Metamorphosis

Dear God, or the One Supreme Being, the Elements, or the Trees:

Whatever guise you don, be it Buddha or Zeus, Jesus or Brigham Young, the precedence religion once held over the nation of the United States has been greatly diminished. Religion does not wield the same amount of influence it once possessed. During the time of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson's correspondence, there was no denying the power religion exerted over society. Namely, this was Christianity, for in the 18th century the vast array of religions that now comprise our nation were practically non-existent; this is one example of how religion has altered. One could not doubt the "word of God," for to do so was blasphemous and punishment was meted in the form of many cruelties devised by man to make sure that others did not stray from the rightful path. Adams briefly mentions how this occurs in Europe in a letter to Jefferson, and talks of how though America is revolutionary in that these abhorrent practices have been abolished, it still isn't entirely dissimilar in that no one is allowed to question the authority of "God." Those who dare to think differently from the religious masses, who muster the courage to voice their opinions, are violently opposed. Adams call attention to this hypocrisy inherent in the American conscience. Americans boast "of the right of free inquiry and private judgement," yet any divergence from the religious norm was not tolerated. How our current society has transformed from the world of Adams and Jefferson! There is a separation of church and state, which in 18th century America was none to apparent. Religion does not hold tremendous sway over our country any longer. People are free to question, to deny, to worship anything that they believe in, with no repercussions. Adams would be pleased to discover how our present day society upholds the beliefs of our nation's doctrine with far more veracity than that of its founding fathers. Their era extolled the virtues of a nation with liberty and justice for all, and our America fully epitomizes the culmination of that ideal.

Your Most Devout and Loving Atheist,

Sheila