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Yes, we live in a polarized time. The screechy hatefulness emanating from many on the secular Left during the Bush administration has sullied our public discourse. Many Christians feel under assault by the uncompromising secularism of the culture. This includes the queries, on the heels of every bit of bad news, about how one can believe in a God who would allow certain things (this hurricane, this genocide, this war, this tsunami).

As an antidote to these uninformed arguments, I recommend David Bentley Hart's startlingly exquisite 2005 book, The Doors of the Sea: Where Was God in the Tsunami? As an antidote to the screechy hatefulness, I recommend Christian love. While our fallen nature makes all of us, whether on the Left or the Right, prone to hating our enemies, we Christians know that Christ calls us to a higher standard.

Want a practical example? The next time a fellow Christian disparages the ACLU , try answering with something like this: "Sure, they're on the wrong side sometimes, but I thank God for the times when they're right."

Copyright © 2006 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Web pages dedicated to highlighting the ACLU's work on behalf of Christians includes The ACLU Fights for Christians and The ACLU Defends Freedom of Religion. The ACLU also recently defended street preacher Jim Webber's right to speaking in Las Vegas.

Recent Christianity Today columns by Stephen L. Carter include:

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)

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)

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May 2006, Vol. 50, No. 5