Virtues

If I were to make a list of virtues to improve my life like Benjamin Franklin did, I would have to use this list.

1. Equality- Everyone is the same and no one is better than any one.
   
2. Respect- Treat others the way you want to be treated.
   
3. Silence- Think before you speak, you don’t know who you might offend.
   
4. Sincerity- Always tell the truth because lies lead to more lies.
   
5. Justice- Two wrongs don’t make a right.
   
6. Humility- Learn to be modest and to not have too much pride.
   
7. Calmness- Try not to loose your temper, because you will only make things worst
   
8. Perseverance- Do not give up on anything you put your mind to do.
   
9. Organization- Organize your thoughts and goals and if necessary, write them down in order to complete tasks.
   
10. Time is money- Don’t waste time. Time is a valuable thing.
    
11. Kindness- Think about others and try to contribute to those who are less fortunate.
    
12. Slow- Do not overwhelm your self. One completed task is better than three begun and not completed.
    
13. Decisions- Think about the positive and negative outcomes of every decision.

I do not believe in perfection for anything to be honest. I believe anything and anyone can improve, but no one and nothing can be perfect. I believe that if I were to follow this list like Benjamin Franklin did, I would be able to improve in many aspects of my life. I believe that if i did follow it, I would eventually get accustomed to it. Sometimes though, it is very difficult to improve even when you have will to do it. The reason for this is because so many outside sources affect us is so many ways. For example, lets say you are not feeling well one day and someone talks to you in rude way. At that moment, most likely you would not think about what you are going to say and be rude back. It is definitely a difficult task to follow a list like the one I did.

Assignment 3 Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin was definitely considered a rationalist. He made this be known in many different ways with his different studies and experiments. In my opinion, the list he made of the thirteen virtues was what definitely defined him as a rationalist. He believed that society was run by natural law and that he could improve himself by following the list he made. “I propos'd to myself, for the sake of clearness, to use rather more names, with fewer ideas annex'd to each, than a few names with more ideas; and I included under thirteen names of virtues all that at that time occurr'd to me as necessary or desirable, and annexed to each a short precept, which fully express'd the extent I gave to its meaning.” Benjamin Franklin not only listed these virtues, but he also described what each one of them meant to him personally. He knew he could improve himself by trying to follow this list.

Puritans and Rationalists

There are many differences between the beliefs of Puritans and Rationalists. Many of these beliefs even still go on today. The Rationalists believed in God, but they did not think he was responsible for everything that happened in the world. Rationalists took a more scientific approach for the explanation of certain things that happened in this world. Rationalists also believed that we all had certain rights that could not be taken away from us. Puritans, on the other hand, believed that there were only certain people who would get certain rights. Rationalist, in my opinion, believed more in equal ism between everyone while the Puritans believed God chose who had these rights and who did not. I believe we live now in world that leans more towards Rationalism. Science and research is a major part of our every day lives. There are discoveries being made constantly about how the world came to be what it is today and explanations for why certain things happen. Some people to this day though, still believe that God is the reason for everything and that he will decide when the universe will come to an end. I remember the when the new millennium came and how so many religious people thought the world would come to an end. The ongoing debate will most likely never end, but I think anything is possible and it is good to keep an open mind.

Task 3 The Puritans

Total Depravity - through Adam and Eve's fall, every person is born sinful - concept of Original Sin.
Hands of an Angry God- “...God is under no matter of obligation to keep him a moment from eternal destruction. So that, thus it is that natural men are held in the hand of God, over the pit of Hell. They have deserved the fiery pit, and are already sentenced to it.”
The concept of total depravity is described in this quote from Hands of an Angry God. It says that God has no obligation from keeping men from destruction because they deserve it. They deserve hell because they were already sentenced to it from the moment they were born.

Limited Atonement - Jesus died for the chosen only, not for everyone. Irresistible Grace - God's grace is freely given, it cannot be earned or denied. Grace is defined as the saving and transfiguring power of God.
Of Plymouth Plantation- “Being thus arrived in a good harbor, and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of Heaven who had brought them over the fast and furious ocean, and delivered them from all the perils and miseries thereof, again to set their feet on the firm and stable earth, their proper element.”
The concept of Limited Antonement is described in this quote from Of Plymouth Plantation God's grace can be defined in many ways. The Wikipedia describes divine grace as “...God's gifts to all humankind, including, life, creation and salvation.” The puritans believed that it was because of God's grace, that they were able to arrive safely on land.

Puritans

The Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God is one of Jonathan Edward’s most infamous sermons. It speaks of God and how all he feels is wrath towards everyone and that everyone is going to hell no matter what. “And they have no interest in any Mediator, there are no means within reach that can be any security to them. In short, they have no refuge, nothing to take hold of; all that preserves them every moment is the mere arbitrary will, and uncovenanted, unobliged forbearance of an incensed God.” This quote comes directly from the sermon saying that there is nothing anyone can do to save themselves from this furious God. Jonathan in a way is contradicting himself. He explains that nothing that can be done to be saved, however, later on in the sermon he explains that only certain chose ones will be saved. He never says the qualities those chosen one had to have or if they had to do anything. But, if nothing can be done to be saved, how is it that there is going to be these chosen few.
“Thus it is that natural men are held in the hand of God, over the pit of hell; they have deserved the fiery pit, and are already sentenced to it…” This is another big part of Jonathan’s sermon. He believed that men were held up by God over a fire pit and at any moment, for mere pleasure, he could let them go. God is not like this at all. If this were the case, absolutely no one would believe in him. Many of us do and believe his sole purpose is to be able to save us. Jonathan makes it seem like God is having fun taunting with the lives of people.
I believe this sermon was just made up to scare people. I believe that only those who accept Christ as their savior will be saved. God is meant to give us peace and inner calmness, in my opinion. It is said that some people fainted when they heard this sermon. Honestly, I cannot blame them. If I were living in the time they were living in where religion was a big part of every day life, I would have also probably fainted. It is hard to even imagine what was going through Jonathan’s mind. It was definitely made to frighten people, but he could have made it to make people act better to become one of the chosen few. The question that comes to my mind is where is he now?
I do not believe Jonathan Edward’s sermon worked. People believed in God deeply. This is portrayed in William Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation. “Being thus arrived in a good harbor, and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of Heaven who had brought them over the fast and furious ocean, and delivered them from all the perils and miseries thereof, again to set their feet on the firm and stable earth, their proper element.” As soon as the Puritans set foot on land, they immediately thanked God. They believed that because of God, they had safely arrived on land. The opinion of one man is not going to change these strong feelings of the Puritans about God.