Posted on 10/08/2005 7:59:22 AM PDT by Crackingham
Uh-oh. Now we are in trouble. Doesn’t take much to read the tea leaves on the Harriet Miers nomination. First, it’s Bunker Time at the White House. Miers’ chief qualification for this job is loyalty to George W. Bush and the team. What the nomination means in larger terms for both law and society is the fifth vote on the court to overturn Roe v. Wade. Aside from that bothersome little matter, the Miers appointment is like that of John Roberts — could’ve been worse. Not as bad as Edith Jones, not as bad as Priscilla Owen — and you should see some of our boy judges from Texas.
Miers, like Bush himself, is classic Texas conservative Establishment, with the addition of Christian fundamentalism. What I mean by fundamentalist is one who believes in both biblical inerrancy and salvation by faith alone.
She is enrolled in the Valley View Christian Church of Dallas, which she attended for at least 20 years before moving to Washington five years ago. Among her fellow churchgoers was Nathan Hecht of the Texas Supreme Court, considered second only to Priscilla Owen as that court’s most adamant anti-abortion judge.
SNIP
Miers’ church states on its Web site that it believes in biblical inerrancy, full immersion baptism, original sin and salvation dependent entirely upon accepting Jesus Christ. Everyone else is going to hell.
I have said for years about people in public life, “I don’t write about sex, drugs or rock ’n’ roll.” If I had my druthers, I wouldn’t write about the religion of those in public life, either, as I consider it a most private matter. Separation of church and state is in the Constitution because this country was founded by people who had experienced both religious persecution and state-supported religions. I think John F. Kennedy’s 1960 statement to the Baptist ministers should stand as a model of how public servants should handle the relation between religious belief and public service.
Nevertheless, we are now beset by people who insist on dragging religion into governance — and who themselves believe they are beset by people determined to “drive God from the public square.”
This division has been in part created by and certainly aggravated by those seeking political advantage. It is a recipe for an incredibly damaging and serious split in this country, and I believe we all need to think long and carefully before doing anything to make it worse.
As an 1803 quote attributed to James Madison goes: “The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe with blood for centuries.”
I actually agree with Molly for once. It should have been qualification first, THEN religion. The way this has been done, Miers will always be viewed as a sop to the Christian right.
Always amazes me how all the old whores of the Dinosaur Media elite posture as if they were "populists". Sure Molly people like you and Dan Rather really are in touch with the "Common folk". That's why none of your people have won since 1976 and Carter. Because you are "So populist".
If I had my druthers, you wouldn't either, Leatherface.
Molly, you ignorant slut - it isn't.
Who gives a rat's arse how the left view her as long as she gets the job done.
Ha. Two good laughs in one thread. Thanks
Am I wrong or does the Constitution NOT say that. Seems to me it's something along the line of "The government shall make no law establishing a religion etc" I can't recall the phrase "separation of church and state".
As an atheist, I applaud the selection of a strong Christian. Western values spring from Christianity. The western world is under siege. I do not have the leftist-atheist hyper-fear of prayer in schools. I would welcome prayer in schools. And 10 commandment statues in courthouse hallways, and InGodWeTrust on more public seals and insignia.
I don't believe in god, but I do believe in the salvation of the western world that has come from a belief in god.
And I do believe that atheists (particularly left-wing atheists) have killed tens of millions, have enjoyed the carnage, and would love to kill again.
As an atheist I say: three cheers for Christianity, three cheers for President Bush, and three cheers for the Miers appointment.
Molly, you ignorant slutShe is a maximum ignorant slut.
Oh, but it is. The French constitution, that is. These people have switched allegances loooong ago.
AINOs - American in Name Only.
"I think John F. Kennedy’s 1960 statement to the Baptist ministers should stand as a model of how public servants should handle the relation between religious belief and public service."
Does anyone have what JFK actually said to the ministers???
Help me out here.
"Who gives a rat's arse how the left view her as long as she gets the job done."
Except it will be how people on the right view her too. There was no need for any of this, it is a self inflicted wound that will fester for 25 years.
I disagree. Religion should have nothing to do with it. Only judicial philosophy. It should matter not a whit what Ms. Miers religion is. This piece from Molly Ivans is just the usual anti-Christian bigotry and hate speech from the liberal Left.
It doesn't say it. It says "no establishment" and "free exercise."
Seems to me that only liberals are making noise about religion, with their breathless anxiety over the "Christian Right". Libs are frightened by one main possibility: their abortion death cult may be in jeopardy... and they don't exactly want to be honest about it. Molly kneels at the secular alter of baby sacrifice and screeches the usual paranoia about the evil Christian Fundamentalists invading her precious courts.
Nothing enrages the intellectual NE elitist libs more than a church-goer!
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