Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa) warned that although it might be unlikely, a growing threat towards American religious freedom by the government could lead to "Christian persecution" in the U.S., something similar to what had happened to Jews and Christians under Nazi Germany, Business Insider reported.
Claiming that religious liberties in America are "under direct assault," Santorum compared the possible threat to the rise of the Nazi regime which had unexpectedly evolved in a stable country.
"The government wants to tell you how to live your life," he said in an interview with the Christian Post this week, citing abortion and same-sex marriage issues. "They're going to tell you what your values will be, and they're not going to be tolerant of any dissent."
"You either conform to what the government says you have to believe in, or you're going to lose certain privileges," he said, adding that such attacks were mostly a result of government overreach.
While the former presidential acknowledged that persecution in the U.S. is "fairly mild" compared to the happenings in other regions in the world, he cited Nazi Germany's example of being a tolerant country where persecution was "unfathomable" before it became "something that grew over time," according to CNN.
"Germany prior to the Nazis getting there was a very religious country, was a Christian country. It was a very sophisticated country," he said. "The idea that you can have this kind of persecution take place over a period of ten years -- where you go from Christians -- Jews, obviously, but also Christians -- being not just persecuted but put to death -- was unfathomable," he said. "It was unfathomable to them that (in) a country like this, this could happen."
"Same thing here," Santorum continued. "You think it's just impossible for that to happen in America. And maybe it is, but maybe it isn't."
"If we continue down this path, things are not going to get better, and the chance of something really bad beginning to happen, where your faith is really constrained, or your lives are really in danger becomes a possibility down the road," he said.
Specifically, such religious persecution takes place gradually, he added.
"It starts in a gradual erosion," Santorum said. "We're not in a dire situation right now, but that doesn't mean you can't get there. I would argue that there's a certainty that we will get there if we don't push back and defend our liberties."
"If we don't nip it here, then things get a lot worse," he said.
