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It is appropriate, in a nation at war, to pray for our troops, to cheer each success that brings the war's conclusion closer, to celebrate our brave soldiers with candlelight vigils, and to remember prisoners with yellow ribbons. It is appropriate to mourn our dead, to pray for peace as well as victory (when we are in the right), and to ask God to guide our leaders. But a war is not a sporting contest. We should remember the wounds suffered by the other side as we remember our own. And although we should celebrate victory when our cause is just, we must never celebrate killing our fellow human beings.

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More Christianity Today articles on Abu Ghraib and the War in Iraq are available on our Hot Topic pages.

Recent Christianity Today columns by Stephen L. Carter include:

Hope Deferred | Christians are uniquely positioned to further racial equality. (June 29, 2004)

A Politics of Gratitude | Stop whining, count your blessings, and love your global neighbors. (March 08, 2004)

Sports Mobs and Manners | There's a difference between cheering the home team and being boorish. (Aug. 25, 2003)

Roe vs. Judicial Sense | Forget briefly its immorality—it's just bad law (July 1, 2003)

Willing to Lose | By voting we place our hope in the next world. (March 4, 2003)

Virtue via Vouchers | The Supreme Court's recent decision can help prevent more corporate scandals. (Dec. 4, 2002)

Remedial History | The educational establishment seems confused about our spiritual heritage. (July 10, 2002)

Uncle Sam Is Not Your Dad | The separation of church and state protects families too. (March 22, 2002)

A Quiet Compromise | Why a moment of silence is better than school prayer. (Feb. 25, 2002)

Leaving 'Normal' Behind | Life before September 11 seemed more secure, but do we really want it back? (Dec. 4, 2001)

Rudeness Has a First Name | Instant informality actually sabotages true friendship. (Nov. 2, 2001)

Why Rules Rule | Debates on the Ten Commandments expose our culture's ultimate rift. (Sept. 6, 2001)

We Interrupt This Childhood | Parents who raise their children to do right face a barrage of resistance. (July 11, 2001)

And the Word Turned Secular | Christians should count the cost of the state's affirmation. (May 29, 2001)

Vouching for Parents | Vouchers are not an attack on public schools but a vote of trust in families. (Apr. 2, 2001)

The Courage to Lose | In elections, and in life, there is something more important than winning. (Feb. 6, 2001)

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September 2004, Vol. 48, No. 9