It's just a matter of class

Or for that matter, put the rich in office and let them deny human rights for decades while filling their pockets even further?

It was a Protestant, mainly Calvinist nation, where virtue was manifest through prosperity. The converse was also true: poverty manifested sin and degradation. A righteous meritocracy from the start!

Your framing is off. Christian in name and empty words is not the same as Christian in deed (i.e., WWJD).

Sophisticated propaganda, it’s always sophisticated propaganda.

I’ve regularly wondered the same thing. One part may be a reluctance to accept anything as “Grace”…so even a oneness with God or Salvation becomes merit-based even if that merit is “saying the right prayer”. Wealth and success then becomes a sign as God’s favor. 1/

But when was this nation explicitly for helping the poor?

It wasn’t a transition, religion was born from greed and power

You just answered your own question!!!

Easy. Capitalism without a conscience. America is about money first, the people second, it’s why they made education, health care and prisons “for profit”.