Williams Brand Of Religious Freedom example essay topic

Tate Hamilton Dr. BeckenbaughHistory 201 September 30, 2002 Religious Freedoms or Lack There Of Religious freedom can be viewed in different ways depending on the person or persons seeking the freedom. One group may search for the freedom to practice their own religion, such as the pilgrims and the puritans. However others may view religious freedom as the right to openly practice any religion, a view portrayed in, "Roger Williams on Liberty of Conscience". These different views are all but insignificant in the development of the American colonies because many of the colonies were formed solely on the quest for so-called religious freedom. The pilgrims set out their views and their form of government in a document entitled, "The Mayflower Compact". This document calls for a governor and a group of advisors elected by Plymouth's adult males.

This governing body did not call for a separation between church and state, because they thought that for the colony to flourish and maintain order they had to be under a god loving government. Though the Pilgrims were made up of primarily puritans, they chose to extend their group to include all Christians. They stated this in the Mayflower Compact by saying that their voyage was for the Glory of God, and the Advancement of the Christian Faith. This leads one to believe that the religious freedom they longed for was that of their own or Christianity, and not that of other cultures such as the Jews, Islamic, and Native Americans. John Winthrop's document, "Christian Charity, a Model Hereof", is a much deeper view of puritan beliefs. His goal was to establish a base of beliefs for, "The City on a Hill", as he called it.

This city would be perfect and prosperous if the guidelines were followed according to Winthrop. He only mentions the presence of Christians in the city and states that all true Christians are of one body in Christ, and that the different parts of the body are joined together by love for one another. Winthrop's model consisted of four main things that had to be considered in order for the city to meet it's goal; first, the person; second, the work; third, the end; and fourth, the means. Winthrop refers to the person, as being a company professing themselves as fellow members in Christ. The work is expressed as their effort to form a civil and religious form of government that can work together with the public to maintain order. The end is an attempt to better our live in Christ and to do more work for the lord to rid the world of evil influences.

Lastly the means are a combination of the work and the end, it is the idea that for the city to be prosperous each person will have to do more physically and spiritually for each other and the community as a whole. Though this overall design is good for Christians it does not encompass religious freedom for all. Winthrop later in the document states that if they stray from the set path and worship other Gods the city will not flourish and be removed from the pleasures and profits of the good land. Again Winthrop denies the freedom of religion to all, and instead views religious freedom as the right to freely worship Christ in the manner you desire. The beliefs of Roger Williams would not have satisfied those of the Puritans, because he believe that religious freedom should be extended to all faiths. He makes this clear in his letter to Providence entitled, "Liberty of Conscience".

In the letter he compares society to a ship, and on the ship there are people from many different faiths. He states that all are welcome and none should be forced to attend any of the others worships, and nor shall they be kept from performing their own. Williams believed that church and state should be separate, and that if any group should rise against their governing body they shall be punished accordingly regardless of their religion or beliefs. He states that the governing body is to maintain peace and sobriety, and present a form of justice to those who do not act in such a manner. Williams believed that all faiths could interact with one another and still be a profiting society. Therefore, Roger William's document is the only one that encompasses the freedom of religion for all mankind and not just that of Christians.

Due to the differences of opinions between Roger Williams and those of the puritans, the puritans would not accept Williams' brand of religious freedom. The pilgrims and Winthrop's beliefs embodied the freedom of denomination and worship in Christ, however they lacked the freedom of overall worship, praise, and denomination in any God chosen by another man. These differences are what made Roger Williams the most noted patron on religious freedom.