The article linked above is a long one, but one worth reading. It's about how the religious landscape in America came to be. It's a little complicated and it goes back almost to our beginnings as a country. I would add a bit more to it by pointing out that Southern Baptists and other church traditions that came up in the south were heavily influenced by things like slavery and later with enforcing Jim Crow. Pastors tried from time to time to change the message from one that supported slavery and a rigid social order as it existed in the south, but they were usually harassed into shutting up and getting back in line or else they had to leave and find somewhere else to preach their "peace, love and understanding" nonsense. I think one or two of the ones who tried preaching something else besides the official line got their houses burned down.
American religion has been on this road for a long time, and it's a strange mix that created our kind of ...I even hesitate to call it Christianity. That's not really what it is anymore. It's something that I think would be completely unrecognizable to Jesus if he were to see it. Let's call it "American religion", because it spares a bit of confusion. American religion likes catharsis. Like, a lot. I think there must have been a lot of borrowing between carnival barkers and tent show revivals. Either way, that kind of showmanship and group behavior under the influence of the showman led, I believe, to things like mega-churches and televangelists and evangelical radio broadcasts. It was a little like vaudeville for a while, with acts like faith-healers and child preachers who could give a good fire and brimstone sermon and amaze the audience into giving up their money. Because that's what it's been about for a very long time, except it's gone from being a traveling show that came into town once in a while to churches that put on that kind of show full time and congregations who take it seriously, and woe unto him who questions the scriptural or historical basis for their beliefs. The conversation will be convoluted and it will take up hours of your life that you will never get back.
I'll never forget my first experience of Pentecostal church I was in the foster system and got sent to a group home run by the Assemblies of God. They're famous for taking all of the above very seriously. I didn't know that at the time and we were not just required to attend church, but it was going to be their church and their church's rules. It was going to be a bumpy ride, I just didn't know it yet. I had been raised Lutheran, a much soberer, more stoic tradition. So I went with them in my long skirt to my first service at their church. Everything was going along fine until somebody stood up and started speaking in tongues. It was obviously made up, but the sight of it disturbed me enough that I got up and walked out. I made it as far as the lobby before the staff caught up to me and talked me back in with things like "No, they haven't lost their mind, they're special, chosen by God, etc." I was not convinced, but on some level I think I understood then that it was only pretend, and therefore nothing to take too seriously. After that I paid attention to who did what, and it was usually the same people along with one or two of the more dramatic members of the congregation, the ones who liked attention. Unfortunately the entire experience made me cynical at an early age toward religion. Perhaps part of it was my basis for comparison. Everything about it was exaggerated beyond my ability to suspend my disbelief. It always seemed like they were over-acting everything. I'm sure that for people who were brought up in that milieu it would seem completely normal for people to faint in the spirit or start laughing hysterically and they would just reflexively chalk it up to benign spiritual possession, but to me it was over the top. Now it's mainstream.
Wikipedia - Assemblies of God
There's just way too much to unpack when it comes to American religion. The things people believe under the heading of "Christianity" are often without scriptural basis, but people believe them just the same. It's just the way things developed. I'd almost say it's what mutated out of European Protestantism. I've spoken to Dutch people here who think Pentecostal church looks fun, they like the singing and dancing. I was tempted to say, "Yeah, but wait until somebody hands you a snake." or "wait until they shake you down for all of your money." Wait until they start telling you about all of their apocalyptic extra-biblical ideas like "rapture" and "tribulation". The singing and dancing is just how they tempt you in. I wonder if they'd get the irony. Traditionally it's the singing and dancing that the Calvinists and Puritans warned against because according to them that's how the devil gets you. Who knows? Maybe they were right, if not literally then spiritually.
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