Day 11 Blog

Day 11 Blog
The Need for Communities to Stand up for what is Right
In Winthrop’s, “A Model of Christian Charity”, Winthrop aims to inform people with his oration given on the way to the New World or people in the New World. He informs people of what it takes to make a good society. He wants this New World to be looked at and admired. He first starts by saying that there are different types of people in this world, “some must be rich, some must be poor, some high and eminent in power and dignity; others in submission.” He says that God created all of us with a plan. There are reasons that God wanted different types of people in this world. The first reason for diversity is because He is “delighted to show for the glory of his wisdom…and difference of the creatures, and the glory of His power in ordering all these differences.” The second reason is because there are more people to spread “the work of his Spirit.” The third reason, the reason that I think is the most important, is “every man might have need of others.” By creating people with differences, he hopes that all will be brought “together in the bonds of brotherly affection.” The message that Winthrop is trying to give these people is that in this New World, there will be different people. We must love and accept them, for we were all created in God’s image. Winthrop then goes on to ask questions, but he provides objections and numerous answers to each. Such questions that he asks are “What rule shall a man observe in giving in respect of the measure?...What rule must we observe in lending?...What rule must we observe in forgiving (a debt)?...What rule must we observe and walk by in cause of community of peril?” These questions inform his listeners that we must offer up what God has given us “for first he that give to the poor, lends to the Lord and He will repay him.” If a man does not repay his debt, “thou must forgive.” However, if there was some “surety or a lawful pledge” then one must pay the debt. Winthrop then gets into the topic of love. Love, to Winthrop, is the most important part of a community because “it is the fulfilling of the law.” He gives the definition that “Scripture gives us of love…: Love is the bond of perfection.” Love “is a bond or ligament…it makes the work perfect.” It also makes us “contiguous to others,” and we can “mutually participate with each other, both in strength, and infirmity, in pleasure and pain.” He sums love up by saying that “true Christians are of one body in Christ.” Since we are part of one body, we feel together. Also, “the ligaments of this body which kit together are love” and “nobody can be perfect.” We need to be sensitive and sympathetic towards each other because we are all one body. He then goes on to talk about how love comes about and how we exercise love. He says that “love cometh of God and every one that loveth is born of God, so that this love is the fruit of the new birth, and none can have it but the new creature.” Also, he says, “the exercise of this love, which is twofold, inward or outward.” He compares this to how “a mother loves her child.” To sum up again, he explains that “love among Christians is a real thing…and this love is absolutely necessary to the being of the body of Christ…this love is a divine spiritual nature.” He finishes his oration by telling people traveling to the New World that “He hath taken us to be His.” This gives the people hope and calms them knowing that God is with them in their decision. However, he warns them that if they become “corrupted”, and if their “hearts shall turn away…it is propounded unto us this day, we shall surely perish out of the good land.” Overall, Winthrop wanted to give this oration as a way to unify people in this New World. He wanted to make them aware of what it will take to be a successful community and that includes following God, accepting others’ differences, and loving.
In Thoreau’s, “Resistance to Civil Government”, Thoreau speaks to all Americans making them aware that our government is corrupt. He calls upon them to take action and to not be part of the majority. Do what your conscience believes, and do not let the majority make decisions for you. Take action to make a change for what you believe; voting is not the best way to do this. Our system is too flawed to get anything accomplished in our lifetime if we depend solely on a vote. Thoreau believes “that government is best which governs least” making it evident that he is not happy with the government. Thoreau is makes it clear that he will not support a government that goes against his conscience. He does not want no government, but rather “a better government.” He still calls himself “a citizen” and not a “no government men” meaning he still has some faith in his government, but he “cannot for an instant recognize that political organization as my government which is the slave’s government also.” Thoreau is an abolitionist, and he is very opposed to slavery. He cannot see how “men serve” the government when the government only sees these men “as machines” that “have the same sort of worth only as horses and dogs.” In this piece, Thoreau brings up “machines” several times. What does referencing machines mean to you? To me, referencing machines means that he is referring to Americans. We are all so programmed to do what the government tells us that we cannot think for ourselves or stand up to them. Thoreau is willing to go so far as to spend a night in jail for not paying his taxes. He refuses to pay a tax for his church and “all the societies which I never signed on to.” In jail, he was “as free as I was.” The government thought that they were doing him harm in jail, but rather, he had so much time to think and let his conscience be free. A day later, however, he was bailed out of jail by his aunt who paid his tax. This angered him because she just bowed down to the government. All-in-all, Thoreau wants us to take action, and he does not want us to be afraid and stand up for what our conscience believes.
When looking at both, Thoreau and Winthrop, I see more differences than similarities. Yes, both want to have a more perfect community and government, but both are very different. Thoreau seems to want equality between people, being an abolitionist, whereas, Winthrop says that there will be different types of people in the New World because this was God’s image. This gave me the feeling of inequality between people. Also, Thoreau talks of changing laws and taking action to do so, and Winthrop does not mention any laws at all. He talks of being a good person and neighbor. However, they are similar in regard to Winthrop is doing everything he can to create a good government in this New World, where Thoreau is condemning his government, but only to make the government a better system.
When looking at the similarities, Prof. Stansell said to look at how morality guides people’s actions. It is very clear in Winthrop’s oration that morality is what is going to drive this community to be admired and function successfully. However, when looking at Thoreau’s piece this theme was not clear to me. Can anyone explain how morality guides people’s action in “Resistance to Civil Government”? Is it present when Thoreau talks about how we must follow our conscience because we know what God would want? One similarity that I found was that this was presented to the same audience, people of the New World. I took both pieces as a way to unify the people and encourage them to do what is right. Both men agree upon making this New World the best that it can possibly be, and both men know that it takes actions of the citizens to be an uncorrupt society and be successful. We cannot rely solely on other people, but we must take action ourselves. Winthrop says that we must reach out to others in need for we are one body of Christ, and Thoreau says that we need to take action because a vote will only go so far.