"Confederate Reckoning,"a new book that examines why Southerners seceded and its effect on Southern women and slaves. >"When you hear charges today that the federal government is overreaching,and the idea that the Constitution recognized us as a league of sovereign states --these were all part of the secessionist charges in 1860,"she says. >"Living history"on Civil War battlefields These "weird parallels"go beyond the familiar debates over what caused the war, slavery or states'rights.They extend to issues that seem to have nothing to do with the Civil War. The shutdown of the federal government,war in Libya,the furor over the new health care law and Guantanamo Bay--all have tentacles that reach back to the Civil War,historians say. >They point to four parallels: >The disappearance of the political center If you think the culture wars are heated now,check out mid-19th century America The Civil War took place during a period of pervasive piety when both North and South demonized one another with self-righteous,biblical language,one historian says. > The war erupted not long after the "Second Great Awakening"sparked a national religious revival.Reform movements spread across the country.Thousands of Americans repented of their sins at frontier campfire meetings and readied themselves for the Second Coming. They got war instead.Their moral certitude helped make it happen,says David Goldfield,author of "America Aflame,"a new book that examines evangelical Christianity's impact on the war. Goldfield says evangelical Christianity "poisoned the political process"because the American system of government depends on compromise and moderation,and evangelical religion abhors both because "how do you compromise with sin." >"By transforming political issues into moral causes,you raise the stakes of the conflict and you tend to demonize your opponents,"Goldfield says. >Contemporary political rhetoric is filled with similar rhetoric.Opponents aren't just wrong--they're sinners,Goldfield says. "The erosion of the center in contemporary American politics is the most striking parallel between today and the time just before the Civil War,"Goldfield says. In the lead-up to the war,political campaigns were filled with religious fervor. Political parties paraded their piety and labeled opponents infidels. "Today's government gridlock results,in part,from this religious mind set that many issues can be divided into good and evil and sin and salvation,"he says. > How much power should the federal government have? We wanted to be left alone.What actually caused the war was Lincoln's insistence that, no,we can't let these people go. --H.W.Crocker Ill.Southern historian"Confederate Reckoning," a new book that examines why Southerners seceded and its effect on Southern women and slaves.  "When you hear charges today that the federal government is overreaching, and the idea that the Constitution recognized us as a league of sovereign states -- these were all part of the secessionist charges in 1860," she says.  "Living history" on Civil War battlefields  These "weird parallels" go beyond the familiar debates over what caused the war, slavery or states' rights. They extend to issues that seem to have nothing to do with the Civil War.  The shutdown of the federal government, war in Libya, the furor over the new health care law and Guantanamo Bay -- all have tentacles that reach back to the Civil War, historians say.  They point to four parallels:  The disappearance of the political center  If you think the culture wars are heated now, check out mid-19th century America. The Civil War took place during a period of pervasive piety when both North and South demonized one another with self-righteous, biblical language, one historian says.  The war erupted not long after the "Second Great Awakening" sparked a national religious revival. Reform movements spread across the country. Thousands of Americans repented of their sins at frontier campfire meetings and readied themselves for the Second Coming.  They got war instead. Their moral certitude helped make it happen, says David Goldfield, author of "America Aflame," a new book that examines evangelical Christianity's impact on the war.  Goldfield says evangelical Christianity "poisoned the political process" because the American system of government depends on compromise and moderation, and evangelical religion abhors both because "how do you compromise with sin."  "By transforming political issues into moral causes, you raise the stakes of the conflict and you tend to demonize your opponents," Goldfield says.  Contemporary political rhetoric is filled with similar rhetoric. Opponents aren't just wrong -- they're sinners, Goldfield says.  "The erosion of the center in contemporary American politics is the most striking parallel between today and the time just before the Civil War," Goldfield says.  In the lead-up to the war, political campaigns were filled with religious fervor. Political parties paraded their piety and labeled opponents infidels.  "Today's government gridlock results, in part, from this religious mind set that many issues can be divided into good and evil and sin and salvation," he says.  How much power should the federal government have? We wanted to be left alone. What actually caused the war was Lincoln's insistence that, no, we can't let these people go. --H.W. Crocker III, Southern historian