when the masses noblonger need religion to keep them moral, then we will no longer need a regulatory government...?

RELIGION never was a source of morality.

Why are people on here so intellectually challenged? Last I knew American Government was a required course in almost all schools. First of all I don't believe there should be a big government out to control us, but I do believe in structure (which some of you seem to lack). If there was no government, there would be no regulation of society. Everyone would just do as they please. Rape, torture, greed, enslavement, ect. There are those (our Founding Fathers to name a few) who believe that the morally right thing to do is establish an organization that protects people from their freedoms being infringed by others. It's called the Bill of Rights. Which states that everyone is born with a set universal rights. Like say idk... FREEDOM. Freedom that includes the right to practice religion, and even the freedom not to. Our government does not proclaim to be a certain religion. It also doesn't take religion to have a moral compass, but certain religions ARE pretty much a moral compass in themselves. Plus people are highly influential and need some kind of guidance in choosing which lifestyle to live. Government and religion are not related, but a politician does have the freedom to choose one for himself, and his family. He/she are citizens of this great nation too.

Religion in the Western world is on a geometric decline, and so is morality.

For sake of argument, let's say that all relgions are baseless, that in itself, is of no consequence. the notion that they did provide a major framework for morality in societies.

A highly regulated environment, is no substitute for a moral framework, and in fact societies with many many laws is one that is most likely lacking in basic morality,

If the masses make your knob longer, keep it to yourself, bro.

government is not here to keep us moral

it's here to convince us to accept this thing called "money" which they later tax(steal) from us through our labour