"PURITANS": From a U.S. History Book

2/10/2010

“Religion for the sake of religion was not the primary concern of the Puritans or their leaders. Rather they were a worldly people—who saw religion as an intimate part of their civil society.” (Excerpt from a U.S. History book…see more, below)

Many still want a feel good social gathering and nothing more.

The world called “christianity” that most will find on “Sunday morning plus programs” who are seeking Jesus—is primarily a social club, wanting nothing to do with holiness or “obedience” or many of the Teachings of Jesus or the Apostles. Mostly they want the “feel good” Verses that can build their “membership” under the guise of “going to the highways and byways”—and MISrepresenting the Teachings of Jesus and the way JESUS interacted with “sinners” in the process. “Go and sin no more.” “Repent, for the Kingdom is at hand.” “Unless you repent, you will perish.” All said to “the highways and byways”—while today’s “seeker friendly” fads ANNIHILATE the Teachings of Jesus to increase comfort and “membership.” Even “going over land and sea to make a single ‘convert’” only makes them, without repentance, “twice the son of Hell” as those who started the “feel good” seeker-sensitive repentance-less “program.”

Methodist, Vineyard, whatever—most any religious facility these days—are aghast at the ideas of holiness, sacrificial daily love, obedience, or anything that interferes with “flesh” or so-called “personal life.” Anyone who challenges that worldliness and its very bad secret fruit, and call it for what it is—the opposite of what Jesus taught or lived—is attacked in these days, too.

Anyone who LOVES the Great Commission (“Go into all the world and MAKE DISCIPLES, BAPTIZE them, and TEACH THEM TO OBEY all things I COMMANDED you!”) are called nasty names, as if they are the legalistic ones—even though it is JESUS Who said this and demands this of all of those who would wear His Name.

As “the Apostle of Love” would say on the topic: Apostle of Love.

Many don’t WANT to know the Truth and they WANT to leave out Scriptures from God. Some will intentionally skip over Verses like Hebrews 10:26-27 when reading with their family. It actually has happened. It’s utterly amazing how some think they are smarter than God and more loving than God. Wow. It is especially “the ‘builders’” or those who are protecting their flesh and ambitions who are highly motivated to create a choreographed feel good multimedia “christian wonderland” of fun, with no obedience to God necessary; no Conversion to Jesus (the real kind) required. Just bring your pocketbook and “talents” and let’s play church and then live how we want. Many “builders” who pervert the Teachings and LIFE of Jesus are greedy or prideful or power-hungry leaders. They kill the true Sheep (with their poison of planting accusations or fears of the Truth) so they can stay in control of minds and money, and “steal the keys of the Kingdom” as they “don’t let others Enter, either.” All of this is just as as Jesus said it would be. Hmmmmm.

It’s usually the fake “pastors” or money-making “authors” who have rejected the TRUE “Cornerstone” and don’t really want the Jesus who said ALL of the “Great Commission” (not just the first few words, and hating the rest). Many want a feel good social gathering and nothing more and don’t even REALIZE the FREEDOM there is in the REAL thing that Jesus both Taught AND Lived daily with brothers! Of course, anyone is “free” to practice “religion” any way they want. But, just don’t call it Christianity if it utterly refuses, as most do today, to even include the last two-thirds of the Great Commission! A “fake grace” that does NOT “teach us to say NO! to ungodliness” is the very thing that Paul, John, Jesus, Jude, and Peter WARNED would happen to those who attempt to wear Jesus’ Name, but “will NOT have this Man Jesus to be King over them” in their daily lives, or help others do the same without name-calling and excuses. True BIBLICAL “grace” isn’t like that, saith the Lord.

—m

Hi, this is a passage from a U.S. History textbook I found interesting. Although the Puritans came to the New World for religious freedom, their colony in Massachusetts was anything BUT free. It was instead a place of fear, intimidation, persecution, and control (much like the society that Calvin created with his doctrines creating, historically, slavery—to sin and others—under the guise of “freedom” written in the known history of Geneva under Calvin’s total leadership)…

Another thing I found interesting was that though the Puritans mandated a gazillion things that they believed to be “pious,” “holy,” and “scriptural,” their worldly lusts were untempered. (By the fruit, you can quickly discern that their religion was very other than Christianity). Their false doctrine, which was fathered by Calvin, made them a delusional lot…Claiming “religious tolerance,” “a city on a hill” and then persecuting and indulging in every worldly lust all the while. No wonder such freaky stuff took place with their doctrines in the new Colonies and before that—such as the Salem Witch Trials—all resulting from such twisted Piper/Calvinist thinking and practices…[We’ve heard from those currently part of that where he is “pastor” today that it’s all a big secret, like the Masons, until a person “responds to the altar call” and then they are whispered the secret extreme doctrines after that. Sitting in the pew or reading the money-machine books wouldn’t tell you what happens where he lives. Another interesting coincidence.]

“The Massachusetts Bay Colony was meant to be a social and religious bastion established to keep them safe from persecution they had suffered at the hands of the Crown. The Puritans collectively swore a covenant to God to work for these ends. In 1630, they appointed John Winthrop their first governor to work toward these ends. Winthrop was a paragon of Puritan virtues. He was pious, ambitious, dedicated, and convinced that he was the instrument of God’s destiny. Winthrop believed that those who governed did so in God’s name. Those who were chosen to govern on earth were merely appointed to maintain God’s law. His political creed was defined in religious terms based on Calvinist premise that all mankind was corrupted by Adam’s original sin. He believed that only the Bible was the true word of God and that it should be strictly interpreted. Winthrop used his position as head of state to enforce matters of religious doctrine. Although Puritan doctrine stated that each congregation had the authority to interpret scripture any way they wished, Winthrop used his civil authority to control the individual churches in the colony. The state, rather than the church, enforced heresy, blasphemy, and other crimes against God. These crimes often carried with them the sentence of death. By integrating religious and civil authority in this way, the Puritan elite acted much like the English monarchs that had driven them to America in the first place. Like the monarchs of England, the leaders of Massachusetts Bay kept a tight control on the daily lives of its inhabitants.

“Religion for the sake of religion was not the primary concern of the Puritans or their leaders. Rather they were a worldly people who saw religion on a daily basis as an intimate part of their civil society. Because of their unwavering commitment to cleanse the church of England of what they considered to be pagan rituals, the Puritans have always been portrayed as a dour lot, depriving themselves of everyday pleasures. Nothing could have been further from the truth. The Puritans enjoyed worldly pleasures. Unlike the Pilgrims, they wore bright colored clothes, danced, enjoyed feasts, and drank “strong brew” at their celebrations.

“The ‘church’s’ strict hold over both religious and secular authority tended to create a class of outcasts, colonists whose personal views [against worldliness, the power of the clergy, and the Calvin teachings] made them dangerous to the ‘church fathers’ that ran the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Those who spoke out against Puritan doctrine not only directly threatened the ‘church’ but also challenged the power of the Puritan upper class.”

—ssm