Contributing to the conservative drumbeat for war with Iran are the criers of “religious freedom,” who point, correctly, to Iran’s extreme restrictions on liberty of conscience. Will bombing help? We’ll leave that to wiser heads to decide. Meanwhile, we’re looking at this peculiar report in U.S. News & World Report by Anuj Chopra, on Christian converts in Iran. It’s a good idea for a story, but rather than explore the Why and the How of such conversions, Chopra follows the lead of conservative activist Joseph Grieboski (not identified as such). We’re left wondering why the family at the heart of the story responded to “a seductively passionate voice on a satellite TV channel imploring Iranians to embrace Christianity,” and what this Christianity has to do with America, since Chopra tells us that the family must now feign enthusiasm when called upon to chant death to the great Satan. We get a word from a David Harder, somehow involved w/ the satellite TV channel, but no idea about his denominational affiliations or sponsorship. Chopra could have followed these important strands of the story without undermining its evident support for the converts — indeed, that would have made Chopra’s case stronger.