Liberals and religion.

I was rather disappointed by the Who's Who (January/February) item on Paul Bremer as its conclusion seemingly ridiculed the Catholic Faith of the Bremers and the devotional importance of Lourdes to that faith.

This flippancy seems to be part of a general editorial animus your publication has toward people of religious faith. I observe this sadly, as I generally agree with 85 to 90 percent of the well-reasoned, soundly written articles that appear in the magazine. Faith and liberalism are not mutually exclusive: Indeed, my religious convictions lead me to believe in the role of government to improve the lives of its citizens.

My question is whether The Washington Monthly is only for political progressives who are secular?

Eric Smith 

Atlanta, Ga

The editors reply: Our intent was to use the vivid details of the Bremers's Catholicism to provide some insight into the strength of their friendship with the Bushes. In fact, we took care to word the item so that it would not cast judgment on the nature of their faith. While for too long many corners of the progressive community have been skeptical of religion, we are proud to have showcased articles that reflect religions perspectives, including our June 2003 cover story, "Do the Democrats Have a Prayer?" by liberal and religious writer Amy Sullivan.