It wasn't that long ago that the prevailing thought in America's culture would have seen a Bible study among cabinet members as a positive thing, such that even left-wing journalists who scoffed at it privately wouldn't cover it like a scandal because they'd know their readers wouldn't see it that way.
The culture has changed a lot - maybe not as much as the left thinks it has, but enough that now when left-wing media outlets treat such a thing like an abomination, they're confident that their readers by-and-large will see it the same way. In other words, liberals now feel it's safe to rip on government officials for studying the Bible, instead of having to pretend they don't find it appalling.
