All the Church News Fit to Print

I don't expect to read the New York Times for "faith news." Yes, the paper covers the world, which religion is a part of, but the Times rightly lets scores of church magazines and newsletters cover their own field. Therefore, I am surprised when the Times' op-ed pages take sides in ecclesiastical controversies. And yet, ecclesiastical justice is exactly what Ross Douthat and David Brooks concern themselves with. Their decision to enter the fray of church controversy raises questions about the wisdom of using a powerful institution like the Times to alter affairs that have virtually no connection to the newspaper.