Thursday, October 3, 2019
The Idea of Free
The Idea of Freedom to the Colonial America Essay Introduction Colonial America never had experienced freedom to its fullest implication from the beginning of their settlement in America. This could be perhaps understandable in the sense that back in England where many of these settlers came from, the expression of freedom had been so limited too. They have no freedom to express their political views nor did they have freedom of religion. The reigning monarchs James I (1603-25) and Charles (1625-49) established a series of â€Å"increasingly repressive laws against the few remaining Catholics and the growing numbers of Protestants in England†[1]These laws triggered religious persecution that drove many people to migrate to America to escape such repressive laws and the resulting religious persecution. The restriction of religious freedom was also imposed in the colonial America although there had been minor enhancement on its implication to the people. The ideas of freedom during the colonial America varies and was religious in nature but was quite vague in a sense that they implement strict laws and imposed very harsh punishment for violations where freedom was restricted. Based on the lecture of Zaheer Ali (September 10, 2008), America was inhabited by Asian Migrant between 16,000-14,000 B.C. particularly North[2] America (. These migrants undoubtedly had enjoyed unaltered freedom for very long period of time as they may have been undisturbed by the repressive or colonial laws experienced by the colonial America. They can do all they want with out fear of getting apprehended for violating restrictive laws. For the colonial America however, the idea of freedom varied and this was partly due to their diversity of ethnic origin. The Lutheran immigrant from Germany for example carried with them their notions of freedom as â€Å"the potential for philanthropic service to God and fellow humans,†[3] So as did the Puritans from England. This implies the absence of religious persecution in which the individual was persecuted on account of his or her faith. The idea about freedom of the Lutherans from western Germany, in contrast with the notion above, held freedom as â€Å"liberation from external coercion, alongside the promotion of inner godliness.†[4] While the first notion was purely religious, the context of this idea sounds a socio-religious which could be referring to the oppressive laws directed against Protestants and other non Catholic faiths. However, these German American ideas of freedom had evolved during the time of American Revolution. Freedom now includes the protection of property, which means that freedom was not only about serving God and fellow human freely, but also living a secured life with out fear that their properties would be confiscated. But for the Immigrants from England, and other Catholic countries, the idea of freedom was associated to freedom to exercise religion. George Kurian, Jeffrey D. Schultz, John G. West, and Ian S. Maclean pointed out that â€Å"the Pilgrims and Puritans came for religious freedom that chiefly meant freedom to practice their religious convictions without constraint from the English authorities.†[5] During this period, the concept of freedom was very narrow and specific in a sense that it only referred to one particular subject. Furthermore, their ideas were quite vague because while they held that freedom was associated to freedom to exercise religion, anyone who would exhibit different expression of faith even from their own ranks, would be severely punished, usually with death. This was the case in Massachusetts in 1659 and 1661 in which according to George Kurian et, al. â€Å"Quakers were outlawed and punishedâ€â€four were even hanged†[6] for proclaiming â€Å"a different version of Christian faith.†[7] This was also the case of Roger Williams which was banished from Massachusetts in 1636. Kurian et, al. stated that William was intensely devout and was one of the â€Å"first to grasp the idea of religious freedom in the sense that we mean it today.†[8] Thus, the notion of freedom during the colonial America, though linked to freedom to exercise religion, does not actually have any room for tolerating different version of exercising their faith or religious practices, other than the prescribed manner, or to tolerate any other religion which was the true meaning of freedom of religion. The Puritans’ idea of freedom were also grounded on religion. Sheldon Hackney stated that for the Puritans in seventeenth-century New England, freedom was â€Å"the ability of their communities to establish a society of their understanding of the Bibl, the kind of Biblical commonwealth they were not permitted to create on Great Britain were the King was the defender of faith and the church of England was the established church†[9] For the Puritans, Freedom was a spiritual thing. It means freedom from enslavement to sin, which could be achieved â€Å"by strict conformity to the will of church and community.†[10] In his speech to the general court in 1645, John Winthrop, leader of the Massachusetts Bay stated, â€Å"On liberty, moral liberty is to be understood in terms of the covenant between God and man, and it is to that only which good, just and honest†¦.This liberty is is maintained and exercised in a way of subjection to authority; it is the same kind of liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free†[11]            These ideas of freedom of the colonial America were a reflection of the social realities at the time in which religion has been the basis of governance and it encompassed every spheres of the society as well as the everyday life of the individual families. Did everyone experience freedom in the same way?            There is no doubt that the expression of freedom in the context of religion was experienced in the same way through out the colonial America even though some states have different religious ideas. Hackney noted, â€Å"Colonial America in general, was not devoted to religious toleration. Anglican in Virginia had very different religious ideas from the Puritans in New England, but they agreed completely about the need of the society for uniformity of worship.†[12] This same experience of the idea of freedom could be attributed to the fact that the issue of religion as the basis of governance was also the standards of the moral and ethical norms of the society throughout Europe and the Americas. The fact that most of the immigrants had migrated to America to escape religious persecution reflects the same experiences that logically breeds the same feelings in which; their idea of freedom were based.            All throughout the American colonial period, the ideas of freedom were influenced by the developments in England particularly the set of power. Notable was the rise to the throne of Mary, the protestant daughter of James II and her husband, William of Orange which paved the way for the objective view of religion and government. It was from this period that the evolution of the ideas of freedom to exercise religion began to find a place in the government which later influenced the declaration of independence of the colonial America.            Generally however, the main issue of freedom was freedom to exercise religion between Protestant and Roman Catholics. It means people experiences tyranny, oppression, injustice, and discrimination on account of their religion. These experiences were common among every state in colonial America as religiosity were the basis of the society’s everyday lives. It is the standard of norms of the society and was the basis of justice. However, this is quite vague because the freedom to choose religion was between Protestant and Roman Catholics only and which ever one chose, affects his or her own life socially, physically, and economically. Moreover, the idea of freedom limits to freely exercise either the Puritan or the Lutheran faith in the traditional manner of worship. It means that the individual were not allowed to have personal interpretation of the word God in a way that will suit to his or her situation and needs. It was a freedom to mean only to exercise the Lutheran and the Puritan faith and practice freely. This vague understanding of freedom had led many colonial states to â€Å"abstain voluntarily from asserting a governmental right to control or regulate religious activity within their territories and jurisdiction†[13] This development in the ideas of freedom was experienced all through out America until the birth of the United States because more and more states had recognized that religious freedom was part of the ideology of America, part of the American’s self concept. Thomas Jefferson according to Guinn once stated that freedom is, â€Å"the most inalienable and sacred of all human rights.†[14] This realization of the value of religious freedom had contributed to idea of freedom which we now enjoy. Conclusion            The social realities in Europe during the 1700s greatly affected the lives of people everywhere. The religious conflict between Protestant and Roman Catholics affected not only people of England but also in most part of Europe where the conflicts were intense. These realities led people to migrate to America.            At first glance, all we can see are the ugly, realities but looking objectively, those ugly realities paved the way for a more meaningful concept of freedom which enabled us to live a more enjoyable and exciting life. It gave our policy makers a more objective understanding and more objective laws that guarantees the individual freedom not only to practice religion but also to express views on governments or to criticize what one perceive to be wrong as long as he or she does not violate the law. Today, we are benefiting from the equal implementation, equal, purpose, and equal meaning of the law regardless of race, sex, color, religion, and ethnic origin, as our laws guarantee not only our freedom, but also our peaceful existence, our rights, and the security of our properties and most all our future. Bibliography Ali, Zaheer â€Å"The American Experience†(Lecture, September 10, 2008). Fahlbusch, Erwin; Bromiley, Geoffrey William; Barrett, David B. The Encyclopedia of Christianity USA: Wm. B. Eerdsmans Publishing, 1999 Guin, David Faith in Trial USA: Lexington Books, 2006 Hackney, Sheldon Magnolias Without Moonlight USA: Transaction Publisher, 2005 Kurian, George; Schultz, Jeffrey D.; West, John G. Maclean, Ian Encyclopedia of religion in American Politics USA: Greenwood Publishing, 1999 Noll, Mark A. America’s God New York: Oxford University Press, 2005 [1] Erwin Fahlbusch, Geoffrey William Bromiley, David B. Barrett, The Encyclopedia of Christianity USA: Wm. B. Eerdsmans Publishing, 1999, p. [2] Zaheer Ali â€Å"The American Experience†(Lecture, September 10, 2008). [3] Mark A. Noll, America’s God New York: Oxford University Press, 2005, p. 116 [4] Noll, p. 116 [5] George Kurian, Jeffrey D. Schultz, John G. West, Ian Maclean Encyclopedia of religion in American Politics USA: Greenwood Publishing, 1999, p. 59. [6] Kurian et, al, p. 59 [7] Ibid [8] Ibid [9] Sheldon Hackney Magnolias Without Moonlight USA: Transaction Publisher, 2005, p. 126. [10] Hackney, p. 126 [11] Ibid [12] Ibid [13] David Guin Faith in Trial USA: Lexington Books, 2006, p.25 [14] Ibid
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