Is the emerging Church the government?

The church always has and always will be the most efficient and most generous provider of social welfare programs, but our leaders like to score points by promoting those programs within government rather than to appearing to support certain church sponsorship of social services. The most harmful cause to social welfare advancement has been the argument of 'separation of church and state'. Our leaders like to redefine words, or play the switch game. The constitution says "...establishment of religion", and the courts and politicians have used this to eliminate religion from the public square just about altogether. And like you say, atheists feel better when they can give also, but their only outlet to give is through government, as there are few atheist organizations who provide social services. So, for secularists, forced taxation (a robin hood effect) to provide social programs is their feel good salvation.