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Maybe so. And maybe if a student wore a shirt displaying the Darwin fish, Christian teenagers—evangelicals in particular—might face the same pressure. A reader might reasonably protest that the cases are different, because evangelical Christians are hardly a despised minority. Fair enough.

But the idea of trusting the government to draw those fine distinctions between who can bear offense and who cannot frankly terrifies me. No matter how honorable one might consider the cause in which the power to censor is used today, the same power, once established, will still exist if less honorable hands wield it tomorrow. If the government possessed a monopoly on ethical wisdom, we would not need a First Amendment.

But it doesn't. And we do.

Copyright © 2006 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

The decision in Harper v. Poway Unified School District is available from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Recent Christianity Today columns by Stephen L. Carter include:

The ACLU Is Not Evil | And neither are many people with whom we disagree. (May 11, 2006)

The 'Judicial Philosophy' Dodge | Why opposing 'activist judges' isn't as straightforward as you'd think. (Jan. 3, 2006)

Evolution, Not Revolution | Christians need to lower their Supreme Court expectations. (Nov. 1, 2005)

Sticker Shock | When a judge violated the church-state peace treaty. (March 02, 2005)

Politics for Adults | A Supreme Court justice showed us how to "do business" with opponents. (Jan. 12, 2005)

Defending Our Neighbor | Can we start a war to protect others? (Nov. 10, 2004)

Loving Military Enemies | War does not exempt Christians from the second-greatest commandment. (Sept. 07, 2004)

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)

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July 2006, Vol. 50, No. 7