As James Adam said: “We have no government armed with power, capable of combating human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Our constitution was made solely for a moral and religious people. This is totally inappropriate for someone else's government. The seed of Puritan ideas had been planted in the soil of North America in 1620 by the Pilgrims of Plymouth, Massachusetts. This seed, now well watered by America's growing population, grew into a magnificent tree that still lives today. Such puritanical ideas took root in American soil; men become hypocrites; how sex equals sin; and the secular power of the Christian Church. In contemporary America, the puritanical aspect of hypocrisy is evident when comparing the events of The Scarlet Letter to events today. In The Scarlet Letter, Puritan hypocrisy is defined in chapter 5 when Hester Prynne is seen helping the poor after being scorned by the townspeople for committing adultery, leading her to bear the scarlet letter “A”. The narrator states: "...perhaps after many months she felt an eye - a human eye - on the ignominious mark (scarlet letter), which seemed to bring her momentary relief, as if half her agony was shared. » (Hawthorne 47) In this scene, we elide the fact that the scarlet letter gave Hester Prynne a sixth sense. This sixth sense allows him to perceive who has sinned in this world. So, she feels relieved when this person looks at her because she knows that she is not the only sinner in this town. This is further realized when the narrator states: "She shuddered to believe, but could not help believing, that it gave her a sympathetic knowledge of the sin hidden in other hearts." » (Hawthorne 47) This sudden ...... middle of paper ...... political problem in politics. This shows that committing adultery is such a great sin; it overshadows any other problem a person has contributed to society. In conclusion, committing adultery with another is such a great sin; it can destroy a person's character in the public eye, as it did with Hester and Bill Clinton. Puritan elements were established in the United States from the beginning of its founding. The puritanical elements that are shown in The Scarlet Letter and The Crucible are shown in contemporary America. Such puritanical elements consist of: men like politicians who become hypocrites; how when we have sexual relations, we have committed a sin; and the secular power of the Christian Church in American politics. In modern America, religion has become a major part of modern society. It influences American politics, policies and how we perceive people..