Are we in the beginning stages of a holy war—a religious war within our country? Was it the godless liberals or the right-wing evangelicals who fired the first shot? When did dialogue turn into throwing verbal stones? Are issues being addressed with truth and logic or has the circle split into two facing lines ready to exchange an eye for an eye? Where is it all going?

Another new book is coming out next week—Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism. One of the things the Publishers Weekly reviewer said was, “Her [journalist Michelle Goldberg] book is a potent wakeup call to pluralists in the coming showdown with Christian nationalists.”

I love an honest quest for truth and an open exchange of ideas. But it seems to me we have a lot of people lined up on both sides who want to stand back to back, take ten paces (or fewer), then turn and fire intent on laying the other guy on the ground taking his last breath.