Comparing The Crucible And Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God

Finding Justification for Injustice
What politician hasn’t used religion as an unwavering piece of justification in an argument? All throughout history, politicians have used religion countless times to justify behavior or simply to avoid unflattering questions. Authors and characters are guilty of this as well. “The Crucible” and “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” include evidence that individuals use religion as justification to prey on other’s fears and insecurities, to use as evidence to explain an occurrence or phenomenon, or to pass judgement on another person because Miller wishes to shed light on the manipulation of ideas and religion, and Edwards wishes to persuade his audience through these tactics.
The victimization of fears and securities is a main weapon in the belt of those who wish to lead and conquer. This is proved when in “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, Edwards uses dark imagery and tone, telling the congregation, “O, Sinner! Consider the fearful danger you are in...You hang by a slender thread, with the flames of divine wrath flashing about it” (156). This is included in his sermon so that his audience will be frightened into taking their faith more seriously. Miller writes Abigail as preying upon Danforth’s willingness to believe her every word. When Abigail is written as

I have seen people choked before my eyes by spirits” (Miller 211). Miller includes this exchange to show that a clear bias toward faith in the idea of witches plaguing salem has taken Danforth’s reason. Edwards also implies that he has the right to judge his congregation, such as when he preaches that “You [his congregation] have offended him infinitely more than ever a stubborn rebel did his prince” (154). By using the pronoun ‘you’ Edwards distances himself from the supposed sinners of the congregation, implying superiority and ability to judge the congregation’s