The founders of American democracy may not have been Christian themselves, but their understanding of limited government emerged out of a culture in which the single most powerful and deep source of values was inarguably Christianity. This is why the erosion of Christian influence and the rise of secularism in America have been accompanied by a dramatic expansion in the size and the role of government.
In the Christian view, government is essentially a policeman—now, it has become not only a policeman, but also a nanny, teacher, guide, healer, and provider of happiness and material security. It has also become a means of steering society toward an imaginary secular ideal. The end of this process will have been reached when the government is master, tyrant, source of values, spiritual guide—and chastiser of those who do not conform. This chastisement will be done by all-knowing experts (like Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins) for the good of humanity.
Joseph Keysor, “Hitler, the Holocaust, and the Bible,” pg.436
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