Civil Commotion

Biden was, at most, minimally reassuring. Allowing himself to be sucked into the vortex of Trump’s cyclonic destruction of the event’s negotiated rules, Biden called Trump a clown, a fool and a liar. Truth was, however, an insufficient justification for Biden’s ignoring of this fact about Trump’s behavior: Following him down is an endless journey.

George Will

Biden’s appeal lies in the irremediable odiousness of his opponent; in normal times he would be considered a weak candidate. (In normal times he has been found to be a weak candidate — repeatedly.)

But Trump is no more than an ambulatory foulness, and Biden will have to do. And so much for that.

I don’t hate the Christian God, nor do I hate Satan, Jesus, or countless other deities. Jesus died almost 2,000 years ago, end of discussion. Why would I waste my time hating a dead person? God and Satan, on the other hand, are myths. Again, why would I waste my time hating mythical beings? Such behavior is silly and absurd.

This commenter confuses the deity Christians worship with the beliefs and behaviors of said Christians. My objection is to what is done in the name of God/Jesus. My objection to the theocratic tendencies of Evangelical churches, pastors, and parachurch organizations. A mythical deity can’t harm anyone. However, works done in his name can, and do, cause psychological and physical harm.

Bruce Gerencser

A Catholic Cardinal provides a good example of the reason that questions about Amy Coney Barrett’s religion are legitimate.

A conservative Roman Catholic cardinal says Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden should not receive Holy Communion during Sunday Masses because his views on abortion are at sharp odds with Vatican teaching.
[ … ]

“Certainly, he is not a Catholic in good standing, and he should not approach to receive Holy Communion,” Burke says of Biden in the video footage, obtained exclusively by Zenger News.

There is no escaping the fact that Christian teachings, and the public policy of the designedly secular United States, are sometimes in conflict and — Bill Donohue’s noisy harangues to the contrary — asking nominees how they will resolve that is reasonable and not evidence of bigotry.

I doubt strongly that the Trump supporters I know will ever recognize that they’ve been conned or that they’ve been used to injure their country. Like the members of failed cults throughout history, the most likely reaction is sullen defensiveness upon the decline of their ridiculous club.

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.