Who were the real savages in the 1600s?

     Throughout our reading in class we have talked a lot about colonization and the interactions between Native Americans and the English. John Smith and Mary Rowlandson both in their writings called the Native Americans savages and had terrible opinions about them. The one thing that catches my attention is the fact that no one ever got the Native Americans side of the story, anybody can be a victim if you only let them tell the story. Its pretty well known though that the Englishmen that came over to the New World were savage-like in ways. The Englishmen might have been more "civilized" than the Native Americans, but that doesn't make them superior.

     The Native Americans have been ridiculed and discriminated against for decades just like the African slaves, and once again through history the English come out kind of untouched in the bigger scheme of things. In history, the English are credited with participation in the slave trade and the destruction and exile of Native Americans. Destroying the culture and history of two races and being credited for the holiday we all know as Thanksgivings is what we associate with the English, but more so Thanksgivings than anything.

     The English lost a lot of early settlers by the hands of the natives, but the natives lost EVERYTHING to hands of the English. The proof in the pudding to revealing that the natives lost everything, including culture:

The map of the United States is the proof because of the 48 states that were accumulated over time was either barren land or land occupied by natives that were eventually killed, captured, or forced off their land. The land we know as North America was taken from people who did not deserve it and now we roam their lands, with our democratic government and american culture ruining it bit by bit.

The Native Americans killed for self - defense. Intruders come from overseas to start fresh in your territory, the smart and instinctive thing to do, especially for males is to protect, and that is what they did. 

At the end of the day, I believe the Native Americans were just in some way for their "savage" ways, but the English on the other hand were GREEDY, taking what they want as they see fit. The English helped the natives which is indeed true, but it was help until they got what they wanted, then it was take your land and death to you. Similar to our situation in "America" now with the real - estate economy, we want your land to build a shopping center so we are gonna pay you to move and build on your land. In most cases this leaves the seller of the home out to dry because the american dollar isn't worth much, makes it harder to buy home also in this economy. But the people at the top do not care.

Was Thomas Paine apart of the Free Masons?

"In Deism our reason and our belief are happily united"  

                                                                                                          - Thomas Paine
   
   
     Thomas Paine in his era was known as many things, but one thing I begin to question is his connection to the Freemasons. Paine wrote about George Washington (who would eventually become the first president of the United States) in his writing The Crisis, Number 1. George Washington was well known for his connection to the Freemasons, so I researched to see if Thomas Paine was connected to Washington and the Freemasons.
     I Google searched specifically, "Was Thomas Paine a Freemason" and clicked the first link World Union of Deists. Thomas Paine's Thomas Paine on Free Masonry, Part I was available for me to read. Its interesting how Thomas Paine actually has pages written about the origin of Free masonry. He begins to compare Free Mason principles to Christian principles, but its understood that Paine doesn't believe in religion, he believes in only one God so he calls the christian faith a "parody on the worship of the sun".

What intrigues me the most is the fact that Paine knows in detail about the inner workings of the Freemasons. My father is a Freemason and told me their sworn to secrecy and cannot reveal what goes on within the organization. This organization houses people from all walks of life, different cultures, different languages, but they all have common knowledge. Men known worldwide have been associated with Freemasonry, Da Vinci,   George Washington, Benjamin Franklin. Even presidents like The Bush's are associated with the secret society. So how does Thomas Paine know so much if he is not a Freemason?

     This YouTube video documents the hidden faith of the Founding Father's. It can answer a few questions about Thomas Paine. The thing that get me is the fact Thomas Paine in his writings, never said he was a Freemason, so it is all still speculation. The one fact I know for sure is that no man can discuss meanings and inner workings of the Freemasons and for Paine to know so much detail about the secret society has to mean more than meets the eye.
     Another reason I believe you consider Thomas Paine connected to the Freemasons is because a lot of the early members were prominent figures in their society with great influence. Many of them were astrologists, philosophers, artist, mathematicians, scientist, and had many other influential careers. Paine fits the mold completely, being known as an author, pamphleteer, radical, inventor, and revolutionary. With his influential writings and talks during his era, Paine had to be a target for a society of their influence and intellect.

"An eye for an eye will leave the whole world blind" - Mahatma Gandhi

How is Religion and Psychology tied together?

Religion: The belief or worship of a superhuman controlling power, esp. a personal God or gods.

Psychology: The study of the human mind and its functions, esp. those affecting behavior in a given context.

Definitions found via www.google.com

     Jonathan Edwards was a pastor during the Great Awakening and his mission was to influence the masses and voice the lifestyle and opinions of Christianity, but to do so you need more than just words to influence people to accept your beliefs and ways of thinking. Understanding basic ideas of psychology can make the task of influencing people easier. Religion and faith is more of a psychological influence, meaning any influence religion has is internal and will impact a person from the inside out.
     Edwards sermon Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God was very vivid and had a lot of imagery;

"There is a dreadful pit of the glowing flames of the wrath of God; there is hell's wide gaping mouth open; and you having nothing to stand upon, nor any thing to take hold of; there is nothing between you and hell but air; it is only the power and mere pleasure of God that holds you up."(Page 5 of printed version) http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/history/spurgeon/web/edwards.sinners.html

     His sermons left still pictures in many of the peoples minds who saw and heard him speak. Through his many metaphors and imagery he slowly shaped the mind of the people with his influence. Through constant repetition also a human can be shaped and molded. Edwards constant repetition of verbal images about hell and walking without guidance, is a basic behavioral analysis principle called shaping. Shaping in psychology is the strengthening of a behavior or a certain thought process through repetition.

     To show how religion and psychology is tied together, I move forward to present day and the battle between people and religion. The fight that Jonathan Edwards and many like him fought decades ago. Over the years from Edwards time on earth until now, people have died over religion and people have changed their religion. Through the years psychology developed the principles of conditioning, and conditioning a group of people to think a certain way and behave in a certain manner has been done since the beginning of religion. Religion persuades a person through faith and belief that what ever done under their faith, for their faith, is just.

Religion is no more than a psychological tool that is used to keep people separated and thinking different. Belief elicits emotion and when emotions run too high, violence increases and the tranquility religion is suppose to bring is diminished.