The Puritans went to USA not to encourage religious tolerance and freedom but to stifle it for others and only allow their version.
At their core anti catholic they are Puritans not to describe their wowser ways but to define their pure - ism in the church of Anglican Protestantism. They were also Calvinists who believe that the supreme being , God , (only one) in this case, bestows on those who are in grace with rewards here on earth. Rewards such as material wealth are a sign that you are in grace with the lord and a reward for hard work and a "personal relationship with the lord".
Hardly anti-USA capitalism.
In fact almost necessary precondition, or at least a benign environment, for the most Puritan influenced nation I can think of. The integration of demonology and millennialism, core calvanist/puritan values, are reinforced by, and deeply embedded, in the structures of American society.
doggie - you clearly cannot acknowledge what all know, that I am the de Tocqueville of this forum, or perhaps, indeed, of these times
Tocqueville had a very poor understanding of America. It was a hack job. That he persists in being used by so many as a serious commentator is a mystery. The criticism of his work and methods has been around for a long time.
Last edited by doghouse (2013-08-17 07:19:55)
There are several writers/thinkers you could quote: Conrad Cherry and Herman Melville and his notion of a 'chosen people' immediately come to mind.
FXH- yer right about deToqueville.
I read him my freshman year of college, coincidentally my first year in the US. It was like I was handed down a guide to the culture. It was the early 70's and everybody was walking around and talking like we were entering the age of aquarius and all I kept thinking was how did this frenchman know so much about my era?