Suddenly, life has become much easier. Various governmental bodies are taking action to prevent ordinary people from hurting themselves, or from doing bad things. The Federal Government has torpedoed tobacco companies, and a bunch of attorneys, former smokers and state governments are getting rich from litigation. Thank goodness people are forced to wear seat belts because, left alone, they would fail to do so. That shouldn’t be allowed. Cameras at intersections are nailing people who run red lights, protecting law-abiding drivers and once again saving us from ourselves. The food industry is next on the hit list for manufacturing fat-rich products, and rightly so. Alcoholic beverages are still off limits since politicians can’t be denied their medicinal sustenance. All in all, Government at all levels is intervening where God has failed. God has always had a reputation for giving people good advice, but allowing them free will, to succeed or fail, to suffer great fortune or extreme ruin. But God mistakenly has created all men unequally. He* literally stands aside and lets people make bad decisions and expects them to take responsibility for their actions. Thank goodness Government has stepped in to set things straight, to watch over us and even-out the playing field. God is okay as a figurehead, but He obviously hasn’t had a new idea in a long time. Let’s face it—in His day, He never heard of second-hand smoke.

* In the interest of journalistic simplicity, the author has chosen the masculine pronoun for God. In no way does this decision discount other views of God’s gender or lack of it altogether.