Contradictions In Puritan Religion
Contradictions In The Puritan Religion
Life is full of many contradictions, and the basis of the Puritan religion is no exception. The Puritans believed that they were God's chosen people, as mentioned in the Bible. They saw themselves on a level above the average man, but in reality, their religion was full of inconsistencies. The
Puritans believed in something known as the Doctrine of Elect,' hinted at in
Romans 8:28-30, 9:6-24, and later at the Synod of Dort.. The doctrine contradicted the more widely held belief of Pelagianism, the belief that man could redeem himself through acts of charity, piety, and by living an unselfish life. It came to be one of the greatest theological discrepancies of all time.
Evidently, the Puritan beliefs …show more content…
Puritanism was founded on the principles and beliefs of John Calvin, and one of the major ideals they focused on was the doctrine of predestination. Calvin believed that the grace of God was the ticket into Heaven and that his grace could not be earned. God's grace was bestowed upon a select few regardless of what they did to earn it. This doctrine' stated that God determines a mans' destiny, whether it be redemption or condemnation, regardless of any worth or merit on the person's part. It could be compared to the failures of Communism in that no matter how hard a person worked, how devout a person was, how often a person went to church, there was no way to get into Heaven unless they were chosen. Aside from the doctrine of elect, the Puritans had other outrageous beliefs including the degradation of one's self, the utter and total dependence on divine grace for salvation, and the wrath of an angry God. The God worshipped by the Puritans was not a forgiving God, and definitely not a happy God. The Puritans fear him and tried zealously to make themselves worthy in his eyes. They insisted that they, as God's special elect, had the duty to conduct affairs carrying out his will according to the …show more content…
These teachings made the trials and also the confessions meaningless, because if one of the elect was on trial, then according to teaching #5, a man was saved forever. So why confess? These confessions were worthless in the eyes of the Puritan God, because no matter what a man confessed to, no matter what he did in life, his final resting spot was already determined. So then why did the Puritans insist upon confession as a means of salvation? Why did they force innocent people to admit to lies in the face of death? This is a hard question to answer. If a confession was made in hopes that it would save a soul, then wouldn't that render the doctrine of elect meaningless? What man should worry if he dies guilty or innocent? Certainly not a man whose future is already determined. If the Puritans believed so fervently in the Doctrine of Elect, then why should anyone confess their
Life is full of many contradictions, and the basis of the Puritan religion is no exception. The Puritans believed that they were God's chosen people, as mentioned in the Bible. They saw themselves on a level above the average man, but in reality, their religion was full of inconsistencies. The
Puritans believed in something known as the Doctrine of Elect,' hinted at in
Romans 8:28-30, 9:6-24, and later at the Synod of Dort.. The doctrine contradicted the more widely held belief of Pelagianism, the belief that man could redeem himself through acts of charity, piety, and by living an unselfish life. It came to be one of the greatest theological discrepancies of all time.
Evidently, the Puritan beliefs …show more content…
Puritanism was founded on the principles and beliefs of John Calvin, and one of the major ideals they focused on was the doctrine of predestination. Calvin believed that the grace of God was the ticket into Heaven and that his grace could not be earned. God's grace was bestowed upon a select few regardless of what they did to earn it. This doctrine' stated that God determines a mans' destiny, whether it be redemption or condemnation, regardless of any worth or merit on the person's part. It could be compared to the failures of Communism in that no matter how hard a person worked, how devout a person was, how often a person went to church, there was no way to get into Heaven unless they were chosen. Aside from the doctrine of elect, the Puritans had other outrageous beliefs including the degradation of one's self, the utter and total dependence on divine grace for salvation, and the wrath of an angry God. The God worshipped by the Puritans was not a forgiving God, and definitely not a happy God. The Puritans fear him and tried zealously to make themselves worthy in his eyes. They insisted that they, as God's special elect, had the duty to conduct affairs carrying out his will according to the …show more content…
These teachings made the trials and also the confessions meaningless, because if one of the elect was on trial, then according to teaching #5, a man was saved forever. So why confess? These confessions were worthless in the eyes of the Puritan God, because no matter what a man confessed to, no matter what he did in life, his final resting spot was already determined. So then why did the Puritans insist upon confession as a means of salvation? Why did they force innocent people to admit to lies in the face of death? This is a hard question to answer. If a confession was made in hopes that it would save a soul, then wouldn't that render the doctrine of elect meaningless? What man should worry if he dies guilty or innocent? Certainly not a man whose future is already determined. If the Puritans believed so fervently in the Doctrine of Elect, then why should anyone confess their