BACKGROUND ANALYTIC ENTRY

The Founding fathers came to America motivated by a want for freedom and choice. One of the most sought after freedoms was the freedom of religion. The bill of rights defends religious freedom within the first Amendment. Some of the earliest religious groups within America were the Pilgrims and the Puritans. Although these groups of people were searching for religious freedom, they ironically were very spiteful towards other religions which did not correlate with their beliefs. There was a mass expansion of different religious from the time of the founding fathers to throughout the nineteenth century. Protestants were another early religious group within America who supported the beliefs of Christianity. This religious group influenced Mormonism, who identified with Christianity, yet believed that churches needed a major reform. Immigration was also a large contributing factor to the diversity religions that America has today. Immigration brought new religions to America such as Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, etc. However, each new religion that arrived into America had a common connection: intolerance. The Pilgrims and Puritans didn’t like other beliefs or religions, The protestants looked down upon the Mormon’s. Jews faced hostility, and even more recent religions such as Islam face intolerance. Religions had to work up a group of people to support them, and uphold the beliefs within those religions. New religions with differing ideas pose a threat to “more established” religions because those established religions feel as if their power and way of life is being threatened. However, it is not only new religious groups that had faced, and still face, religious intolerance. Take for example, the idea of church and state. Throughout history there has been a great debate on how and if religious values should affect a certain society. However, with the many religions within the United States. Therefore, one religion controlling ideas, education, and society, cannot satisfy all people within the United States. However. history shows that the government does not always enforce the ideas of separation of church and state. Fundamentalists argued that Darwin’s theory of evolution did not support the bible, and their religious beliefs. Therefore, teaching the theories of evolution were banned from many schools. This supports the idea that although we live in a country full “freedom,” the “religious majority” still have a more powerful influence. Even today, religious beliefs and conflicts are growing. The pledge of Allegiance includes the controversial words, "Under God." "President Dwight Eisenhower stated, 'Everybody should have religious faith, and I don't care what it is." However, who is one man to say what a whole country should believe in? Even The Declaration of Independence suggests a belief in a God many times. Most if not all who came to the New World shared common beliefs. Since they were the majority, they assumed that everyone in future eras would have the same beliefs. Escaping England was not so much escaping their beliefs but giving themselves the freedom to choose what they want to believe. Religion continues to grow within the country. A majority influences religion, and what are accepted by “our country.” However, as the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution suggest, America is a country full of diversity, freedom, and equality, and therefore, no one idea or religion should control a whole country.