Monday, March 1, 2010

Puritans?

So this blog may cause an uproar, but I want to gain insight and get people talking.  Please fill free to educate me because I am not too knowledgeable about this topic. 

I have gone to many churches in which I respect but lately I have questioned the mentioning of Puritans in general. Sure they have had great things to say about Christ and Christianity, and I am grateful  they brought the gospel to the America's BUT are they not the blame for much of the injustice in the America's? Are they not the blame for American Indians having to get citizenship in their home country in the 20s?  Are they not to blame for slavery in the states?  If I am wrong please correct me. But if I am correct please explain why in all these churches do we look up to them and try to mirror them?  Do we just follow what they say and forget their actions? Maybe, we do, but this makes me want to draw closer to scripture and not man made literature.  But as I write this I am kind of contradicting myself.  I have a desire to write a book, and want to encourage people and lead them to Christ but yet I am a wicked sinner who have done wicked things?  Does that mean people shouldn't listen to me, or does that mean I shouldn't write a book?  

If you read this post please comment, I want to know your thoughts? 

4 comments:

  1. well I feel that what you said is very true. But at the same time we all have a message to get to the world that christ has given to us. if we all continue to look at our faults, flaws, and our short comings the word will never get out. So believe the God that you serve and you write what he has placed inside of you to write. You do yourself a favor and continue praying that the wicked things that your flesh is attracted to doing be changed, the change is already here you just have to receive it. I'm so proud of you Cuzzo........You are really a thinker and you do dare to be different! Love you and your on to a great path keep reading that word and having a heart and mind that seek after Christ!

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  2. well I feel that what you said is very true. But at the same time we all have a message to get to the world that christ has given to us. if we all continue to look at our faults, flaws, and our short comings the word will never get out. So believe the God that you serve and you write what he has placed inside of you to write. You do yourself a favor and continue praying that the wicked things that your flesh is attracted to doing be changed, the change is already here you just have to receive it. I'm so proud of you Cuzzo........You are really a thinker and you do dare to be different! Love you and your on to a great path keep reading that word and having a heart and mind that seek after Christ!

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  3. Hm, great thoughts Mary. I know exactly what you're talking about. There's a reason that the Puritans inspired the morbid works of Nathaniel Hawethorne! They were kinda weird sometimes! :)

    One thing you have to be careful of, is that the term "Puritans" as used historically, is a very different thing than what we've started generalizing it in Christians circles. The historical Puritans were quite a varied group who's theology we wouldn't always agree with. Even Jonathan Edwards, who was brilliant and a gift to the church, definitely had his flaws. I think it would be far more helpful if we just referred to them as church fathers or something like that. Because on the whole, who we refer to when the evangelical church speaks of Puritans are very rarely the actual puritans of Plymouth Rock.

    In fact, as far as American Puritans go, there are not too many we actually have on our bookshelves. Most of what the church calls Puritans were in England, and some weren't even Puritans at all (Puritans were those who wanted to Purify the English church, as opposed to Seperatists, who believed in starting a new one.. most of American colonists would have fallen into the Seperatist category. But not all.)

    On the topic of American Indians & slavery, it's certainly a complex social issue as to "who is to blame." The church fathers we would respect the most, would not fall under that category. Jonathan Edwards respected David Brainard, and because of his influence spent time doing missions work to the American Indians. He also believed slavery to be unjust.

    Anne Bradstreet is one of my favorite American puritans, and even her background theologically has some strange points. But her faith in God and her struggles as a woman writer are amazing to study and were really helpful for me to learn from.

    This is a long comment, but I hope that helps! :) Start calling them church fathers instead. And within that, we still have to be discerning, because they aren't inspired Scripture... always good to test them against what the Bible says. Still, when many men we respect over the years have commended the same works repeatedly, I think they are fairly safe to trust.

    That being said, if there are specific men you can think of whose writings we commend, yet who supported injustice, I'd be curious to learn of them.

    Thanks for posting! Thought-provoking stuff. :)

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  4. Wow, thanks for both of your comments. They are both encouraging. Joanna, I couldn't of asked for more. I don't even know what to say in response to that, I am going to read it later and think on it. I agree with what you are saying.

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