"The only thing more dangerous than an idea is a belief." (Pg. 1) This is what Sarah Vowell begins with in her book "The Wordy Shipmates" and I have to agree with her. An idea is a conception or plan that you strive to do. You continue to follow that idea but might run into problems along the way and discontinue to follow the idea. A belief, on the other hand, is a devotion to whatever it is someone feels strongly about. Whether it be a religious or political belief, many people would sometimes kill for their belief. Like the many assassination attempts throughout our countries politically historical leaders including Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., and John F. Kennedy. These people who shaped the America we know today were all killed because some people believed they weren't doing the right thing and continued with their motive until it was complete. Our presidents were only helpers in the America we know today, but the true shapers were our Puritan ancestors and Governor John Winthrop who set the foundation for our nation to flourish upon.
Going back to the departure of the Arbella, led by Governor Winthrop, another man by the name of John Cotton gave a farewell speech to the people about set sail towards a new home. Later in his speech about how they are "God's chosen people" he says, "when the hive is too full, they seek abroad for new dwellings."(Pg. 4) Of course, Cotton is referring to bees and immigration to a new land of hope. When he said this, it reminded me of the people of Mexico coming to our country today seeking a place of refuge and a place to call home for their families. Some although are coming over illegally, which poses many problems for our government and communities. But the people of Massachusetts Bat colony sought a new place to live, and wanted to get away from their king who they thought was destroying their country.
Vowell also discusses the topic of how different our learning styles today differ from the Puritans. Without electricity, plumbing, or many transportation methods, the Puritans had to live without these things all their lives. It is funny that most Americans today probably couldn't even comprehend the fact of no television. Don't even ask what life would be like without electricity. The Puritan's, without any of these things we have today, had to make do with writing and reading their own books including their favorite book of all, the Bible. "The United States is often called a Puritan nation. Well, here is one way in which it emphatically is not: Puritan lives were overwhelmingly, fanatically literary. Their single-minded obsession with one book, the Bible..." (Pg. 13) Knowing our nation today, many Americans enjoy reading and writing books, don't get me wrong, but since the development of television and movies, people have different interests other than books, but are also able to learn from them in some situations. I think this is sad that the newer generations are spending more time in front of T.V. and less time in front of a book. What is to come of books in the future? But that's the way history steered itself towards and that's how many people today learn. For example, the discovery channel is a channel which teaches its viewers about different animals around the world, how they live and certain dangers that they have to fight everyday. It reminds me of myself having to fight certain issues that come up everyday of our lives whether it be a broken car or my little sister. Either way, we are all connected by the little daily issues we face and eagerly solve them until they're fixed.
Going back to talking about learning and an education, the Puritan's were always very excited to learn and receive a proper education. "The magnitude of the Puritan devotion to high education is on display in a letter Reverend Thomas Shepard, Jr., wrote to his son upon the lad's admission to Harvard... But Shepard's note is note so much a letter to his son as a love letter to learning..." (Pg. 14) This letter to his son not only shows that he thinks he should take advantage of going to school and that he himself loves to learn. In the America today, a good education means a good job, and a good job means money. So, taking advantage of going to a school like Harvard can be very advantages in the long run, and it is very important to take in every aspect of it in order to get the most out of it. I would say, since the Puritans immigrated to Massachusetts Bay, the love for learning is still here but may have decreased due to loss of interest in learning or maybe not caring to learn at all. All i know is that learning is to be used to our advantage and you can never learn to much.
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Ah. Glad you brought that up. Here is my reasoning in believing that Ideas are more dangerous than Beliefs.
ReplyDelete1). You come up for beliefs through Ideas, i.e.; Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judism, etc.
2). You can believe in something, but that something is an idea, i.e.; You can believe in an idea of a belief, but it still derives from an Idea. Everything starts through thinking, thinking->ideas->beliefs.
3). You can not get an idea from a belief. In fact it would be contradictory. During the crusades, the Christians and Muslims were not interested in thinking up new forms of religion other than their own. Likewise, many who strictly believe in an idea, like christianity, are very conservative.