BLOG 4: The Constitution Article 1

The constitution of the United States of America is composing of seven articles. Each article talks about the duties of the executive, Legislative and Judicial branches. The constitution clarifies the power of the Federal and State government. And finally, it also point out how are we allow to make changes at the constitution. Basically, the article one is describing the roles and rules of the Legislative branch. Congress is the one in charge of making the laws for the United States. It consists in two houses, The Houses of Representative and Senate. In section two says that member of the House of Representative are chosen every second year and who qualify and meet all the requirements to be part of the house. The number of representative is determined by the population of each state, so bigger the state, more representatives. On the other hand, the senate of country as it says in section 3, it composing of two senators from each state, which are chosen by the Legislature thereof for six years and should receive one vote. It also explain that in order to be a member of the houses you must be citizen for nine years, be thirty years old and be from the state you are run for. Then in section 4, it talks about how each state should creates way for elected its representatives and the congress has to meet at least once a year especially in December. In section 5 says than the congress have to have the minimum number of members present in order to assemble.  And members who do not show up could be expelled with votes of the others members. But in order to do that, the congress must keep records or journals of each meeting and voting. Section 6 tells us that the members of the congress will be paid. Then in section 7, “explained us how bills becomes laws.” Section 8, it lists specific powered that the congress has such as declare war, raise money and establish post office. But in section 9 some limits are put on the congress. And finally section 10 prohibits the states from some things such as don’t allow them to make their own money and declare war. I think that the American Constitution is one of the best well-structured and organized one. The first article and its sections clearly show well development and how each point was treat carefully. 

Reflection #3 John Wise " Democracy Is Founded im Scripture"

In this article, John Wise described that there are three form of governments. Democracy in which people choose their leaders. Also, people are sovereign. People are free to criticize their elected leaders and representatives. " A democracy is then erected when  a number of free people do assemble together." The second form of government is aristocracy. It is a form in which the country is rule by the best and the rich and powerful people.An aristocracy is a group that benefits from a excess amount of wealth, power and education.  The third form of government is a monarchy. This is referring to the idea of just one person has to rule and control de government. 

Democracy is "the government by the people." We, the people, are the one who select the person who is going to represent us; our rights and our state in general. Also, we elected in a way the president. However, we did not participate in a direct way with issues in our governments. We do not approve law. 

Reflection #2- Roger Williams " The Bloody Tenet of Persecution for Cause of Conscience" and "The Bloody Tenet of Persecution, Made Yet More Bloody. "

Roger Williams was an American Protestant and "and the first one to protested of religious freedom and the separation of the church and the state." He found the Rhode Island and Providence colony. He disagreed with the idea of persecution and opened his colony to any type of religion. In other words, any religion was able to be practiced in his colony. In his writing " The Bloody Tenet of Persecution for Cause of Conscience," he presented the idea of separation of the church and civil matters. He basically said that the church acted in a hypocrisy way and destroyed millions of souls. It also practiced violence against people by persecuting them and their beliefs. For him, everyone was allow to practice the religion his or her wanted. His idea of the separation was because he thought that the church and the state should not be mixed up with each together. Then in 1652, he wrote The Bloody Tenet of Persecution, Made Yet More Bloody. In this book he again repeated that every man must do what his conscience tells him to do. The beliefs are the must important and trustful thing. In this article he explained that we have to do what we think is right, "fight with the spirit of love." 

Reflection #1 John Winthrop: The Little Speech (1639)

John Winthrop in "The Little Speech" talked about the kinds of liberty. According to him there are two types of liberty "Natural liberty and Civil or federal liberty." According to him " Natural liberty is what man shares in common with beasts. Man, as he stands in relation to man, has the liberty to do good or evil."  As man grow, they become more evil. Many times, we do not know how to control ourselves. We are able to take revenge with our hands when we think something is wrong. In the other hand, civil or federal liberty is the relation between God and Man, moral law and politic views. " This liberty is the proper end and object of authority." We live in a world where we need in somehow authority. There is too much of corruption in nowadays and people just want to do what is good for them. Many times, we think we are the only people living in this world and we want to govern as it suits us. That is why we need governments because otherwise we will all be lost. We will not know what to do and to lead. How would our lives be without government? Our countries will be a chaos. In some way, we need authorities to lead us into what we need to do.