New York, NY - It Is Wrong For The Media To Be The Arbiter Of The Label 'Orthodox'

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New York, NY - When it comes to religion, "orthodoxy" is a fighting word. That is why it is peculiar, to say the least, when the news media make themselves the arbiter of who is, say, an orthodox and who is not.

This matter-of-fact assignment of the label "orthodox" to one faction among others has occurred frequently in the press, occasionally in this paper.

One obvious reason is the confusion between uppercase Orthodox and lowercase orthodox. Among Jews, it has become conventional to use the word "Orthodox" to designate one segment of the Jewish community adhering to a certain interpretation of what Jewish belief and observance require.

The Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist movements within Judaism may joust with the Orthodox over many things, but use of that word has become a settled matter.

It is not unusual for some believers to put themselves forward as orthodox, just as it is not unusual for some partisans in political battles to put themselves forward as true or patriotic Americans.

Such audacity can be entirely sincere, although it can also be highly manipulative. Not every difference over public policy is a matter of patriotism, and not every difference over liturgical practice or pastoral priorities is a matter of orthodoxy. Raising the stakes rhetorically does not necessarily help resolve these questions practically.

But whether the matter under debate is central or peripheral, making a claim to the label obviously does not settle the question of what is true doctrine, or true patriotism.

And the news media should be as careful not to echo the partisan language of adversaries in the religious case as in the political arena.

When it comes to nomenclature, writing about religion is of course a minefield. Terms like "conservative" and "liberal," "traditionalist" and "progressive" are almost unavoidable shorthand, though they suffer from their origins in political categories and almost inevitably oversimplify and dichotomize religious realities that are multifaceted.

But "orthodox" is a special case, because it suggests a sharp boundary between those who properly belong and those who are properly excluded, the way that "patriotic" can suggest a boundary between loyal citizens and something verging on traitors. Religious leaders have a hard enough time wrestling with such matters. Journalists should not get in their way.

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