Who is at War on Religion?

Mark Silk at Spiritual Politics takes note of Newt Gingrich's comments regarding the necessity of preventing sharia law from being recognized by U.S. courts. Silk invites Newt to engage in a thought-experiment: substitute "halakha" for "sharia." Silk might also mention the canon law of the Catholic Church. Civil courts rely on religious laws all the time when called upon to adjudicate a case involving a given religion. How could it be otherwise? Gingrich is simply engaging in anti-Muslim baiting. It is ugly. It is beneath a man of his intellect. But, that doesn't mean it won't be effective.