Camp meetings, like the one in the picture above, were thought to inspire which of the following?
(picture showing crowds of people gathered around people in a forest)
Men and women to give their lives to God **
Men and women to accept and pray for sinners
Men to treat slaves, women, and immigrants as equals
Women to assume leadership positions in the community
I believe it is A as these camp meetings hoped to "spark" more religious participation, but I'm quite confused by the term "give their lives to God" as it can be taken in a literal form.
Any help would be appreciated, thanks.
I believe the text favors answer A. Thank you, though.
You are correct, camp meetings were indeed thought to inspire men and women to give their lives to God. Let me explain the phrase "give their lives to God" a bit further.
In the context of camp meetings, "give their lives to God" refers to a spiritual and religious transformation. It means that individuals who attended these meetings were encouraged to make a commitment to their faith, to embrace Christianity, and to dedicate themselves fully to serving God. This commitment often involved a personal and emotional experience where individuals would repent for their sins, seek forgiveness, and make a conscious decision to follow God's teachings.
At camp meetings, preachers would deliver impassioned sermons, urging people to repent, seek salvation, and undergo a spiritual rebirth. They would often emphasize the significance of fully surrendering one's life to God, allowing God to guide and shape their thoughts, actions, and decisions.
So, when it is said that camp meetings were thought to inspire men and women to give their lives to God, it means that the meetings aimed to encourage people to make a deep and personal commitment to their faith, embracing Christianity and striving to live according to its principles.
Give their lives to God usually means to do God's work. This could include becoming a priest, nun, minister, missionary, etc.
Your answer is probably best, but it could be B. What does your text seem to favor?