The Enlightenment and Scopes Trial have a complex relationship, as they both correlate to secular ideas and the reluctance of society to accept them. The Enlightenment was a response to the Great Awakenings, and it was a movement of philosophical secular thinkers using science and natural phenomenons to explain the world around them, rather than religion. It was controversial because society at the time was extremely religious, and looked to God for answers to the natural world around them, leading to (some) reluctance in accepting the beliefs. Similarly, in the Scopes Trial, John Scopes was teaching Darwin’s theory of evolution, which did not line up with the religious Butler Act which prohibited teaching evolution, as it did not corroborate the bible. Scopes took to trial and eventually lost his case, again exemplifying society's unacceptance of secular philosophies.