Word of the Day: Hortatory

"It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so" ~Robert A. Heinlein, science-fiction author (1907-1988) 

Did Heinlein intend his observation to apply equally to anti-sectarians, anti-cultists and anti-religionists acquiring political power? Insofar as atheists fancy themselves freethinking, humane, scientific, tolerant and oh-so-enlightened, I doubt it. He has another target in mind. 

Yet Christianity has always differentiated the spiritual from the secular, City of God from City of Man. This bifurcation had everything to do with spawning the West's rich tradition of individual rights and liberties. At any rate, I hope by now we have learned that atheists in control of the City of Man (e.g., Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot) are capable of crimes and atrocities undreamed of in the Christian Age.