Turley - The Faith of John Roberts

[realFedUp]

(this remark by Roberts to Sen. Durbin didn't get a much press last
week...but it's telling)

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-turley25jul25,0,3148446.story?coll=la-news-comment-opinions

The faith of John Roberts
By Jonathan Turley
Jonathan Turley is a law professor at George Washington University.

July 25, 2005

Judge John G. Roberts Jr. has been called the stealth nominee for the Supreme Court — a nominee specifically selected because he has few public positions on controversial issues such as abortion. However, in a meeting last week, Roberts briefly lifted the carefully maintained curtain over his personal views. In so doing, he raised a question that could not only undermine the White House strategy for confirmation but could raise a question of his fitness to serve as the 109th Supreme Court justice.

The exchange occurred during one of Roberts' informal discussions with senators last week. According to two people who attended the meeting, Roberts was asked by Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) what he would do if the law required a ruling that his church considers immoral. Roberts is a devout Catholic and is married to an ardent pro-life activist. The Catholic Church considers abortion to be a sin, and various church leaders have stated that government officials supporting abortion should be denied religious rites such as communion. (Pope Benedict XVI is often cited as holding this strict view of the merging of a person's faith and public duties).

Renowned for his unflappable style in oral argument, Roberts appeared nonplused and, according to sources in the meeting, answered after a long pause that he would probably have to recuse himself.

It was the first unscripted answer in the most carefully scripted nomination in history. It was also the wrong answer. In taking office, a justice takes an oath to uphold the Constitution and the laws of the United States. A judge's personal religious views should have no role in the interpretation of the laws. (To his credit, Roberts did not say that his faith would control in such a case).

continued

[xchrom]

1. ''stealth'' nominee?!?

i think you can smell his rulings from a mile away.

[meti57b]

2. Genesis 2.7 says you're a "living soul" when you take your "first breath"

"Genesis 2.7 Then the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."

http://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/jps/gen002.htm

[wtbymark]

3. saying that he would recuse himself

from a decision should disqualify him outright because, and correct me if i'm wrong, but SC judges have to render a decision don't they, they cannot recuse themselves, for there is no other court to hear the case.

[realFedUp]

5. yeah, their personal Catholic beliefs shouldn't define legal judgement

Someone needs to ask him more about his faith...
is it corporate, tied to Opus Dei, Dominionism etc.

His faith defines his life...we should know
how it will define his lifetime legal judgement.

[HockeyMom]

4. So now we have to legislate everything the Catholic Church

considers a "sin"? How about birth control? That is a sin to the Catholic Church. Let's start banning the Pill, Condoms, and Vasectomies too? How about Divorce? Ban that too because it's a "sin" according to the Catholic Church?

This is exactly why we have separation of church and state. If you are a Catholic and you wish to not engage in any of these "sins", that is you business, but you have NO RIGHT to impose your religious views on anyone else who is NOT the same religion as YOU.

Our legislators were elected to represent people of ALL faiths (and NONE), not just the members of their own religion.

[realFedUp]

6. A WH press reporter asked about this comment by Roberts

today...Scotty pretended he didn't know Turley first
then parroted the WH spin on how faith wouldn't play
any part in this nominee judging the law.

the only way that WH press corps earns its money
is having to sit through an hour or more of
Scotty's daily lies.