Ben Studebaker

Mrs. Bouch

Honors English 11

October 10, 2017

Approaching Native Americans and Puritans through Church Teachings

How does God reveal himself to all humans, and not just select humans and religions?

God is a very unique and powerful being, and no one in the world can fully understand the truth

that he is trying to reveal with us. The Puritans and the Native Americans both were two

different groups of people with different cultures and beliefs that they were not willing to

change. The Puritans believe that their religion was the correct religion and tried to convert the

Native Americans to it. God wants everyone to follow him and believe in him, and help them

find the truth within him. Within the two vatican readings, there is a more clear understanding of

where the truth of God is and where to find.

Throughout the two Vatican documents, God reveals himself to mankind in a variety of

ways that not only are extraordinarily difficult to understand, but also ways that are right in front

of us in our everyday life. God reveals himself too humans when he feels that it is time for us to

need guidance in our life from Him. Many religions argue back and forth to each other about

who's religion is right, and that God is on their side. When everyone needs to realize that God

loves everyone equally and is with everyone. Lumen Gentium states a passage from the Bible

saying, “ and behold I am with you all days even to the consummation of the world”. This shows

the truth of God too all his followers because no matter what, God will always be with us.This

reveals the truth about Him by God being real and present in our everyday lives no matter what

religion or race you are. The truth of God is also being revealed through humans. In Nostra
Aetate it states from (John 14:6),” the way the truth and the light…in whom men may find the

fullness of religious life, in whom God has reconciled all things to himself”. Stating that the

Truth of God is revealed within the Church and through the men of the church must do good and

will given the truth.

This has a very strong meaning between Catholics and Non Catholics, including the

Native Americans and the Puritans. Most non catholics believe that their religion is the right

religion to follow and that Catholics are believing in the total opposite. If the religions were

broken down into different pieces, they would have there differences, but they would also have

there similarities. The number one similarity is that they believe what they believe, and believe

how creation of this earth was made. God has made all humans to choose their own way of

belief, and hope that it is the right way which leads them to Truth and fullness with God. In

history, the Native Americans and the Puritans can symbolize as modern day Catholics and non

catholics because of there differences in their religious beliefs. They both had their different

religious beliefs and did not want to change it. The Puritans were forcing the Native Americans

into changing their lives, and too make them change their religion also. God wants everyone to

be on the right path to holiness and finding the truth of God. He does not want people to do it

violently, he wants them to preach the good news of the Lord and hope that people will see the

way. By the interaction of many different religions throughout humans everyday life, He wants

us to help and listen to what they say, too lead them to the truth of God.

The reading that we have read in class has helped me understand the variety of religions

and beliefs of how the world may have came to be. God teaches us that we were created by

Himself, and was made by his love and compassion for all lives. Within Genesis, it states, “In the

Beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” This relates itself back to the Origin Myth
that we had read in class, The Walam Olum. In the Walam Olum it states, “At first, in that place,

at all times, above the earth, He made the extended land and the sky, He made the sun, the moon,

the stars.” This is very familiar with our creation story because in Genesis, we can read almost

something very similar, of how God had created the lands, the sky, and the sun. God can be seen

revealing himself to the people that read this that he may have been the Manito, or trying to

make the people people realize that Manito was God. Within the Walam Olum, it is very similar

with its creation, and God can be seen trying to show his followers that he trie to reveal himself

to the people who believe in the Walam Olum. From the story of the Walam Olum, we as

Catholics can see that God tried to reveal himself to the Native Americans. Maybe because we

are not the Native Americans, and do not believe in the Walam Olum, than we can not see He is

trying to reveal himself to humans.

Puritan beliefs show that God has revealed himself to all humans in some way by

humans, law, and the Bible. Humans need to realize God is not evil, and means well. PBS.org

states, “ Human beings were depraved sinners. God had chosen a few people, "the elect," for

salvation. The rest of humanity was condemned to eternal damnation. But no one really knew if

he or she was saved or damned; Puritans lived in a constant state of spiritual anxiety, searching

for signs of God's favor or anger. “If God had chosen only a select few of people for salvation,

than the puritans must have been very worried about going to heaven or not. They needed to

realize that God was trying to reveal himself to them by hoping they would live in a Christ like

manner. So that they would be able to go to heaven, and make sure that everyone around them

and in their Puritan religion would do the same.

God is the one who loves us, and has the decision on where we go when die. The church

teaches that we as Catholics should treat every human as if we are talking to God and Jesus. God
will lead every human through their life, in which he has mapped out for them. In the end of the

map, he leads us to the truth, in which we need to trust him and follow him for us too find the

truth. God is the true light of the world and our lives, we need to trust him. We need to pray to

him and treat everyone the right way, and help people learn about God. If we all go out and do

this every single day, than we will be led to the truth of God.