The state-centred mind, a.k.a. when the public square is secularised (part 426)

Interestingly for me, in the past couple of days there's been a bit of debate about the role of the state in Kenyan newspapers.

One commentator was taking issue with the mindset which, in any given community problem, reflexes unthinkingly to the solution of "tunaombea serikali itusaidie" ("we are asking the government to help us..."), and juxtaposed that with a quote from Kenya's first president, "serikali si mama yenu" ("the government is not your mother").

On that theme, in the UK press, I come across this quote from the prime minister in recent days:

David Cameron said it was “ludicrous” that parents received more training in how to drive a car than in how to raise children.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9273559/No-10-guide-to-changing-nappies-and-baby-talk.html

That would indeed be fairly ludicrous. Were it the whole picture.

However, consider instead this alternative quote, which I just made up:

David Cameron said it was “ludicrous” that parents received more state-provided, state-monitored and state-approved training in how to drive a car than in how to raise children.

Obviously it was time, he said, was for himself and his fellow politicians and bureaucrats to take over more of the situation so that it would be done rightly.

Now that's a different kettle of fish... but for the secularist mind, there appears to be very little difference between the two.

Seen a problem? Then obviously it's time for the government to do something about it, isn't it? No?

What could possibly go wrong? What might the long term effects of the outworkings of the secularist mind in this way be on a society?

I recall last year reading news stories about parents sending their children to school still wearing nappies, and not bothering to give them breakfast... because, well, obviously that's the state's job, isn't it?

Hmmm...