Why does the Washington Post allow its contributor to repeatedly question Obama's religion?

On September 2, Washington Post On Faith panelist Danielle Bean questioned President Obama's “loyalties,” and falsely suggested he isn't really a Christian. Given that On Faith purports to strive for "intelligent, informed, respectful conversation," you might assume that the Post would frown upon questioning the president's faith, and that Bean's post just slipped through the cracks. You'd be wrong.

On October 20, Bean was back at it, claiming that though Obama “publicly call[s] himself Christian,” he gives people reason to doubt his faith -- and suggesting for good measure that Nancy Pelosi isn't really Catholic, either:

Our current president has made clear the fact that a man can publicly call himself Christian, but then speak and act in a way that leave a growing number of Americans uncertain about what his actual religious beliefs might be.

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Nancy Pelosi calls herself Catholic, but nearly every public comment she has made clarifying her religious beliefs betrays the fact that she has no idea what it means to be a Catholic and her own brand of “truth” does not come close to resembling Catholic teaching on marriage, abortion, and contraception.