The ultimate statists are the governments of the Middle East, where church and state are one and the same. If the government power is legitimized by god, then the state becomes an all powerful entity. Our founding fathers understood this idea, and so wrote an amendment to the Constitution guaranteeing religious freedom. Subsequent leaders supported this separation and expanded on it, calling for a wall between the two, and for good reason. As a result, we have religions from all over the world peacefully co existing right here. We have Christians, both the Catholic and Protestant varieties, the same as fight in Ireland. We have that most persecuted of minorities, the Jews. We have Muslims, of both Sunni and Shiite varieties, the same as are killing each other in other places. We have Hindus and Sikhs, both here seeking religious freedom among other things, we have Buddhists and Shinto, and Wiccans, you name it, all getting along peacefully. It is one of our greatest accomplishments.