Actually, it was the very early settlers -- the early colonists, if you will -- that were somewhat theocratically inclined, not the later folk who actually framed out what would become The United States of America. One interesting thing that usually gets short shrift in the history texts is that many of these hyper-religious groups migrated to the New World of their own free will (rather than being driven) because European societies were adopting a doctrine of tolerance to different religious groups -- and there's nothing that a true "My Way is the Only Way" extremist hates more. The hilarious part is that at the beginning, the extremist only asks for "a bit of tolerance" and once in power makes sure that tolerance for anything other than the "Only Way" is summarily snuffed out.SkirtDude wrote:Sigh. The USA was founded by Puritans many of whom had theocratic leanings.tooslowprius wrote: ... I just kind of wonder if that was here in the US would it have been the same?
Unfortunately, the "Puritan Ethic" (named for just one pack of zealots; there were several) somehow managed to stick as something "desirable". This is sad, because it set a moral tone of intolerance that permeates society and gives rise to such abominations as Jim Crow laws and overt hatred between classes, races, and religions -- but it's entirely and completely predictable given that intolerance was a core component of the ethic that was somehow adopted. We still see the predictable march of extremism (in anything, not just religious belief) the world over, and there's precisely no indication that it's going to let up any time soon.Some things change but I expect us to be "behind the curve" in social tolerance for a Very Long Time (perhaps longer than I am going to live).
Finally, societies can -- and do -- change; they just do so at glacial paces. The interesting part is that it can sometimes take just the gentlest of nudges to start that change; just don't expect instant gratification.
