Since the right shows no interest in social justice -- indeed, often comes across as actively opposed to it -- then the political left is the only choice for the Christian. Do you really believe that Margaret Thatcher gave a damn about the poor? She surely felt no sympathy for all the coal miners she put out of work. (I'll admit that that her loathing of Arthur Cargill may have had a lot to do with that.)

I'm not saying that there aren't major problems with leftist politics for the Christian. Much of the left is actively opposed to religion. But when religious leaders both preach and practice discrimination; when they preach that the poor should be given the "preferential option" while schmoozing with the rich; when they say that "religious freedom consists of allowing discrimination against gays and denying contraception to women, then one can say that the anti-religion people have a point.

The institutional Church has deserved much of the opprobrium cast on it.