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So it must be with today's evangelicals. Following in the steps of Wilberforce, we must confront the moral horrors of our day. And when we work for causes that people across the political spectrum understand as promoting human good, we break out of the stereotypical "Bible-thumping bigot" mold.

We don't do it for that reason, of course; we do it because it is our calling. But when the world sees us defending the poor, the enslaved, the persecuted, and the sex trafficking victim, our arguments about protecting the unborn and the dignity of all human life have credibility.

This credibility extends all the way to the pages of The New York Times, where columnist Nicholas Kristof recently wrote: "I've lost my cynicism about evangelical groups partly because I've seen them at work abroad."

To much of the watching world, our determined concern for "the least of these" in every land may be our most powerful witness.

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Also posted today is an interview with a USAID official on preventing AIDS in Africa.

Other CT AIDS coverage includes:

Beyond Condoms | To alleviate AIDS, we must sharpen our moral vision. (June 10, 2003)

A Strategy for Progress | Unless prevention of HIV/AIDS becomes a clear priority, things are only going to get worse. (May 2, 2003)

Civics for Gay Activists | We may see more die from HIV/AIDS because gay activists are intolerant. (April 10, 2003)

ABC vs. HIV | Christians back abstinence-fidelity plan against deadly virus. (March 10, 2003)

Jerry Thacker: Politics Muddies Fight Against AIDS | The politics of homosexuality has made it easier to battle the disease in foreign countries than domestically, says a former nominee to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV and AIDS. (Feb. 07, 2003)

Killing a Pandemic | The church may be best equipped to deal HIV/AIDS a crippling blow.

AIDS 'Apathy' Campaign Debuts | Yet Christian leaders say stigma, not neglect, is the bigger problem. (Aug. 28, 2002)

Bono Tells Christians: Don't Neglect Africa | He urges evangelicals to take a lead in fighting AIDS and poverty. (April 19, 2001)

U.S. Blacks Preach Abstinence Gospel | Mission workers testify that Christ helps control sexual urges. (March 27, 2002)

Health Workers Urge Indian Churches to Join Campaign Against AIDS | The Christian Medical Association of India fights the social stigma that accompanies the disease. (Nov. 21, 2001)

Mercy Impaired | Let's shock the world by reversing our apathy toward African sufferers. (September 27, 2001)

Indian Church Steps Up Education Programs To Deal With Threat Of AIDS | Ten percent of those living with AIDS live in India. (August 17, 2001)

Kenyan President Suggests Hanging for 'Knowingly' Infecting Others with AIDS | Church organizations criticize use of capital punishment as solution to epidemic. (July 19, 2001)

Dying Alone | Baptist women seek out and care for ashamed, abandoned AIDS patients. (June 15, 2001)

Few to Receive Generic AIDS Medicines | Pharmaceutical companies drop suit against South Africa, but problems remain. (May 18, 2001)

Zambia's Churches Win Fight Against Anti-AIDS Ads | Church leaders are concerned that condom promotion encourages promiscuity. (Jan. 12, 2001)

Mandela, De Klerk, and Tutu Join to Fight AIDS | South Africa's men of peace call for end of silence and stigmatization. (Dec. 14, 2000)

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February 2004, Vol. 48, No. 2