Tragedy Befalls Whitfield (RAR!)

[Sharpshooter]

Let's say that, for some reason unknown, about a year or so before the beginning of the Great (religious) Revival in North America, George Whitfield, John Wesley, and all of the other major players in the 'vival decide to meet up. Unfortunetily for them, there's some freaky weather storm or something of that nature, and long story short, the whole lot of 'em die. Struck by lightning, drowned by floods, picked up by a twister and thrown a few miles in each direction, whatever. BUT ANYWAY...

With Whitfield and co. taken out of the picture, how is America's development in the years to come affected? Does something else pop up to take their places and essentially lead the country along the same route as before, or does it take a radical turn in some other direction? Does science and research stagnate due to the non-estabolishment of the college system, or does it flourish without opposition to ideas conflicting with major beliefs? Do certain topics like abortion, homosexuality, and so on suddenly become less taboo, or is equal resistance met from another train of thought?

[Sharpshooter]

Passive Edit: That one bit there during science, about resistance from major beliefs - scratch that, and think of it more along the lines of science butting heads with the supercharging that Whitfield and co. gave during the revival.

And in the likely case that this' the wrong foruim, could a mod move it to whichever one's the best? Thanks in advance.

[SyntaxVorlon]

US has much less fundamentalist assholery, but still has enough to be annoying. Though the entire dynamic of the cold war would have been dramatically changed.