RESPONSES
The first text I read for today's blog posting was A Model of Christian Charity by John Winthrop. This text was about love and its powers. I think this was a sermon to his community. He talks about the power of God, and how everything happens for a reason. Winthrop tells his congregation to love each other because it is what the Bible says to do. He uses a question and answer section in his sermon to get his point across about different things the community may deal with. I agree with Winthrop. Treating people kind and with love is the best way to go about things. Winthrop uses a biblical foundation to preach about how to be a strong community.
The next text was by Henry David Thoreau, Resistance to Civil Government. This was about Thoreau's idea that individuals should value their conscience and fairness over the law. In this text he criticizes government and how it has sometimes been oppressive to the people (slavery and wars). I believe that Thoreau did not really like government at all, and felt that society would be better if people just went off of their morals and beliefs of what is right versus always doing what the law says to do. Thoreau disagreed with government so much, that he refused to pay taxes, another measure he felt was oppressive to the people. He ended up spending the night in jail over this. He felt that in both slavery and specifically the Mexican-American War, the government over stepped its boundaries and was aggressive towards the people. He did not feel that the government had any real legal reason to justify slavery of the Mexican American War. He does not believe in a majority, because the majority is not always right. Thoreau thinks that other Americans should follow his example and just disassociate from government too.
Thoreau and Winthrop believe people should follow their morals and always do what is right. The difference is their reasoning; Winthrop uses the Bible, and Thoreau uses his disapproval of government.
QUESTIONS
- Does Thoreau believe that the government will change if the people do?
CONNECTIONS
- Every time there is a war, some sector of the population disagrees. Do you think Thoreau disagreed with war altogether or the reasons the government decides to pursue it?
I think Thoreau believes that their will be a change int eh government to some extent if people stand up for what they believe in rather being told how things are going to be handled. I'm not sure how much pull the people would actually have but I assume if enough people make a fuss they will have to listen o them and consider their thoughts.
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