Holy wars don’t help anyone in a democracy. They don’t answer religious questions and they don’t offer meaningful political guidance, unfortunate realities that will soon be realized at the conclusion of the current spat between megachurch pastor Robert Jeffress and former Massachusetts governor and Utah Senate candidate Mitt Romney.

The two started feuding when Jeffress disparaged Romney as a presidential candidate because of that Republican’s faith. Mormonism, he declared at the 2011 Values Voter Summit, is “a cult.” Though not entirely disqualifying for office, he continued, membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints isn’t a preferable quality.