The Godly are up in arms about questions addressing Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett’s faith. The Catholic League’s Bill Donohue is typical:
As I predicted last week, Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett would be spared another round of anti-Catholic commentary by senate Democrats. From what was said over the weekend, my assessment was correct.
Indeed, Rep. Nancy Pelosi affirmed that it “doesn’t matter what her faith is.” Sen. Dick Durbin, who made anti-Catholic remarks when Barrett was being considered for an appellate post in 2017, said this time around, “I’m going to be extremely careful.”
It is clear that the Democrats got burned for their bigotry three years ago and are not prepared to go down that road again, at least not in an ostentatious way (look for oblique attacks on her faith). That does not mean, however, that their surrogates in the media and activist organizations will restrain themselves. In fact, they are on the loose again.
Organizations that are either expressly atheistic or are wholly secular are, of course, ripping Barrett’s Catholicism.
Sorry, but anybody intimidated by Donohue is not doing the job; there are legitimate questions.
The Catholic Church condemns the death penalty, for instance. How will that affect her jurisprudence on questions that come before the court? The Catholic Church claims that the Pope is infallible? How will that affect her jurisprudence on questions that come before the court? These are fair and reasonable questions, and if she is truly a mature adult with an integrated philosophy she has thought about those things and reached an answer that satisfies her. There is nothing bigoted, as Donohue claims, about asking what that answer is and weighing that answer when considering confirmation.
After all, Southern Baptists are emphatic that Jesus comes first and the ways of man — including the ways of the Good Ol’ U.S. of A. — come second.
“I am a Christian first and an American second.”
“Following Christ will always trump being an American.”
“If I ever have to choose between the cross and the American flag, I will choose the cross every time.”
Does Barrett hold similar attitudes? It isn’t bigoted to ask that question and, frankly, I wonder why Donohue et. al. are so sensitive.