Why Do Puritans Have Punishment
Did you know that the Puritans believed that human nature was completely ludicrous and that following the ways of God could save their people from the devil? Well the Puritans lived a strict way of life, in which they followed the ways the bible teaches. However, The Puritans should not have the ability to humiliate and harshly punish those who have sinned. Puritans felt that when one had strayed away from doing God`s work, that they had to take action in harshly punishing and often humiliating the sinner in front of townspeople. Who gave the Puritan people the authority to punish and humiliate those who are believed to do wrong? Wouldn`t that make the Puritans sinners as well? Well the answer is simple, Puritans believed deeply in the Old Testament and thought that God`s punishment would be much worse than any punishment on Earth. However, Puritans took punishments too far, making public whippings common, using the Stockade to
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humiliate a sinner in the middle of the town square while others laughed and spat on the person. In some instances, the punishment issued for a puritan crime is shaped around what the crime was, so everyone understands. Like in the Scarlet Letter, Hester is forced to wear the Scarlet Letter “A” upon her bosom for committing Adultery. In other instances, for gossipers and naggers would be forced to face the “gossip bridle” which was a heavy iron cage of some sort that covered the head and consisted of a flat tongue of iron, which was sometimes spiked, and was shoved over the tongue in the sinner’s mouth. Also, in some cases, a letter that represented the crime would be branded into someone`s forehead, cheek, hand, or finger.
In addition to punishing those who had gone against the ways of society, those who did not attend church regularly were faced with fines, such as in 1668, when John Smith and the wife of John Kitchin were fined for not publically worshiping God in Salem, Massachusetts.
Fines were the best punishment someone could receive, as some who had done serious crimes such as murder or witchcraft, could face the death penalty. But no matter the crime, the Puritans would almost always punish and humiliate people in public in the hope that it will teach a lesson and help sinners come back in touch with the Puritan ways. But after one is humiliated, the public often will shun and separate themselves from the one who has not done God`s work. This can make it hard for one to become part of the Puritan society again, for most townspeople would still hold a grudge for bringing the community shame. The Puritans believed their lives should be shaped around the bible, but they would judge others by their experiences, just as the bible says not to
do.
It would’ve been to the Puritan people`s benefit if they did not humiliate and punish people in vindictive ways. Instead of saving lives from the devil, the Puritan townspeople were offering their lives to the devil as well, because of the way they looked down upon and treater others who have done wrong. Also, the public efforts to correct the sinners in the Puritan society were completely hypocritical. Townspeople would treat those who had done wrong in such a humiliating and excruciating way, the punishments often would leave physical and emotional scars one who was said to “gone astray” from God`s work. By physically maltreating and humiliating people who were thought to do wrong in their human nature, the Puritans are sinning as well and are not following the ways of the bible, like their religion has taught the people to do.
humiliate a sinner in the middle of the town square while others laughed and spat on the person. In some instances, the punishment issued for a puritan crime is shaped around what the crime was, so everyone understands. Like in the Scarlet Letter, Hester is forced to wear the Scarlet Letter “A” upon her bosom for committing Adultery. In other instances, for gossipers and naggers would be forced to face the “gossip bridle” which was a heavy iron cage of some sort that covered the head and consisted of a flat tongue of iron, which was sometimes spiked, and was shoved over the tongue in the sinner’s mouth. Also, in some cases, a letter that represented the crime would be branded into someone`s forehead, cheek, hand, or finger.
In addition to punishing those who had gone against the ways of society, those who did not attend church regularly were faced with fines, such as in 1668, when John Smith and the wife of John Kitchin were fined for not publically worshiping God in Salem, Massachusetts.
Fines were the best punishment someone could receive, as some who had done serious crimes such as murder or witchcraft, could face the death penalty. But no matter the crime, the Puritans would almost always punish and humiliate people in public in the hope that it will teach a lesson and help sinners come back in touch with the Puritan ways. But after one is humiliated, the public often will shun and separate themselves from the one who has not done God`s work. This can make it hard for one to become part of the Puritan society again, for most townspeople would still hold a grudge for bringing the community shame. The Puritans believed their lives should be shaped around the bible, but they would judge others by their experiences, just as the bible says not to
do.
It would’ve been to the Puritan people`s benefit if they did not humiliate and punish people in vindictive ways. Instead of saving lives from the devil, the Puritan townspeople were offering their lives to the devil as well, because of the way they looked down upon and treater others who have done wrong. Also, the public efforts to correct the sinners in the Puritan society were completely hypocritical. Townspeople would treat those who had done wrong in such a humiliating and excruciating way, the punishments often would leave physical and emotional scars one who was said to “gone astray” from God`s work. By physically maltreating and humiliating people who were thought to do wrong in their human nature, the Puritans are sinning as well and are not following the ways of the bible, like their religion has taught the people to do.