The Revolution was led by both freethinkers and devout men. They were smart enough to understand (as did Reagan and most other Republicans before Bush Jr) that religion needed to be kept at arm's length from politics in a society where everybody had the right to practice different beliefs, or none at all.
The GOP under Bush turned into Statists who were no different from the Democrats-they just did their social meddling in the name of Jesus. That is not conservatism, nor is it Republicanism. Being passionate about defending your beliefs is one thing-trying to impose them on those who don't agree with you is something else entirely. Unfortunately, that is what a lot of social conservatives seem hell-bent on doing.
This kind of narrow thinking is what is costing the GOP and real, small-government conservatism support.
Hear, here!!