This is a good question, because as Christians we all know that God sees everything anyway right? So why should it matter to us what the government is doing to keep tabs on us?
Well... it goes back to a basic argument and truth that our founding fathers understood because they lived under a tyrannical system of government. The truth is this... that Government is inherently evil. It is inherently evil because all men are inherently evil. It’s the old cliche about how power corrupts even the best of men. This is why they sought to limit the power and scope of government, limiting it to just those functions that were necessary for national security.
The power to spy is the power to control.
It does not matter whether the information obtained is truthful or not. If the government has the authority to use that intrusive form of evidence against you, you technically have no defense under the law.
It is why our founding fathers set up a judicial system guaranteeing us the right to be tried by a jury of OUR piers. The government is limited to HOW it gathers information against you so that your ability to defend yourself in a court of law is secured.
This truth should be making itself more and more apparent to us today. It seems like every day we hear of new breaches of our right to privacy. Do you not see how the government uses its abuse of power to destroy individuals that oppose it???
Again, the truth does not matter when the government has full control over the judicial process without checks or balances from the people.
Our system was established so that government would execute a process which allows us to judge ourselves. (jury system)
What is more troubling to me is the fact that fewer and fewer people UNDERSTAND why the right to privacy is so important. More and more people generally tend to trust a governmental system which is CLEARLY opposed to the principles of freedom.
Thanks for a thoughtful and germane response. I think the difference is that omniscience is fine in the hands of a just, merciful and loving God who utilizes it for redemptive purposes. Somehow that does not fit the description I would write of the government.