Mid-term essay

Comment upon the following statement:

Puritanism. The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy. (H.L.Menken) Henry Louis Mencken (September 12, 1880 - January 29, 1956), better known as H. L. Mencken, was a twentiethcentury journalist, satirist, social critic, cynic, and freethinker, known as the "Sage of Baltimore" and the "American Nietzsche". He is often regarded as one of the most influential American writers of the early 20th century. The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism is a religious reform movement in the late 16th and 17th centuries that sought to purify the Church of England of remnants of the Roman Catholic popery that the Puritans claimed had been retained after the religious settlement reached early in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Puritans became noted for a spirit of moral and religious earnestness that informed their whole way of life, and they sought through church reform to make their lifestyle the pattern for the whole nation. Their efforts to transform the nation contributed both to civil war in England and to the founding of colonies in America as working models of the Puritan way of life. Puritanism may be defined primarily by the intensity of the religious experience that it fostered. Puritans believed that it was necessary to be in a covenant relationship with God in order to redeem one from ones sinful condition, that God had chosen to reveal salvation through preaching, and that the Holy Spirit was the energizing instrument of salvation. Puritanism was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England. The designation "Puritan" is often incorrectly used, notably based on the assumption that hedonism and puritanism are antonyms: historically, the word was used to characterize the Protestant group as extremists similar to the Cathari of France. Puritanism has a historical importance over a period of a century, and general views must contend with the way it changed character and emphasis almost decade by decade over that time.

Puritanism. The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy in other words A Puritan is someone who is deathly afraid that someone, somewhere is having fun are two quotes from H.L. Mencken. I think we could also say that for religious abusers, their greatest fear is that someone, somewhere may be getting away with something they disapprove of. I get the feeling that the worse thing that abusers and manipulators imagine happening is that someone who used to be under their influence goes off and enjoys life without any reference at all to their former church. The fact that we can be imperfect and lead imperfect lives and still be happy drives them nuts. If they had courage they would be running out in front of us to our new communities making sure that none of our new acquaintances makes the mistake of actually liking or accepting us. Puritan culture emphasized the need for self-examination and the strict accounting for ones feelings as well as ones deeds. This was the centre of evangelical experience, which women in turn placed at the heart of their work to sustain family life. The words of the Bible, as they interpreted them, were the origin of many Puritan cultural ideals, especially regarding the roles of men and women in the community. While both sexes carried the stain of original sin, for a girl, original sin suggested more than the roster of Puritan character flaws. I think the quote it is also a cynical and humorous definition of Puritanism and means that Puritans characteristically looked at their neighbors and other townspeople suspiciously, because they believed that if anyone who was happy or enjoying him or herself, he or she must be sinning so every thing or person that was happy or did things that offered him a certain pleasure or a good mood was feared by the others, was avoided and was regarded as the most sinful man. To be happy was equivalent to being sinful. According to what I have learned about the Puritans and what I saw in The Cruciblemovie many people were much more interested in finding sin in others' homes than in their own. The infamous Salem witch trials and executions were examples of this trait. In Salem, everything and everyone belongs to either God or the devil; dissent is not merely unlawful, it is associated with satanic activity. Hysteria played an important role in tearing apart a community and enabled people to believe that their neighbors, whom they have always considered upstanding people, are committing absurd and unbelievable crimes

communing with the devil, killing babies, and so on. Also reputation played an important role, the fear of guilt by association becomes particularly harmful. Focused on maintaining public reputation Puritans feared that the sins of their friends and associates will taint their names. Despite their intolerance of differences, the Puritan moral codes had a great impact upon American society because the adherence to the strict Puritan moral code was both a sign of salvation and a path to prosperity.