Which fallacy does the following passage commit? "senator smith suggested that we should pursue a political deal with iran in order to prevent them from obtaining a nuclear weapon. senator johnson replied that smith's plan is an invitation to the iranians to destroy israel."

Straw Man

Explanation:

A straw man is a form of fallacy whereby a speaker in debate refutes  his opponent argument, but he, in fact, refutes an argument his opponent did not present at all. In this example, Senator Johnson is hitting a straw man since he does not counter Senator Smith's argument of preventing Iran of obtaining nukes. How can, as per Johnson's argument, then Iran destroy Israel if it is prevented in obtaining nuclear weapons?

These two texts represent the views that Puritans held regarding life, death and religion. Anne Bradstreet was one of the earliest poets in America, and through her writing, we can appreciate the thought that was common during this time period. In this poem, Bradstreet presents a positive view of death. She thinks of death as a relief from life, and believes that the person who dies is happy to be able to rest silently and peacefully. She says: "As weary pilgrim, now at rest,/Hugs with delight his silent nest." Moreover, she wishes that she will eventually experience this too, as this will mean the end of her pain and worries: "This body shall in silence sleep/Mine eyes no more shall ever weep/No fainting fits shall me assaile/nor grinding paines my body fraile."

On the other hand, Jonathan Edwards has a much more negative view in his text "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." Edwards sees God as a vengeful and strict being. He believes he is interested in punishing people for their misdeeds, which leads him to believe that death is something to be feared, as it will lead people to their final judgement and thus their eternal punishment. He tells us that "when that due time, or appointed time comes, their foot shall slide. Then they shall be left to fall, as they are inclined by their own weight. God will not hold them up in these slippery places any longer, but will let them go; and then, at that very instant, they shall fall into destruction." Although Edwards shares many Puritan ideas with Bradstreet, his view of religion is a much more negative one.