Sinners in the Hands of an Angry

¶ … Sinners in the hands of an Angry God" by Jonathan Edwards, and "The Autobiography - Part 1" by Benjamin Franklin. Specifically, it will discuss the major changes in religious belief between the angry God of Jonathan Edwards and the benevolent Deism of Benjamin Franklin. It is quite clear these two men have very different ideas about God, his ideals, and their own religious goals. Both men have a strong and unfailing faith in God, but they show it differently, and they see God very differently.

Ben Franklin sees God as a benevolent and caring overseer of our problems and concerns. He writes, "I desire with all humility to acknowledge that I owe the mentioned happiness of my past life to His kind providence..." (Franklin). Franklin sees God as someone who watches over him and takes care of all his children. He is kindly, and leads people down the right path for their lives. He feels God will bless him because of his devout belief, and that God will watch over all who believe in him and live their lives accordingly. God guides him throughout his life, and gives him wisdom to act and to raise his family with the same beliefs. Therefore, God will watch over all of Franklin's family and friends, because he is benevolent, wise, and caring. More importantly, it is clear Franklin does not fear God or God's wrath, because he believes he lives a good and spiritual life, and he does not feel God is a vengeful and angry God. This, perhaps more than anything else, separates Franklin from Edwards, who sees God as angry and vengeful - frightening to those who do his bidding as well as to those who do not. Franklin is secure in his faith, but it seems Edwards is more fearful of his, and of God's wrath.

Edwards' God is far different from Franklin's, and illustrates just how religious beliefs can alter over time. Edwards' beliefs echo the strict Puritanical beliefs of a people persecuted in England and free to worship as they chose in the New World. Their beliefs were strong, and so was their belief in God's anger at sin. The entire language of Edwards' essay is negative and fearful. He writes of "destruction," "sin," "punishment," and "falling." He also writes that God is not forgiving, and will not help or watch over those who sin, or fall from grace. He writes, "Then they shall be left to fall, as they are inclined by their own weight. God will not hold them up in these slippery places any longer..." (Edwards). This is exactly the opposite of Franklin's belief that God will help those who sin because he is a benevolent and caring God. Edwards' beliefs indicate earlier thoughts that punished people for a variety of sins, and never forgave them when they sinned. This does not allow for any mistake or misgiving, or for any slide toward sin at all, and this belief system gradually began to disappear as more people began to believe in a God that was more caring and less vengeful and angry. Edwards' represents a look at religion that kept the flock under severe beliefs and always fearful of their behavior and God's reaction to it. Franklin's beliefs represent a more modern and enlightened belief system that recognized people are human, and God made people in his image, and was caring enough to give people a second change if they fell. Edwards' views began to seem old-fashioned and less applicable to modern life, while Franklin's views began to be more accepted and more embraced by the people. Their belief in God did not change so much, but their belief of God and his reaction to people changed. Religion, if it is to survive, must always grow and alter with the times. It does not seem that God created a stagnant belief system that would not grow with man as man grew. Today, humankind's beliefs have evolved even further from Franklin's, but for the most part, God is still seen as a benevolent and caring Deity who wants the best for humans and the world. Edwards' angry and vengeful God may have served a purpose for the time, but that purpose has changed, and so have belief systems.