How has this changed?
Salem Village was a colony of people of the Puritan faith, a strictly conservative protestant faith. Puritans believed the Church of England was corrupted and largely opposed any practice that wasn't directly derived from the bible. They lived restrictive and bland lifestyles of consistent devotion and shunned anyone who strayed away from this. This was significant because it caused many people who didn't regularly attend church, to be marginalised and extremely vulnerable to accusations of witchcraft.
The villager's intense faith and trust in their god and church are ultimately what led to the horrific events of the trials. They were quick to resort to panic and hysteria upon hearing about potential evil nesting within their walls, in opposition to their god. They wanted to cleanse what to them, appeared to be a threat.
After the trials, Salem's relationship with the church deteriorated. People began to realise that those executed and punished never rightfully deserved it and that their own beliefs had caused them to do this. Guilt, anger, mourning, it all loosened the chains the church once had on Salem's people. Their lifestyle changed from one of intense devotion to one of doubt and regret.