Good or Bad, The Puritans Will Always be Remembered
...e abundant, especially in America. It is in this country that individuals are given the freedoms to practice, or not to practice, any religion to the extent of their pleasure. Christianity continues to be one of the main religions of the country and millions of people practice it and strive for a better life in hope that God will accept them. The Puritans can be looked upon in some ways as the epitome of the Christian religious follower. The Puritans took this level of affection for the Lord to the extreme and people do still represent a lot of those same qualities. In a religious aspect Puritans were restless in their quest to obtain all there is to know about God. Their constant study of scriptures and knowledge of the religion serves as a platform today for religious beings who wish to follow the teachings of God. “Above all, their City on a Hill would be a community—if they succeeded, they would succeed together; if they failed, they would fail together. What they faced when they arrived in North America was a cultural and physical wilderness hardly imagined, and which critically shaped their latter generations” . The Puritans educated themselves in everyway possible in order to serve their purpose in life which was to serve God and do all that He wished. As time progresses and the centuries turn, the way of life and religious views are often changed but the Puritans initial views of God still do serve as a model to many religious followers of Christianity. It is also possible that the Puritans desire for reform religion has helped spark other religions in today’s communities to branch out and start a new sect. In communities across the country today individuals are given the choice to practice how they want to the extent of how they want. For the Puritans religion was a bridge between nature and grace. During this time period they honestly believed that their lifestyle and such obedience to religion was the right thing to do. There are many people in today’s society that feel the same way. Whether people like him or not President Bush makes many political and social decisions that are religious based and that he honestly thinks are the right decisions that God would want him to make. Being a devout Christian, President Bush makes policies or statements that are directly related to his religion. His disposition on abortion and the decision to send soldiers to Iraq are decisions in which religion is key based. Unlike the Puritans of hundreds of years ago, individuals such as President Bush are able to accept the fact that not everyone is going to accept and follow the same beliefs. “For the Puritan mind it was not possible to segregate a man’s spiritual life from his communal life” . Although there are religious communities and individuals who are very strong minded when religion is concerned they are able to accept that there can be a separation between these two things. History is a subject that is always important because it always has something to teach whether certain things are inherited or altered. The Puritans lived in a community in which all citizens were forced and expected to have the same views regarding lifestyle and religion. Just as it is relevant today, there were certain individuals who lashed out against Puritan and communal life. One of the outspoken and key women in American history was Anne Hutchinson. “Anne Hutchinson would eventually come to realize that the hardships of colonial life and the rigid union of Church and State were more stifling than liberating, and there wasn't really any real "religious freedom" to speak of in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, especially for an educated English woman such as herself” . Hutchinson was religious but she didn’t feel that the strict guidelines for which the Puritan community followed were necessary to live a life that was accepted by God. “The Puritans interpretation of freedom of religion meant only that they would tolerate the neighboring colonies and their freedom to worship in any way they saw fit, but John Winthrop and the rest of the Massachusetts Bay Colony's founders dreamt of a utopia, a holy settlement, where freedom to worship meant you did not think or do unless you were acting in accordance to the strictest interpretation of the Bible” . The Puritans definition of freedom was very week but their beliefs were built solid. They were doers, not onlookers. In today’s communities around the nation individuals are given the freedoms to worship and live as they please, although there are still many examples of Puritan life that reflect into today’s communities. Those who lived in gated communities or neighborhoods are forced to live by some strict guidelines. Many people have the same model houses that are the same color and décor. Alterations to these houses are forbidden without consent by the community leaders. Members of these communities have strict rules and if one doesn’t abide by them then they are forbidden to live in the community. Fraternities and sororities are another example of tightly bound communities with some strict guidelines. In these college communities there are specific standards for being a member. Members know the history of the fraternity/sorority as well as other facts concerning...