Are the Democrats trying to impose a religious test on candidates for federal judgeships? In particular, are the Democrats trying to prevent practicing Catholics from ascending to federal judgeships? Of course, this would be contrary to the Constitution which specifically states that there can be no religious test for federal employment.
During 2017 confirmation hearings for the 7th Circuit for Judge Amy Barrett, Sen. Dianne Feinstein said, “The dogma lives loudly within you.” Specifically Feinstein was referring to the fact that Barrett was a practicing Catholic who follows the Church’s teachings on life and marriage. Feinstein was attempting to draw a line whereby particular individuals would be automatically disqualified from being judges if they believed in their religion’s teachings. In particular here, abortion on demand was the issue.
Feinstein’s remark provoked strong criticism from the chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, who denounced “anti-Catholic bigotry,” and also from Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber, who wrote that questions about Barrett’s faith “were not consistent with the principle set forth in the Constitution’s ‘no religious test’ clause.”
The idea that a judge would use personal convictions rather than the law in deciding cases is anathema to most judges. However, the Democrats cannot take any chances that at some point the ridiculous 1973 decision in Roe vs Wade might be overturned. This is one of the lynchpins in their identity politics strategy for retaining power.
Now anti-Catholic bigotry has raised its ugly head again. Ed Condon of the Catholic News Agency reports,
A judicial nominee faced questions from Senators this month about whether membership in the Knights of Columbus might impede his ability to judge federal cases fairly. The Knights of Columbus say that no candidate for public office should have to defend his membership in a Catholic service organization.
Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Kamala Harris (D-CA) raised concerns about membership in the Knights of Columbus while the Senate Judiciary Committee reviewed the candidacy of Brian C. Buescher, an Omaha-based lawyer nominated by President Trump to sit on the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska.
Senators also asked whether belonging to the Catholic charitable organization could prevent judges from hearing cases “fairly and impartially.”
In written questions sent to Buescher by committee members Dec. 5, Sen. Hirono stated that “the Knights of Columbus has taken a number of extreme positions. For example, it was reportedly one of the top contributors to California’s Proposition 8 campaign to ban same-sex marriage.”
Hirono then asked Buescher if he would quit the group if he was confirmed “to avoid any appearance of bias.”
“The Knights of Columbus does not have the authority to take personal political positions on behalf of all of its approximately two million members,” Buescher responded.
“If confirmed, I will apply all provisions of the Code of Conduct for United States Judges regarding recusal and disqualification,” he said.
It is appalling that two US Senators would engage in such conduct. Apparently Catholics are one of the few remaining groups that it is okay to slander and denigrate. As with many other things, Democrats in the Senate, members of the so-called party of tolerance and diversity, are no longer hiding their anti-Catholic bigotry.
Originally founded in 1882, the Knights of Columbus started as a fraternal society benefitting poverty-stricken Catholic immigrants in this country. It was founded in response to anti-Catholic bigotry of the time. Today, the K of C exists in many countries and donates nearly $200 million per year to worthy causes.
Penny Nance, president of Concerned Women For America, noted,
“This isn’t just about the Knights of Columbus or Catholics, this is an ongoing attack from the extremist left of the Democratic Party to silence people of faith and run them out of engaging in public service based on their religious beliefs. It is pure and simple religious bigotry.”
Of course, it is. The Democrats are trying to create a country where all rights flow from a government that they would control. They want people to believe that it is alright to murder the most vulnerable among us. Religious views such as life at conception interfere with that agenda. Disqualifying people of religious beliefs from becoming judges would make it easier to impose their will on the masses.
I am sure that John F. Kennedy, a member of the Knights of Columbus while President, would be ashamed of his party today and in particular of Senators Hirono and Harris.