My gut tells me that the answer is simple: religion reporters have to do a better job of respecting a source's religious beliefs, and not treating them with the derisive skepticism that is too often part and parcel of the journalism method. But since the journalism method is so ingrained in reporters from day one, they have to work harder to get over it for religious reporting. There's nothing wrong with asking people about their prayer life, or the aspects of their religious traditions that make them comfortable or uncomfortable. It's putting that information -- which is often deeply personal and introspective -- in a narrative that readers can identify with even if they don't agree with the source's stated beliefs. That's the difficult trick.