Question

many people turned to religion to help deal with problems they saw in society. throughout u.s. history, the majority of americans have been christians. but religious enthusiasm was especially high during a period called the second great awakening, from about the 1790s to the 1840s. during this period, ministers traveled the country preaching new religious ideas.

some of the religious ideas of the second great awakening were expressed in hymns, or religious songs. the passage below comes from \amazing grace,\ a hymn that was popular at the time. read the first few lines from the hymn. then answer the question below.

amazing grace! how sweet the sound
that saved a wretch like me!
i once was lost, but now am found,
was blind, but now i see.

grace: forgiveness freely given by god
wretch: a bad, unhappy person

which of these statements best summarizes the main idea of these lines?
even if people have bad lives, god can help them become better.
children grow up to be just like their parents.
if disrespected or ignored, god will seek revenge.
people can never truly change. once a bad person, always a bad person.

Explanation:

The hymn lines describe a "wretch" (a bad, unhappy person) who was "lost" and "blind" (spiritually struggling) but was saved and transformed by God's grace. This matches the idea that God can help those with bad lives become better. The other options are unrelated: the text does not mention children/parents, God's revenge, or claim people cannot change.

Answer:

Even if people have bad lives, God can help them become better.