Wisdom Builder
Takeaways
MODE:
~
6 minutes
Roger Williams.
10 random takeaways.
1.
Government should act like we all do on a ship. When on a ship out at sea, the captain is in charge and primarily concerned with a safe trip across the ocean. On any given ship will be a mix of religions, races, and worldviews. The captain must be concerned about safety and should allow all to practice whatever traditions they want so long as they don’t hurt others. We all have to live together, so tolerance is not just a virtue, it’s how we all flourish together.
2.
Quote:
- Roger Williams.
- May 6, 1682..
The exact birth and death dates of Roger Williams has been lost to history…so far at least. We think he was born around 1602, give or take a few years. We know he passed in 1683, and by April 1st. We also know he was alive on January 15th. We also believe he was about 80 or 81 when he passed. It’s interesting how much is lost to time for even the famous just a few hundred years ago.
3.
From History: 9 Aug 1672
Williams strongly disagreed with the Quakers, but disagreement did not give him the right to silence them. That distinction is powerful. Make your argument. Listen to theirs. Push back when warranted. Then allow other adults their conscience. Tolerance does not require agreement; sometimes it means peacefully living beside ideas you reject.
4.
Article summary:
Roger Williams was not a brief disturbance in New England history. His ideas endured, his relationships continued, and even those who opposed him had to keep reckoning with him. Some people lose the battle in their own time and still help shape the future.
5.
From History: 1644
The main philosophical idea taught by Williams, Locke, and Montesquieu was that power needed to be checked, which in turn protects individual liberties. Williams split state and church. Locke established natural rights and split King and Parliament. Montesquieu came along and said let’s split government into three branches of checks and balances.
6.
Article summary:
If you use the modern definition of separatist that includes intolerance of others, then Roger Williams was not a separatist. Furthermore, he supported all people living, and working together in the same community for the common good. Sometimes people forget the context of the time and conflate his desire to separate from the Church of England run by the government with the separatist movement based on races. I think some with a desire to promote white supremacy do this on purpose.
7.
From History: 1645
The labels you carry shape the life you live. When a word reduces another person, it also trains your own mind toward judgment, distance, and harm. Learn to live with more care: see the person first, release the harmful label, and choose words that preserve dignity.
8.
Article summary:
Beyond banishment itself, something more human: even in a hard and divided political world, enemies were not always simple enemies. Winthrop opposed Williams, yet also warned him. History is often sharper, stranger, and more layered than our labels.
9.
From History: Born circa 1602, died Mar 1683, aged about 80.
17 Generations Ago
The world you inherit does not have to be the world you defend. Williams grew up surrounded by religious and political coercion, yet learned to question both. Progress often begins when someone notices that what everyone accepts as normal is neither necessary nor right. Think independently—even about your own tribe.
10.
Article summary:
From union leaders standing up to the boss to modern-day NO KINGS protests, the timeless struggle to limit power is about defending individual rights and freedom against the will of any king, boss, or crowd.
The End. Refresh for another set.