On same-sex marriage, Sen. Obama attempted to define marriage as the union of a man and a woman, but he made clear that he would actively oppose any constitutional amendment designed to protect that definition, and he gave full support to civil unions.  He suggested that the matter should be left to the states, but he has opposed Proposition 8 on the California ballot -- a citizen-initiated referendum that would define marriage as a heterosexual union.

Sen. McCain offered more succinct answers.  When asked the question about when a baby gets human rights, McCain said, "at conception."  He pledged to be a pro-life president and he opposed the legalization of same-sex marriage.  The worldview differences between the two men were made clear, but the conversations were calm, respectful, and unhurried.

In other words, something of genuine significance happened at the Saddleback Civil Forum.  Millions watched the event on CNN and the event set the stage for many lively conversations to follow.

But, not everyone is pleased.  Writing in the editorial pages of USA Today, columnist DeWayne Wickham complained that the event was too overtly Christian.  "What we need in the White House is a devout believer in this nation's democratic principles, not the vicar of Saddleback," he asserted.

The "vicar of Saddleback?"  Neither of these candidates is running for that office.  That comment reveals more about DeWayne Wickham's commitment to a secularist vision of politics than about the Saddleback event.

He wrote:

As his interviews made clear . . . Warren's doublespeak cloaked an effort to get the candidates to take a stand on many of those non-negotiable issues, which he apparently still considers matters of religious faith — and qualification for public office. His questions about their "worldview" on Christianity, abortion and the definition of marriage reflected not so much a civil forum as a push for a theocratic presidency, one that would be deeply influenced by Warren's evangelism.

Sound the alarm -- "a theocratic presidency?"  That hyperventilation is remarkable.  Anyone who talks about Obama or McCain in terms of a "theocratic presidency" has been reading too much science fiction in the secularist apocalypse genre.  Furthermore, Rick Warren is no theocrat.

Wickham continued:

Just as worrisome for me was his call for McCain and Obama to confess their "greatest moral failure." That's a pretty far-reaching inquiry that would be better answered in a pastor's study than on national TV — unless, of course, the purpose is political persuasion, not personal salvation. Even so, Obama said it was his drug and alcohol use during his youth. McCain said it was the failure of his first marriage.

Wickham's real issue here is probably not the question itself at all.  It's hard to imagine his umbrage if Lesley Stahl or Bill Moyers asked that question of the candidates.  No, the real issue here is the setting.  But, then again, Wickham went on to argue that it is a good thing that many famous presidents of the past did not have to answer that question.