Moderation in religious disputation -- not likely.

Mark Hall, writing in the Oregonian issues a call for reasonable moderation in the escalating controversy over religion in the public square. He writes:

Evangelicals are not a monolith, nor are the American people. We differ on many things, yet there is broad consensus on basic values including: a commitment to religious liberty, helping the poor, the importance of families and the value of life.

Moving America's public discourse away from the politics of destruction to a serious conversation about the common good won't be easy. It's critical that leaders of both the right and the left resist labels and find areas of common ground. That might not satisfy extremists on either side, but it could lead to a far more satisfying public dialogue.

Hall makes several good points in his article. Read the whole thing here. As to whether anyone will heed his admonition -- I doubt it. Too many people in the media, the legal system, and politics find adversarial extremism far too satisfying..., and profitable.