Religion, More Than a Word

Religion, MORE THAN a WORD Freedom of religion, freedom of the press, and freedom of person under the protection of habeas corpus,.. These principles form the bright constellation which has gone before us, and guided our steps through an age of revolution and reformation." Thomas Jefferson (Cited by Columbia University Press) The Word "Religion" The word "religion" brings to mind a mixture of conflicting words such as: bondage and freedom; darkness and light; evil and good; love and hate; war and peace.

The words religion and freedom, on the other hand, as presented in the introductory quote by Thomas Jefferson: "Freedom of religion...guided our steps to an age of revolution and reformation," (Ibid) complement each other. Throughout history, men have not only used religion as a reason to begin battles, they have used religious concepts to end wars.

Yinger (4) discusses a number of definitions of word "religion," pointing out that not only do a number of definitions accompany the word, but along with the numerous definitions, you're also numerous motives for the many definitions.

Yinger (vii) propposes that "religion is defined as the totality of man's attempts 'to bring the relative, the temporary, the disappointing, the painful things in life into relation with what is conceived to be permanent, absolute, and cosmically optimistic.'" Pilgrims and Puritans The Pilgrims left England, their homeland and traveled to America in 1620, searching for religious freedom, all the while determining to secure the freedom to choose the religion they believed was best for them.

Groups like the Puritans and Quakers founded America's first 13 colonies on principles of their religious beliefs. Ironically, despite their quest to escape persecution, some persecution still occurred in the colonies.

(www.geocities.com/lawandabrewer_uncp"Brewer, Jaques, Jones, and King) Puritans, who traveled to Massachusetts in 1620, consisted of English Protestants who reportedly aimed "to reform and purify the Church of England of what they considered to be unacceptable residues of Roman Catholicism." (Crossing in the ocean...) During the 1620s, however, English state and church leaders began to challenge Puritan demands and insisted the Puritans conform to religious practices they hated.

Many Puritan ministers who do not "reform," were removed from their offices and threatened with "extirpation from the earth." (Ibid) Puritan laymen who continued to display their religious zeal were routinely brutally punished.

In 1630, one man: "was sentenced to life imprisonment, had his property confiscated, his nose slit, an ear cut off, and his forehead branded 'S.S.' (sower of sedition)." (Ibid) Theologically, Puritans were identified as: "non-separating Congregationalists." Starting in 1630, as they sought to gain the freedom to choose how to worship God, as many as 20,000 Puritans immigrated to America from England. Although a number of the Puritans travelled to and settled in the West Indies, the majority of these individuals settled in New England.

Puritans, unlike that Pilgrims, believed the Church of England, even though it needed to be reformed, constituted a true church. Each New England Congregational church, deemed an independent entity, was not accountable to any hierarchy. Initially, members of the Puritans sect consisted of men and women who experienced a spiritual conversion experience. Puritan leaders hoped that in time, England would imitate their church model.

The Puritans, however reportedly thought others ought to worship what they perceived to be the right way; the Puritan way: or in other words - their way. To help ensure their religion, Puritanism, reined in the new world, a number of individuals who did not conform were "fined, banished, whipped, and even imprisoned for not conforming to the way of the Puritans." (Ibid) In Time In time, the Puritans' practice of persecuting others who did not believe as they believed ended.

Consequently, with the freedom to choose another religion, other religions began to evolve in America. As the Quakers settled in Pennsylvania in 1656, various religions migrated into the colonies. The Anglicans, a religious group already practicing their religion in the majority of the colonies, had been part of the nonconformist group the Puritans had persecuted. Other religious groups initially practicing in spreading their religion in America during this time included: Baptists, Roman Catholics and Protestants, along with a few some German religions.

Later in time, groups of Lutherans and Presbyterians began to practice their religious beliefs. Instead of the single religion the Puritans had proposed, the diversity of religions became commonplace in colonial life. As more individuals from other countries, such as the Scotch-Irish, wanted the religious freedom found in America, more and more of them left their homelands to settle in America.

Religion in Politics the first American constitutional document, the Pilgrims drew up on the Mayflower in 1620, contained the phrase, "for the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith," as depicted in the following: The first written constitution in the modern sense of the term, the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut (1639) asserted that the state owes its origin to "the wise disposition of the divine providence," the Bible requiring "an orderly and decent Government according to God, [to] maintain and preserve the liberty and purity of the Gospel." Massachusetts based its first New England law code (1641) on "humanity, civility and Christianity" and William Penn, framing his constitution for Pennsylvania in 1682, wrote, "Government seems to me a part of religion itself, a thing sacred in its institution." All the early law codes and state constitutions accepted religion as the natural context of government.

Indeed the emotional dynamic to the American Revolution was the first specifically American religious revival, the Great Awakening, which began in the 1730s. The first American widely known outside his own state, the first national figure, was not a politician but a preacher, George Whitefield.

The Declaration of Independence itself invokes in its defense "the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God," and states that the right to "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness" exists because men were so "endowed by their Creator." Hence the new society was placed under "the Protection of Divine Providence." (Johnson) According to Historical Records.. During America's early history, religion contributed to a major part of American politics. The Cambridge Platform, established in the 1640's, part of the Puritan theology, adopted the Westminster Confession.

The following Table of Contents from this document reflects its religious regime. PREFACE THE ORIGIN and FORMATION of the WESTMINSTER CONFESSION of FAITH CHAP. I. - of the Holy Scripture. CHAP. II. - of God, and of the Holy Trinity CHAP. III. - of God's Eternal Decree CHAP. IV. - of Creation CHAP. V. - of Providence CHAP. VI. - of the Fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment thereof CHAP. VII. - of God's Covenant with Man CHAP. VIII. - of Christ the Mediator CHAP. IX.

- of Free-Will CHAP. X. - of Effectual Calling CHAP. XI. - of Justification CHAP. XII. - of Adoption CHAP. XIII. - of Sanctification CHAP. XIV. - of Saving Faith CHAP. XV. - of Repentance unto Life CHAP. XVI. - of Good Works CHAP. XVII. - of the Perseverance of the Saints CHAP. XVIII. - of Assurance of Grace and Salvation CHAP. XIX. - of the Law of God CHAP. XX. - of Christian Liberty, and Liberty of Conscience CHAP. XXI. - of Religious Worship, and the Sabbath Day CHAP.XXII.

- of Lawful Oaths and Vows CHAP. XXIII. - of the Civil Magistrate CHAP. XXIV. - of Marriage and Divorce CHAP. XXV. - of the Church CHAP. XXVI. - of the Communion of Saints CHAP. XXVII. - of the Sacraments CHAP. XXVIII. - of Baptism CHAP. XXIX. - of the Lord's Supper CHAP. XXX. - of Church Censures CHAP. XXXI. - of Synods and Councils CHAP. XXXII. - of the State of Men after Death, and of the Resurrection of the Dead CHAP. XXXIII.

- of the Last Judgment (the Westminster Confession) During 1649, the Act Concerning Religion considered by some to be one of the greatest additions to the freedom of religion in America, was enacted. The following figure relates the first segment of the Maryland Act of Religion (1649) (Johnson): Assembly Proceedings, April 2-21, 1649 Enacted and made at a General Sessions of the said Assembly held at St. Marys on the one and twentieth day of April Anno Dom.

1649 as followeth viz: An Act Concerning Religion Forasmuch as in a well governed and Christian Commonwealth matters concerning Religion and the honor of God ought in the first place to bee taken, into serious consideration and endeavoured to bee settled. Be it therefore ordered and enacted by the Right Honorable Cecilius Lord Baron of Baltimore absolute Lord and Proprietary of this Province with the advise and consent of this Generall Assembly.

That whatsoever person or persons within this Province and the Islands thereunto belonging shall from henceforth blaspheme God, that is Curse him, or deny our Saviour Jesus Christ to bee the sonne of God, or shall deny the holy Trinity the father sonne and holy Ghost, or the Godhead of any of the said Three persons of the Trinity or the unity of the Godhead, or shall use or utter any reproachfull Speeches, words or language concerning the said Holy Trinity, or any of the said three persons thereof, shall be punished with death and confiscation or forfeiture of all his or her lands and goods to the Lord Proprietary and his heires.

And bee it also Enacted by the Authority and with the advise and assent aforesaid that whatsoever person or persons shall from henceforth use or utter any reproachfull words or Speeches concerning blessed Virgin Marv the Mother of Our Saviour or the holy Apostles or Evangelists or any of them shall in such case for the first offence forfeit to the said Lord Proprietary and his heirs Lords and Proprietaries of this Province the sume of five pound Sterling or the value thereof to be Levyed on the goods and chattells of every such person soe offending, but in case such Offender or Offenders, shall not then have goods and chattells sufficient for the satisfying of such forfeiture, or that the same bee not otherwise speedily satisfyed that then such Offender or Offenders Shall be publiquely whipt and bee imprisoned during the pleasure, of the Lord Proprietary or the Lieut.

Or chief Governor of' this Province for the time being. And that every such Offender or Offenders for every second offence shall forfeit tenne Pound or the value thereof to bee levyed as aforesaid, or in case Such offender or Offenders shall not then have goods and chattells within this Province sufficient for that purpose then to bee publiquely and severely whipt and imprisoned as before is expressed.

And that every person or persons before mentioned offending herein the third time, shall for such third Offence forfeit all his lands and Goods and bee for ever banished and expelled out of this Province...

(Maryland Act of Religion) 1786: Memorial and Remonstrance Because we hold it for a fundamental and undeniable truth, "that Religion or the duty which we owe to our Creator and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence." The Religion then of every man must be left to the conviction and conscience of every man; and it is the right of every man to exercise it as these may dictate. This right is in its nature an unalienable right...

(the Roots of Religious Liberty...) 1786: Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom Whereas Almighty God hath created the mind free; that all attempts to influence it by temporal punishments or burthens, or by civil incapacitations, tend only to beget habits of hypocrisy and meanness, and are a departure from the plan of the Holy author of our religion, who being Lord both of body and mind, yet chose not to propagate it by coercions on either, as was in his Almighty power to do...

(the Roots of Religious Liberty...) 1813: Argument of Counsel in Defense of Seal of Confession And whereas we are required by the benevolent principles of rational liberty, not only to expel civil tyranny, but also to guard against that spiritual oppression and intolerance, wherewith the bigotry and ambition of weak and wicked priests and princes have scourged mankind: This convention doth further, in the name and by the authority of the good people of this state, ORDAIN, DETERMINE and DECLARE, that the free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without discrimination or preference, shall forever hereafter be allowed within this state to all mankind.

Provided, that the liberty of conscience hereby granted, shall not be so construed, as to excuse acts of licentiousness, or justify practices inconsistent with the peace or safety of this State." (the Roots of Religious Liberty...) 1960: John F.

Kennedy on Church and State believe in an America that is officially neither Catholic, Protestant nor Jewish -- where no public official either requests or accepts instructions on public policy from the Pope, the National Council of Churches or any other ecclesiastical source -- where no religious body seeks to impose its will directly or indirectly upon the general populace or the public acts of its officials -- and where religious liberty is so indivisible that an act against one church is treated as an act against all...

This is the kind of America I believe in -- (the Roots of Religious Liberty...) The following photos picture St. James Church, thought to have been built thought during 1711 and 1719. The church is located South Carolina's oldest Anglican parish outside of Charleston. Figure 1 & 2: Inside and out of St. James Church (Crossing the Ocean...) The following figure () portrays a copy of a document relating some of the Seventeenth-Century Laws of Massachusetts.

During colonial days, Biblical scriptures, particularly those recorded in the Old Testament Constituted the basis for a number of criminal laws. Figure 3: Depiction of 17th Century Laws Crossing the Ocean...) An Age of Revolution and Reformation by the mid-eighteenth century, religious strife, rather than religious principle, almost became endemic in America, particularly after 1720.

During this time, Anglo-American political thought focused not on the right in religion, but "on stability and unity, public virtue and the common good." (Johnson) Members of society expected ministers and other community leaders to set the tone of eighteenth-century public discourse, to be examples of acceptable behavior. When these leaders engaged in public conflicts, frequently expressing anger verbally, as well as, in print, support for the religious leaders, along with their religion begin to dissipate.

In time, "religion," in a sense, began to sever its relationship with the heart of America, Clifton Olmstead, author of History of Religion in United States, (Cited by Johnson) notes. The Constitution in 1777 officially designated the separation of church and state. Many groups of people, as well as a multitude of individuals, disagreed with the s official separation. One Congregationalist minister, however, related positive thoughts regarding the separation: "It cut the churches loose from dependence on state support.

It threw them wholly on their own resources and on God....They say ministers have lost their influence; the fact is, they have gained. By voluntary efforts, societies, missions, and revivals, they exert a deeper influence than ever.. " Religions Contributions Include.. In 1789, George Washington began his initial inaugural address with a prayer asking that God, "who rules over the universe, who presides in the councils of nations," (Ibid) bless the new government. Washington proposed that the.