George_Whitefield

=**George Whitefield**= Whitefield was a clergyman in the colonies who was opposed by British ministers since he preached Evangelicalism, or that individuals could have a "new birth" and a personal relationship with God. This went against the mainstream preaching in the 1700s and would begin the Great Awakening. Many ministers in England didn't actually care about the poor (they weren't important politically). However, Whitefield went out to the poor (coal miners and woodsmen) to preach that God loves everyone. Crowds were soon gathering to hear Whitefield preach. He said to help the poor, "make them uncomfortable in their poverty and they'll pull themselves out." Once, 30,000 gathered to hear his sermon in Boston. Critics were afraid of him since he preached outside of what was mainstream at the time. English ministers wanted church goers to rely on them or the church. Whitefield preached self-reliance in terms of everyone having the ability to have a personal relationship with God. More colonists began to go to church. Bible study was the follow up of the "new birth," which wasn't common before Whitefield. Whitefield also showed the functions of charity as he raised money. The Black Robe Brigade would start from his sermons on the personal relationship with God.

Whitefield wasn't a Founding Father, but he inspired the Founders by teaching the colonists that they could have a relationship with God and that they could stand up for themselves. He said an individual needed to take responsibility for his or her own faith and that people were equal before God since man was created by God. He did own slaves and supported slavery as an institution, but also believed slaves could attain salvation and needed education. He favored proper treatment of slaves. In the 1760s, he warned the colonists about the British saying there was a "deep laid plot against your civil and religious liberties." He accompanied Franklin to England to help get repeal of the Stamp Act.

His principle was that each person has individual worth and can have an individual relationship with God. He believed each person could stand up for himself and his own individual worth - outside of what was taught at the time. The Founding Fathers had a common trait - they believed in the preachings of Whitefield and that they could stand up for their self worth. In 1770, Whitefield was more popular than George Washington. He taught the colonists to unite in faith and that God spoke to everyone, not just clergymen or the elite (which was believed in England) - if God spoke to everyone and not just the king, then everyone had equal status in the eyes of God - a belief that is seen in many of the founding documents.

If the Founding Fathers didn't hold the beliefs taught by Whitefield, they may not have had the courage to risk their lives by standing up to the British King and the Aristocracy in England.

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