Religious fundamentalism became the basis for many of the often violent interactions between the different cultures, religions, and ways of life. This was the basis for later violence against all who did not agree with the religious norm, for example in events such as the Salem Witch Trials. Today, this same fundamentalism insists that every word in the Bible or other religious documents should be taken literally. According to this view, the story of creation simply could not agree with Darwinism. The long American history of using religion as a basis for many actions, both good an bad, plays an important role in this.

However, it is also true that there is an increasing trend within Christianity to return to the earlier point-of-view, accepting both Darwinism and creationism as complements of each other, rather than rivals. This school of thought suggests that the Bible is a symbolic presentation...

In Darwin's day, there was much greater acceptance for the fact that everything is not yet known, and probably never will be. It is also encouraging, however, that there is a gradual and new understanding that there can be a middle ground between two extremes. It is no longer necessary to burn either witches or scientists when neither does the world any harm. The greatest tragedy would be if intellectual discovery were eliminated in favor of a narrow view of life and religion, which does not recognize any viewpoint other than its own.
Reference

McGrath, a.E. (1999) Science & Religion: An Introduction. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.