This view dates back to the early 20th century, and always fascinates me.

If conservative religious traditions achieve political success, a narrative suggests their faith has *triumphed.*

If liberal traditions do the same, a narrative suggests they’ve *capitulated to culture.*

The view I’ve only rarely heard is that modern “secular” culture is essentially the triumph of early 20th century mainline Protestantism, which (in this narrative) successfully bent American mores and political culture to mimic its own — even if it doesn’t say so.

(There’s also the argument that *any* faith tradition that achieves power in a democracy but then wants to maintain it inevitably *requires* compromise and “capitulation” because that’s how democracy functions BUT I DIGRESS)