How is 18th century religion in England linked to Swift's Gulliver's Travels?

In Gulliver's Travels, Jonathan Swift pokes satirical jabs at most aspects of European life, including religion. Swift's parody of 18th century religion is most evident in Gulliver's first voyage, in which he is stranded on the island of Lilliput. The Lilliputians are wracked by several disputes, including the debate between the Big Enders and the Little Enders. These rival factions are engaged in a bitter argument about the proper way to open an egg (Big Enders think it should be cracked open at the big end, while the Little Enders advocate for the little end). This disagreement is meant to satirize the tensions and conflicts between Protestants and Catholics during Swift's day. By choosing such a petty dispute, Swift points out the absurdity of religious disagreements and suggests that the differences between Catholics and Protestants might not be very important after all.