I see it as a good thing, but some modern Christians see it as a political failure and would base their political choices on nothing but reversing that trend.
You're absolutely right about the real tolerence and openess of Christian societies, but in doing so you mask the popularly radicalized trend to stop that process from proceeding and perhaps reverse some of the secularization and religious-nuetral legislation.
Well, I've encountered those religiously-inspired laws myself. Online gambling has been banned by Congress. And I certainly do not agree with this trend. However, as unhealthy as it might be, it is a battle fought in the margins of our society, not many important rights are taken away because of religion. Quit different from Islamic society, where no one can be free. If I would give their laws 90 on a secular-religious 0-100 scale, I would give most western countries no more than 10.