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TRUMP'S SUPREME COURT PICK POLARIZES RELIGIOUS US JEWRY
Jerusalem Post ^ | Feb. 1, 2017 | Michael Wilner

Posted on 01/31/2017 9:17:26 PM PST by Tours

Washington President Donald Trump nominated Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court on Tuesday night, fulfilling his campaign promise to nominate a documented judicial conservative to the nation's justiceship.

Gorsuch currently serves as a judge on the US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. If confirmed by the Senate, he will take the seat of the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, considered a lion of the law and a hero of the political Right.

Scalia died over a year ago, leaving a vacancy on the nine-judge court. But Republican Senate leadership refused to entertain then-president Barack Obama's choice for the seat, Merrick Garland, casting the vacancy as a choice the American people to make through the selection of their next president.

Garland, had he been confirmed, would have brought to four the number of Jewish justices on the court.

Trump campaigned on a promise to select his nominee for Scalia's seat from a published list of known conservatives. Gorsuch, 49, was on that list.

Gorsuch characterizes his judicial philosophy in similar terms as Scalia: He considers himself a textualist on statutes, and believes the US Constitution should be enforced as it was originally interpreted. He has weighed in in favor of "religious freedom" laws that have allowed for exceptions to and restrictions on reproductive rights, although he has not personally issued any rulings on abortion from the bench.

Born in Colorado, Gorsuch attended Columbia University, Harvard Law School, and Oxford University for his doctorate. He clerked for both Supreme Court Justices Byron White and Anthony Kennedy before a short stint in private practice.

Judgeships on the Supreme Court are lifetime appointments.

Shortly after Trump announced his nominee came criticism and concern from several Reform Jewish organizations.

“We are greatly troubled by Judge Gorsuch’s record, which suggests that he may not have the attributes and values a nominee to the Supreme Court ought to have in order to mete out justice and interpret the laws that affect us all,” a statement issued by Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner on behalf of a number of the Reform movement’s umbrella bodies read. “We look forward to engaging in the confirmation process to further evaluate Judge Gorsuch’s views on issues of core importance to the Reform Movement, including civil rights, separation of church and state, religious freedom, women’s rights, LGBTQ equality, and many more.”

Rabbi Pesner added that either way, “it is also absolutely crucial that whomever joins the highest court in the land is a person who will defend the Constitution, promote equal rights and opportunity for all and approach legal interpretation with the reverence and care it deserves.”

“Unless President Trump's nominee meets all of these criteria and clarifies his views in confirmation hearings, we have significant reservations about his confirmation to be a Supreme Court Justice,” he added. Bend the Arc, a liberal social action group, also said it was “deeply concerned” by Gorsuch’s record.

Among Gorsuch’s opinions, most attracting Jewish interest was Burwell vs. Hobby Lobby in 2013, when the appeals court upheld the right of a private business to reject the government mandate to provide contraceptive care under employee health plans.

The Obama administration had offered leeway on such coverage to faith-based non-profits, but would not extend them to private businesses. Gorsuch joined the majority in the Appeals Court ruling, which was upheld the next year by the Supreme Court. Liberal Jewish groups backed the government in the case, while Orthodox Jewish groups favored Hobby Lobby. Gorsuch has also favored displays of crosses on public lands, and has tended in his rulings toward the rights of gun owners, in favor of the death penalty and against abortion rights.

The Interfaith Alliance, which describes itself "the faith-based voice countering the radical right and promoting the positive role of religion”, also voiced opposition to the nomination, saying that Gorsuch supported religious discrimination as federal judge.

"Religious freedom is not a license to discriminate,” the statement read. “Unfortunately, President Trump's Supreme Court nominee Judge Neil Gorsuch seems to believe otherwise.”

The alliance added that "as a federal judge he ruled on two of the most consequential religious freedom cases in recent years, and both times he opposed genuine religious freedom. Instead, he empowered groups seeking to force their religious beliefs onto others.”

"Senators must carefully examine Judge Gorsuch's views and record to determine whether he would uphold religious freedom for all Americans, regardless of faith. We cannot afford as a nation to put our First Freedom at risk,” the group concluded.

Nathan Diament, the Orthodox Union’s executive director of public policy, meantime, said Gorsuch’s rulings “show a jurisprudential approach that venerates religious conscience and pluralism in American society.”

Trump’s supreme court nomination is likely to face a fight, with Democrats suggesting they may filibuster his nomination. Democrats are still stung by the refusal of Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to allow a hearing for President Barack Obama’s nominee to replace Scalia, Merrick Garland, a moderate judge. Garland, had he been confirmed, would have brought to four the number of Jewish justices on the court. On the other side of the Jewish movements spectrum, however, the Orthodox Union, said Gorsuch’s rulings “show a jurisprudential approach that venerates religious conscience and pluralism in American society.”

Danielle Ziri and JTA contributed to this report.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2013; aca; bendthearc; gorsuch; hobbylobby; interfaithalliance; jewishvote; jews; jinos; obamacare; soros; supremecourt; trumpscotus
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To: DoughtyOne

No offense, but that comment is idiotic. There are three Jewish justices on the U.S. Supreme Court right now, and they are among the most reliably leftist/communist justices the court has ever had.


101 posted on 02/01/2017 3:45:27 AM PST by Alberta's Child ("Yo, bartender -- Jobu needs a refill!")
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To: Tours
“We look forward to engaging in the confirmation process to further evaluate Judge Gorsuch’s views on issues of core importance to the Reform Movement, including civil rights, separation of church and state, religious freedom, women’s rights, LGBTQ equality, and many more.”

Yeah, we know: To the leftists, everything comes down to racism, faggotry and abortion. Pound sand, you schmuck! Elections have consequences.

102 posted on 02/01/2017 3:47:46 AM PST by NorthMountain (New York Times is fake news)
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To: Tours

The amazing ability of an ethnic group to demand everything be about them.


103 posted on 02/01/2017 3:48:04 AM PST by Hacksaw (I haven't taken the 30 silvers.)
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To: Boogieman
Is there some unwritten rule that only Jews and Catholics can serve on the Supreme Court or something?

Unwritten? No ... it's right there in the 30th Amendment ... haven't you seen it? Try to keep up ...

104 posted on 02/01/2017 3:52:19 AM PST by NorthMountain (New York Times is fake news)
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To: editor-surveyor

No, Hitler’s mother was not a Jew.


105 posted on 02/01/2017 3:52:29 AM PST by iowamark (I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy)
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To: Tours
although he has not personally issued any rulings on abortion from the bench.

and has tended in his rulings ... against abortion rights.

Which is it?

106 posted on 02/01/2017 3:58:02 AM PST by BykrBayb (Lung cancer free since 11/9/07. Colon cancer free since 7/7/15. Obama free since 1/20/17. PTL ~ Þ)
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To: Seeing More Clearly Now

The Reform (and increasingly the Conservative Movement) are removing themselves from being part of the Jewish community. A large percentage of Jews have done the same in the past. Sadducees and related groups did the same, followed by Jewish Christians, the Karaites, followers of Shabbatai Tzvi, and followers of Jacob Frank. All represented a significant percentage of the Jews, but eventually disappeared from the Jewish community.


107 posted on 02/01/2017 4:14:05 AM PST by jjotto ("Ya could look it up!")
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To: Tours

“Religious freedom is not a license to discriminate,” the statement read. “Unfortunately, President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Judge Neil Gorsuch seems to believe otherwise.”


An absolute crock of nonsense. If you cannot discriminate, there is no freedom of association. Without freedom of association, organized religion becomes nearly impossible.

There should be no discrimination by the government, unless on merit; but private parties should be able to discriminate at will.


108 posted on 02/01/2017 4:22:01 AM PST by marktwain (We wanted to tell our side of the story. We hope by us telling our story...)
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To: Voluntaryist

GOOD catch
DOD 2/13/16


109 posted on 02/01/2017 4:24:35 AM PST by aumrl (let's keep it real Conservatives)
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To: Tours
Watching an all women conference...most saying that he's bad on women's rights. Of course they were referring to the Hobby Lobby Case.

Except the case eventually went to the USSC and THAT court upheld the lower court (Gorsuch) with a 5-4 ruling.

So any leaning to call him anti-women is a red herring.

110 posted on 02/01/2017 4:29:18 AM PST by Sacajaweau
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To: nopardons

Thanks, no pardons for taking these lies on. Now Hitler’s a Jew! I like FR for its support of Israel and its genuine lack of anti-Semitism but these ignorant posts take the cake!


111 posted on 02/01/2017 4:30:01 AM PST by miss marmelstein
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To: editor-surveyor
No, she wasn't. Hitler's father had the unclear parentage; rumor had it that his mother (Hitler's grandmother) became pregnant with him while employed as a domestic by a Jewish family. The child was supposedly sired by their older teenage son.

Historians have looked at the evidence and concluded that that's probably not what happened, although Hitler may have believed it.

Hitler adored his mother, BTW, and loathed his father.

112 posted on 02/01/2017 4:51:06 AM PST by Campion (Halten Sie sich unbedingt an die Lehre!)
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To: Tours

I though it said “jewelry” at first glance. Never Mind.


113 posted on 02/01/2017 5:10:18 AM PST by rhoda_penmark
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To: rhoda_penmark

Cause mine is all sewn into the hem of my garment. /s


114 posted on 02/01/2017 5:11:51 AM PST by rhoda_penmark
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To: Tours

A local Rabbi I know, familiar with Gorsuch’s judicial record is pleased Gorsuch is nominated. Why do Leftist Jews claim to speak for Jews when all they are speaking for is their own political, not religious, bias.


115 posted on 02/01/2017 5:59:03 AM PST by Wuli
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To: Tours

Fascinating coincidence of a brand new article about this. -— There is a visible shift towards conservatism among American Jews. This author is a bit on the optimistic side, imho, in that the “progressives” aren’t out of business yet, not by a long shot. But still there’s a visible movement back to more traditionally Jewish/ Biblical values in many — linkee :
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2017/02/american_jews_are_becoming_conservative.html


116 posted on 02/01/2017 7:46:48 AM PST by faithhopecharity ("Politicans are not born, they're excreted." -- Marcus Tillius Cicero)
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To: nopardons

.
You are often amusing.

Nobody here takes you seriously, but few will challenge you because you are a “Tar Baby.”

I have no malice toward you.
.


117 posted on 02/01/2017 9:13:37 AM PST by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: dp0622

I like you too. :-)


118 posted on 02/01/2017 11:45:41 AM PST by nopardons
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To: miss marmelstein
You're welcome.

It was a patently ridiculous, stupid, on purpose LIE, to ramp up a flame war, by a very well known troll here, who craves attention from me and others here, so that he can then claim that he is in some way superior to those whom he detests. Just take it from whence it came and move on.

119 posted on 02/01/2017 11:54:25 AM PST by nopardons
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To: editor-surveyor
As you can plainly see, on this thread, YOU are the person whom posters are calling out, on your uneducated, erroneous, stupid posts.

OTOH, I am being lauded, thanked, and "liked".

You couldn't "take me on" and win, if armed with an earpiece and THE most intelligent people, all over the world, were telling you what to post. You harass and poke at me O( and others here ), for attention, ego, and dislike. But in doing that, all you succeed in doing, is annoying others ( no, not me, I just laugh AT you and your puerile antics )and turning yourself into an object of derision and someone to laugh at to boot.

Oh....and you're misusing the term "TAR BABY". Yet another miscalculation on your part. LOL

120 posted on 02/01/2017 12:01:59 PM PST by nopardons
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