We were wondering when Terry Mattingly over at Get Religion would weigh in on our profile of the 12 people who are shaping the Democrats’ approach to religion. TMatt has spoken.

Actually, TMatt got Mark Stricherz to critique the piece, and he concludes that the story “never tells us how the dozen religious Democrats live Scripture or the Talmud.” That is perhaps a fair criticism, but in our mind, seems to miss the point.

When we set out on this project, we weren’t trying to measure the religiosity of any one person on the list, or rate them on some sort of personal piety scale. Frankly, we’re not sure who on this list goes to church or shul, and we don’t particularly care. (For what’s it’s worth, Amy Sullivan goes to St. Columba’s DC, Mike McCurry teaches junior high Sunday School and Daughtry preaches on Sundays. Mara Vanderslice has even been spotted at Brian McLaren’s church) But that’s not our place. What we were interested in was what effect they were having. Do they get their phone calls returned? Do people read their articles? Do they write the speeches? Can they get a meeting with Rick Warren? The answer, for most folks on the list, is yes.

Stricherz, in TMatt’s words, is an an “active Catholic and a pro-life Democrat.” Judging from his use of the phrase “human fetus as an unborn child or two men seeking benefits as homosexual unions,” it’s clear he’s coming at it with a particular point of view, which is entirely his perogative. It seems he wants us to be rating these Democrats on something of an orthodoxy scale, but that’s not our job.

Stricherz’s critiques are fair, but I think misplaced. If he has issue with the degree of authenticity of Rosa DeLauro’s or Leah Daughtry’s faith, he should take that up with them. In the meantime, we’re hoping this story gets people to do just what Stricherz finds so troubling-talk, talk, talk.