A Scary Court

[Pastorbps]

Six Catholics and three Jews occupying all nine seats on the Supreme Court? It sounds like the start of a bad joke, but in fact it could be the end of what was once an unquestioned Protestant dominance of the high court, if President Barack Obama's pick to replace retiring Justice John Paul Stevens is confirmed.
Stevens is not only the liberal leader on the bench but also the lone Protestant, and with Obama's nomination Monday of 50-year-old Elena Kagan, the current solicitor general of the United States, to replace him, Stevens could be the last Protestant for some time.

Full story
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/05/10 ... eme-court/

Have you been taking notice. Strange when 52% of Americans identify themselves as Protestant compared to 25% Catholic and 1.3% Jewish. Wait until you see the marginalization of those who believe in Biblical, moral absolutes, and the literal interpretation of scripture. It just keeps coming and coming.

[stevenson]

I twittered & facebooked this fact yesterday & nobody seemed to care. Very sad!

[Phil Hoover]

the former President appointed TWO Catholics...

Is the "evangelical" community just NOW noticing the lack of "representation" on the nation's highest court?


Surely not....

I would like to see the "Protestant" movement represented on the court...

But more importantly, I'd like to see someone who knows and understands, and applies the Constitution of the United States on the nation's highest court....

But that's for another discussion.

[Pastor Gary]

I have to wonder: do we have more core values in common with a conservative catholic or a liberal mainline evangelical on the court?

Roman Catholic doctrine is pretty strict about abortion, homosexuality and the hot button conservative issues, and I suspect a catholic justice would tend to rule in ways most conservatives would like more often than an Episcopalian or UCC justice would.

[Pastorbps]

Pastor Gary I agree but that would depend on whether they were "devout" or "practicing" Catholics. We have seen many Catholics who did not represent the values taught by Catholicism (See Ted Kennedy).

[Full Quiver]

Since when is one's religious belief a requirement for the job of Supreme Court justice? Did I miss something in the Constitution?

Maybe real Christians aren't good lawyers because their consciences get int he way of telling lies.

[Pastor Gary]

Since when is one's religious belief a requirement for the job of Supreme Court justice? Did I miss something in the Constitution?

Maybe real Christians aren't good lawyers because their consciences get int he way of telling lies.

You're right, Danny. In a legal, technical sense it shouldn't matter, but we all have a worldview. Would you agree that a devout Roman Catholic has a sense of core values and worldview that differ from a Southern Baptist worldview? They would see hierarchy and authority differently if nothing else.

[Phil Hoover]

I have to wonder: do we have more core values in common with a conservative catholic or a liberal mainline evangelical on the court?

Roman Catholic doctrine is pretty strict about abortion, homosexuality and the hot button conservative issues, and I suspect a catholic justice would tend to rule in ways most conservatives would like more often than an Episcopalian or UCC justice would.

Depends on which part of the "country" this devout Catholic comes from. Catholics in Los Angeles are very different from Catholics in Omaha...and vice versa.

I am not so much concerned about the lack of "Protestant" representation as I am all the hullabaloo from the EXTREME RIGHT WING who said nothing about the "two Catholics" that President Bush appointed (both of whom are fine jurists, and John Roberts is one of the most brilliant minds in this nation in a LONG, LONG time).

[paul]

I have to wonder: do we have more core values in common with a conservative catholic or a liberal mainline evangelical on the court?

Roman Catholic doctrine is pretty strict about abortion, homosexuality and the hot button conservative issues, and I suspect a catholic justice would tend to rule in ways most conservatives would like more often than an Episcopalian or UCC justice would.

Depends on which part of the "country" this devout Catholic comes from. Catholics in Los Angeles are very different from Catholics in Omaha...and vice versa.

I am not so much concerned about the lack of "Protestant" representation as I am all the hullabaloo from the EXTREME RIGHT WING who said nothing about the "two Catholics" that President Bush appointed (both of whom are fine jurists, and John Roberts is one of the most brilliant minds in this nation in a LONG, LONG time).

Old dyed in the wool attitudes are hard to bleach out. If the court was composed of nine muslims or declared athiest....the right would be shouting and singing praises if one catholic was appointed...go figure.

[Pastorbps]

I think I have been misunderstood. I am not a fan of the idea the country is changed by voting, political campaigning, or even Supreme Court appointments. I don't believe it is the church's job to attempt to change countries or the world by passing laws, passing petitions, or protesting. If you want to do that as a concerned citizen, knock yourself out but I believe the church's mission is to change people with the power of the Gospel. His Kingdom is not of this world and we don't fight with carnal weapons.

I didn't point out the changes in the Supreme Court so that we could work for "Change" or to say we need to work for the appointment of Protestants. I was simply pointing out a change in the attitude of our country. I do believe it is a symptom of a changing America. I don't believe being a "Protestant" qualifies a person to sit on the Supreme Court (Many are not "devout Protestants" either and anyway) but does being "Protestant" disqualify one from serving on the Supreme Court? This is probably just a coincidence but I will say this, the day has arrived when believing in a literal interpretation of the Bible most likely disqualifies one from ever being elected President in our country. Ask a candidate, "Do you believe in Speaking in tongues?" or "Do you believe Jesus is coming back again?" "Do you believe God talks to you?" Answer "Yes" and your political future is doomed.
In one of the Democratic Presidential debates, John Edwards was asked, "Do you believe in Creation or Evolution?" Why was he asked that question? Incidentally he answered, "Evolution." There was no press for that and no follow-up but what if he would have answered "Creation?"

Paul mentioned atheists serving on the Supreme Court. I believe the day is coming when that may be a pre-qualification.
By the way Phil, I am not sure of your definition of right wing extremist. You may mean the Abortion clinic bombers or the homosexual beaters. I will warn you that with the wide brush used by the media, you are a right wing extremist for even believing in a literal Jesus and His 2nd coming.