[TheRealThing]

As I understood you, you were saying that there was something unique about the Church of England that Williams distrusted. I would agree that ethics in politics is good. I would disagree that church in politics is good because of the very willingness of some religious people to trample the freedom of conscience of others when given the opporrunity or sufficient majority.

You know that I did not say anything like that. What I said was clearly stated. The State and the Church were one in England. Not a theocracy, because the secular side, the Crown, dictated terms to both. Most people plodded along in their mundane existence, accepting of their plight. There is your hapless majority. Not so with true believers, the true Church, who hated the fact that the King had his fingers in their spiritual lives as well. They had not the freedom of religion, or soul liberty as Williams liked to call it.

That was the call to stand against the prying eyes of the state, not the other way around. The good folks of England wanted free of the oppression of the King, at least at Church. And it was owing to this state of desperation, that the idea of the separation of Church and State was born.

Now, on to your assertion that men of character are somehow a bad influence on government. Men of God, by that I mean the saved, are never biased, never power mad, never given to tyranny or oppression, not prone to carve out special benefits for the minorities, fair, compassionate, brave, dependable, wise and dedicated. The why is because of two things. First is the fact that they are indwelt by the Holy Spirit of the Living God which changes their nature in a positive fashion. Second is the fact that they know their Master will judge their lives without any sort of favoritism or bias. You can say that such men would not govern well if you want, but no rational man is going to agree with you.

Deceit, distortions, distrust, dishonesty, machinations, misdirection, guile, graft, corruption, greed and most of all lying, are the manifesto of the evil one, Satan. Those who manifest such are the enemies of state, not servants of the state. I know which attributes characterize the kind of people I want standing watch over those I care about.