Rosie’s comment was crude and stupid (not to mention very unoriginal). However, I do think it’s reasonable for people to be concerned about a Catholic majority on the court when 1) this doesn’t reflect the religious make-up of the country, and 2) The Catholic Church is fond of issuing pronouncements telling politicial figures that as Catholics they are obligated to vote in accordance with the Church’s teachings, especially on this topic. Same would hold for any other religion: a one-religions majority on the court is somewhat problematic if it’s not reflective of the country’s religious make-up, and even more problematic if the religion in question officially teaches that political figures are obligated to vote in accordance with its teachings.
So, in other words, we need some affirmative action on the SCOTUS? Why stop there? Let’s analyze the religious makeup of Congress. And the Presidential cabinet. And the Defense Department. You know, there are too many neo-con Jews in the Department of Defense. That’s why we’re in Iraq, right? At least, that’s what the media says.
As the non-Catholics die off, retire or get kicked off the Court, it is time to nominate no one but Holy Rollers ~ (to keep up with that "represenative of the population" part).
A Catholic majority on the Supreme Court which is not reflective of the population should not be denigrated on the grounds of religious bias. If you hold to a religion then you should hold to it in all places, especially public ones, otherwise you are a coward and a phoney. But the real issue when it comes to religion is whether all religions are equal. If they are equal then they are equally erroneous. Therefore there must be some disparity in the amount of truth that each religion holds. The Catholic Church, which does have a long history that can be criticized, is the only church or religion which can rightfully claim to have been founded by God Himself. And for that reason She cannot alter what God has given Her. Likewise, She is often at odds with the “popular” misconceptions of any given moment in history. But at the same time Her teaching on matters of faith remain constant. Long before science revealed that human life begins at conception that was the teaching of the Catholic Church. We can see this illustrated in the Gospel when Saint John the Baptist recognised Christ while they were both still in their mothers’ wombs.