Why Puritans Persecuted Dissenters
Why Puritans Persecuted Dissenters
The Puritans fled religious persecution in England. They mainly feared as “savages” because they took their version of religion with extreme seriousness. The Puritans did not have the sensibility of people could do different things and cross paths without any conflict. Therefore, they persecuted the dissenters who did not agree with their version of religion.
To begin, the Puritans left since they felt that their correct view of religion was being repressed. They believed that the Church of England was wrong and ungodly. They, therefore, perceived their religion as the right one and that they had been brought forth from a God’s calling. They perceived that it is God who had called forth to perform of the role of spreading the true religion in the New World and hence nothing should stop them.
The Puritans perceived that the biggest threat to the establishment of their religion in the new world was resistance from dissidents. They perceived dissidents as people who were in mutiny in contradiction of God’s spirit for humankind. God’s determination for people was to found the True Church in the New Creation. The True Church would be responsible for creating the right society where people would be loving and happy. Subsequently, the Puritans wanted God’s Will to be the basis for all laws in society. The presence of other religions other than the Puritan’s religion in the society was deemed that it would bring God’s wrath upon them. Therefore, they believed that they had a duty to persecute dissenters in a bid to prevent them from bringing God’s wrath upon the society. The society was supposed to observe one true God’s Will under the True Church.
