RATIONALISTS

1. The Puritans believed that God was responsible for everything and people weren't suppose to worry themselves about what's going on around them, because it was all in God's hand. On the other hand the Rationalists wanted to achieve order and explanation of the natural things through science. They thought learning about it the scientific way was better than learning from the scripture. Rationalist believed that human society was run by natural law, they thought that if people were able to understand these laws they would be able to improve their lives. Improvement was important to the Puritans also but they always pleaded to God for it. The Rationalist believed they could take a scientific approach to things like that which the Puritans thought was an insult to God.

3. Ben Franklin was a good example of a rationalist because he didn't live by church rules he lived by his own rules with natural beliefs.

"In the evening I found myself very feverish, and went in to bed; but, having read somewhere that cold water drank plentifully was good for a fever, I follow'd the prescription, sweat plentiful most of the night, my fever left me, and in the morning, crossing the ferry, I proceeded on my journey on foot," See I think this is a rationalist thought because he didn't wait on God to heal him from his sickness he used natures creation and got well himself if it was someone who believed the same way the Puritans did they would've waited on God to heal them but he didn 't.

4. Peaceful- Avoid disagreements that aren't worth it

Respect- Respect others like you would want them to respect you

Honesty- Be honest because telling lies gets you nowhere

Trustworthy- Be able to be trusted and be able to trust other people

Caring- Care about others instead of just caring about myself

Interactive- Interact with other people instead of being a anti-social

Considerate - Think of ways to help other people in need

Giving- Give sometimes instead of always wanting to receive

Positive- Try to be a positive person instead of having negative things to say

Dependable- Be someone that people can depend on

Courageous- Always have the courage to do my best

Independent- Depend on no one but myself to handle my business

Pride- Show pride in what I do for example my school work

I honestly think if I were to follow by these thirteen virtues I could reach moral perfection. I do need to really work on these things. Especially being a caring person, because I have a problem thinking about others people's feelings and only worrying about my own. Also being independent because I always depend on my mother to help me do things. Which will have to stop because pretty soon I will be a mother myself. I believe though if I focus and really go by these thirteen virtues I could become a better person.

5."all men are created equal" would be a rationalist thought. The Puritans wouldn't believe this cause they believed that God only chose a certain people to have certain abilities

"that they are endowed by their creator with inherent and inalienable right: that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" Puritans would disagree because they thought God chose the one's he wanted to be happy and made the other people suffer.

"that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it" See this is a Rationalist thought because the Puritans would think that it is not up to the people to try and handle the problem it is up to God. The Rationalist believed that they had a say about what went on in their government.