For Politico Magazine, Joshua Zeitz writes that the United Methodist Church’s denominational schism over LGBT rights is reminiscent of the splintering of the evangelical community over slavery in the 1800s. Zeitz argues that religious schisms are a worrisome sign of what’s to come, pointing out that evangelical churches fractured in the lead-up to the Civil War. He writes, “In a country with a shrinking center, even bonds of religious fellowship seem too brittle to endure. If history is any guide, it’s a sign of sharper polarization to come.”