Puritanism and Rationalism

There is much contrast between Puritanism and Rationalism. Some very big contrasts would be beliefs on natural events, such as lightning and personal issues, such as self improvement. If lightning struck a tree, a Puritan would say that it was struck because God wanted it to be struck. A Rationalist on the other hand, would say that although lightning exists because of God, that the tree was struck because the tree is what the lightning was scientifically drawn to. Then, there are the personal issues. If a Puritan wanted to be a better person, then they would probably beg God to make them a better person. A Rationalist, although they might pray to God to help them become a better person, would take action and try to make themselves better, by focusing on being a more moral person.