[t]o Argue That Something Is So Because

The Decline And Fall Of The Modern Religious Right's Notion Of A Christian America Creates A Calmer Political Environment And, For Many Believers, May Help Open The Way For A More Theologically Serious Religious Life.

The Problem For Those Who Assert Biblical Authority In Support Of Traditional Definitions Of Marriage Is That One Could, With Equal Validity, Assert That The Lending Of Money Or Certain Kinds Of Haircuts Are Forbidden By God, Or That Slavery And The Subjugation Of Women Are Authorized By The Lord.

The More We Can Do To Support And Promulgate The Intellectual Traditions Of The Abrahamic Faiths - Of Judaism, Christianity, And Islam - The Better Armed We Will Be To Fight Fundamentalism.

A Wise Nation Should Cultivate A Political Spirit That Allows Opponents To Cooperate Without Fearing An Automatic Execution From Their Core Supporters. Who Knew That The Real Rogues In American Politics Would Be The Ones Who Dare To Get Along?

As Crucial As Religion Has Been And Is To The Life Of The Nation, America's Unifying Force Has Never Been A Specific Faith, But A Commitment To Freedom - Not Least Freedom Of Conscience.