Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) this week warned that while it seems unlikely, religious freedom in the United States could eventually erode into something similar to Nazi Germany.

In an interview with the Christian Post, Santorum said that religious freedom in America is “under direct assault.”

“The government wants to tell you how to live your life,” he said. “They’re going to tell you what your values will be, and they’re not going to be tolerant of any dissent.”

Santorum acknowledged that persecution in the U.S. is “fairly mild” compared to other regions in the world.

But he then launched into a comparison to Nazi Germany. He noted that before the Nazis took over, Germany was a tolerant country and such persecution was “unfathomable.”

“Germany prior to the Nazis getting there was a very religious country, was a Christian country. It was a very sophisticated country,” he said.

“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.

Santorum said that such religious persecution happens gradually.

“It’s a gradual erosion,” he said. “You either conform to what the government says you have to believe in or you’re going to lose certain privileges.”

H/t Right Wing Watch

Watch the interview: