Quote:
Originally Posted by vinceprince
For many in the US religious belief hasn't really 'evolved' much since the 13th Century in fact
as far as they're concerned there is no such thing as evolution.
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Religious belief at the time of the founding of the United States was quite moderate. Men like George Washington were deists a vague and pleasant sort of humanism that today you'd associate with the Unitarians, Episcopalians or the gentler flavor of Presbyterians and Methodists.
The crazy really begins in the 1820s with "the great awakening", giant revival meetings and an ever ratcheting upwards of religious frenzy.
Its an open question as to just why this happened in the US, but not nearly so much in other British colonies. It may be that the disestablishment of the Anglican Church created more space for more entrepreneurial religious expression.
Put another way, one of the advantages of the Church of England is that no one gets too excited about it . . .