During the 1950s denominations of the Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist, and Episcopalian kind had fitted the Light of the World with a lampshade so it wouldn’t produce distracting salvational glare and dampened the fires of perdition to avoid spiritual smoke inhalation. A stillness of the soul and quiet reverence during church had turned into sitting still and being quiet.
—P. J. O’Rourke, The Baby Boom: How It Got That Way (New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2014), 52–53.
What’s the translation, Dr. C?
However great the greatest generation (which faced the Great Depression and fought World War II (and Korea) was, their religion was tepid. They were convinced of the importance of getting along (niceness) and that often took priority over truth.
Maybe they were religiously tepid because they faced these things. Ultimately, it’s kind of like the “as long as they’re sincere” and the “God looks on the heart” people.