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Gore Vidal has observed that America is not, contrary to popular mythology, a country founded by the religiously persecuted. It was started by Puritan zealots who left England because they were not allowed to persecute others. The Puritans (Pilgrims) went to Holland seeking a more compatible atmosphere, but then migrated to America because in Holland they saw themselves being absorbed into a society that had, by their lights, altogether too much freedom of all kinds, including real religious freedom. (William Blum, Irreverent Observations, http://killinghope.org/bblum6/journal.htm)