Apparently,
The New York Times is in favor of faith in the public square—if the purpose is
to mock it. Editors at theTimes poured gasoline on the fire of Atlanta's latest
controversy with an editorial that should shock even their most liberal
readers. Just when you thought the media couldn't sink any lower, the Times
takes on the same First Amendment that gives it the freedom to print these
vicious attacks on Christians.
In
a stunning column on Jan. 13, the newspaper argues that men and women of faith
have no place in public management of any kind. The piece, which shows a
remarkable disinterest in the facts, claims that Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin
Cochran didn't have permission to publish his book on biblical morality. Not
only did Cochran have permission from the city's ethics office to publish his
book, but he only distributed it in his personal capacity at church—where a
handful of his coworkers attend.
But
the shoddy journalism didn't end there. Editors insisted that Cochran's book
was full of "virulent anti-gay views"—when in fact, the 162 page book
only mentioned homosexuality twice. And both times, the conversation merely
echoed the Bible's teachings on the subject. For that—privately espousing a
faith that a majority of Americans share—Kelvin was fired.
"It
should not matter," The New York Times conveniently suggests, "that
the investigation found no evidence that Mr. Cochran had mistreated gays or
lesbians. His position as a high-level public servant makes his remarks
especially problematic, and requires that he be held to a different
standard." And what is that "standard," specifically? That he
has no First Amendment rights? If so, that's the height of hypocrisy for these
editors, who just days ago championed the press's freedom to ridicule religion
in the public square. Apparently, The New York Times believes in the freedom of
the press to attack faith, but not the public's right to hold a faith in the
first place.
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