Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God

Edwards, Jonathan. "Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God"
28 March 2008. < http://www.piney.com/JonEdwSinHands.html >


Reflection: Edward's "Sinners in the hands of an angry god" expresses that man is condemned to hell, yet it is God's will that man shall not perish. The puritan's express everything according to god such as it was the act of God that this person died or it was God's will that the meteor struck the town. The author, Edwards, seems to convey God's wrath in his sermons, considering he wants to convince his audience one thing is for certain, all of us are going straight to hell. Yet God does not wish to cast man from earth, although he has the power to crush any form of rebellion against him. His support tests our faith, and without his hand to hold us we would immediately fall straight into the fathoms of hell. Well, if the puritans are zealous servants to God and embrace him, what is Edward's purpose in writing such frightening works? Apparently these sermons are a means of scaring the people and telling them about man's potential wickedness. Of course it is all about keeping the puritan community under control, making sure that no one would deviate from their religious customs. This fear Edwards creates is a weapon that is used against those who differ from the puritan community. For instance, say if an individual visits the puritan community in that time frame. The individual believes in God; however, he does not celebrate the rituals or customs of the puritan faith. The outcome would most likely be brutal considering that Edwards pressured the community to despise anyone who is not like them, not like the true righteous believers. Throughout time fear has been one of the greatest tools for man. By inspiring fear into people telling them that God does not want to welcome man to heaven and that no matter how kind or pure of heart, they are still wicked and belong to Satan. All Edwards has really done is create prejudice thus preventing the puritan community to advance and eventually de-evolve.
At the age of 11, I was in fifth grade at a private school. This would be my first and last time in private school. It was specifically a Christian school; it was nothing different from public school except that the last time of the day was saved for reading parts of the bible. I never said anything about my beliefs considering I was not dedicated to any religion. People knew that about me, since I kept asking questions about God's wrath such as, "If God wants us to love him then why does he punish people?" The friends I had didn't mind the fact I was not Christian, yet it did stop me getting into trouble. A few times our class was not on its best behavior, and so we would be forced to read more of the bible or other religious texts during lunch. One time I simply didn't feel like it so I escaped the classroom before lunch began (by asking to use the restroom). It didn't take much effort for the teacher to know that I was skipping since our class consisted of only twelve kids. She said it was no excuse for me not to read the bible since I was not Christian. After that, she did not tell me I was going to hell for skipping in fact I was let off the hook. She wanted to let me know that no matter what or who you believe, it is important to understand others only then will they make an effort to understand you.

Diary: Sad, so sad. It is sad that such scum thrive on the earth, in which the Lord provides us. It is sickening to know that those who protest against the Lord are in the presence of his House. This village has already bore too much filth. I cannot stand to know that this once pristine and divine place holds many sinners in which they call it their home. I shall let them know that it is my home, and in my home scum are cast down to the very fathoms into the earth waiting at the gates of hell. We have been idle for too long, and I grieve to say that heresy grows from idleness. Brothers and sisters we must unite and be holy in our cause. Our ultimate goal is to please him, the Lord. It would be more than a pleasure for him than to rid the filth from his presence. Exile was these sinners only chance for mercy, and now this village holds no more. For mercy is not tolerated any longer, it is only for the weak.

What about the Dream? (EQ)

The life of a puritan, as seen through their literature, is judged in the name of God. Of course every event is due to God's will. The views of a puritan woman and a man are very contrasting in the community. Anne Bradstreet usually conveys a soft-toned message, in which God always saves her from the material world so she may be guaranteed her spot in heaven. While Jonathan Edwards, is very dark and furious in his purpose to expose that every man crumbles to his feet without God's aid and that we are all assured to be sent to hell, unless life is just in God's eyes. Such an angry tone from Edwards creates hostility in the community where society itself crumbles. The Salem Witch Trials are a good example of the puritan community collapsing. It was either accuse or be accused in those times of heresy. The Puritan's were too caught up in their goals and started purging other puritans not the unholy. The Puritan dream can be described as finding one's way to God's Kingdom; however, according to Edwards and other puritan authors only so many can be accepted to heaven that the journey towards it becomes a fight for survival.