company. These self governing Puritans, once a people who sought God to set them on their way, settled only to be found as a people who simply lost their way. This journey to lost began when first motivated by a desire for religious reform and separation from the liturgy, ceremonies and practices of the Church of England. Once they banned together, they set on their way and traveled in groups to the New World. With the Word of God as their ultimate authority and the desire for a personal relationship with God, these people landed in Boston in 1630 united to self govern the newly founded Massachussets Bay Colony. Unfortunatly, this self rule resulted in a government of intolerance, fear and a liturgy not much different from what was once found in the Church of England. A system designed to set apart outward morality, or sanctification, to strengthen the authority of the Church only worked to neglect the place of true piety purposed to strengthen the spiritual lives of the people it served.

Murrin, Paul E. Johnson, James M. Mcpherson, Alicea Fahs, Gary Gerstle, Emily S. Rosenberg, and Norman L. Rosenberg, “Puritans fleeing to America hoped to escape the divine wrath that threatened england and to create in America the kind of churches that God demanded.” (John et al., 2012). Because the English church was beginning to become “perverted, corrupted, and utterly overthrown by the multitude of evil examples and the licentious government” (John Winthrop) the Puritans feared God’s rage at the Church of England, so therefore they felt they urgently need to flee in order to escape this wrath and please God by creating a “City Upon a Hill”. This means the Puritans had to set an example in Massachusetts because they wanted to spread the gospel and create a government surrounding all of their principles around God’s word and do what they believed would glorify God. There was no where else where an opportunity for a pure church

The freedom of religion is a rising topic at the time and ultimately causes the settlements in North America. One group that settled in North America were the Puritans. The Puritans believed they needed freedom, which they would find in the new world they were moving to. They also believed that they could save people from the English church and convert them to their beliefs. There is proof that the Puritans still shared beliefs with the English church, but didn’t agree with all of them, thus wanted to create their own version and practice it freely. (Lecture on Sept. 5th by Dr. Johnson).

It was an attempt to start a new life and to practice their religion without any worries. One of the religious group that came over to the Americas and would help establish the foundations for the United States in the future was the Puritans. They were a religious group that believed in strictness, hard work, diligence, discipline, and humility. There disagreement with how the Church of England operated created tensions and prosecutions. As a result, the area where the Puritans settled known as New England would be completely different from the middle and south colonies. One of the reasons there was decline in deference towards religion in New England was the strict rules to obtain membership. Only a minority of the population in New England had full memberships. Taylor stated that the “declining proportion of full members threatened to restrict baptism to a minority of the infants, because churches customarily limited that sacraments to offspring of full members.” As a result, people became less involved in church which created problems for the Puritans. Puritans believed that their religious practice was the only way and to become a minority would create problems. A decline of Puritans may lead to the total dissolution of the group and also the colonist decline in deference toward the practices of Puritans. The Puritan

Within the colony of Massachusetts, religion played an important role in shaping the community’s people and interests. The reason for the Puritans move to North America was to escape the convictions the Christians of England were placing on them (Divine, 89). Winthrop and his followers believed that in this new land they must create a place where they could come together as a people and build the perfect religious society (Divine, 90). In a speech about his vision for the land, John Winthrop said, “We must delight in each

When the first wave of European immigrants faced the hardships of the voyage across the tumultuous Atlantic Ocean, these English Puritans had hopes of a future free from the harsh persecutions and injustices they were subjected to in 17th century England. Puritans values were documented in the writings of such immigrants such as “A Model of Christian Charity”, written by John Winthrop while aboard the Arabella in 1630, and “The Mayflower Compact”, a constitution-like document drafted and signed by the men on board The Mayflower in 1620. In the former, Winthrop emphasized the significance of maintaining unity under God and sharing in the struggles of one another so that the burdens and hardships of one are those of the community as well as the Puritans arrived in the New World. Similarly, “The Mayflower Compact” encouraged unity and equality through the formation of a civil political body to enact governing laws and constitutions that would uphold their societal and religious values to promote equality and justice for all. Despite such principles that the Pilgrims believed they were instating during the formation of the New World, I believe these values were quickly distorted, leading to a biased and prejudiced society that prevails today. Through the analysis of the history of early America, it is evident to me that though the Puritans left England as the persecuted and claimed to aspire to a just society, they arrived in the New World as persecutors of those whose beliefs

Despite the fact that both Puritans and Quakers are Protestant Christians, the Quakers were unwelcome in the Puritan society of New England. A University of California at Los Angeles Ph. D. candidate in the Department of History, Carla Gardina Pestana provides an explanation as to why these Christians were frowned upon in the society. In her article “The City upon a Hill under Siege: The Puritan Perception of the Quaker Threat to Massachusetts Bay, 1656-1661”, Pestana gives a detailed analysis of why the Quakers beliefs were seen as a threat to the Puritan society.

The Puritans tried to reform the Church of England during the 1600’s because of their dislike of the Church's corruption and new rules. The men, women, and children set sail for the new world for America in the 1630’s. When they arrived, the relied on God to get them through the hard winters, hard summers, and the harsh Native American tribes. Although they sought to reform, the did not leave the Church, still relying on God and The Bible to get through the hardships of creating a new society. As they left, the led normal lives with prayers, worships, and services.

America was founded on July 4th, 1776, by the Second Continental Congress when they declared America’s independence from Great Britain. When America was founded it was not founded upon the Christian religion or any religion as many people would have you believe. Many of the founders blatantly say that America has a complete separation of church and state. From a young age, people are taught inadvertently that America is a Christian nation, and until they do the research they believe that America is a Christian nation. The founding documents have no mention of America being a Christian nation. Through the record of American history, the people can learn why America is not a Christian nation such as; many of the founding fathers themselves weren’t

- America is not Christian by sacred procurement or creedal confirmation, however, its kind are overwhelmingly Christian without anyone else attestation. Mindful evangelicals won't overestimate the familiar character of this self-distinguishing proof.

Throughout the year Christians have strived to do the will of God. From to converting people into Christians to making a society pleasing to God. Christians in America have been present since the colonial times. In the late 19th century, they were still thriving in the United States. In the early 20th century they were still involved in the broader American culture, committed to shaping public policy and welcome in political life. But as time continued, evangelicals started to create their own subculture, no longer involving themselves in politics and the rest of the American culture. By mid to late 20th century, evangelicals saw that the nation was becoming further way from God and it was affecting them. They sought to partly reinsert themselves in the American culture and politics and found they were not as welcome as before. Even though they are not welcome, Christians must try to do the will of God by turn peoples eyes back to Him in everyday life and politics.