US Supreme Court Discusses All-Male Catholic Priesthood

Catholic Culture ^ | 10/7/11

[Dumb_Ox]

Why would it astonish you? This train’s been rolling this way for some time now.

Call it the conservative instinct. It can't get *that* bad, I've told myself. This is America!

I've trusted too much in the Constitution to keep things safe. But if there isn't a cultural consensus about religious freedom, especially an elite consensus, religious freedom will fall by the wayside no matter the constitutional precedent.

[Tax-chick]

I think you’ve totally nailed it, xzins.

[Daffy]

- the case is about a LUTHERAN teacher and has no relevance to the CATHOLIC CHURCH ... so why is this even being brought up?

Attack piecemeal. Get the sought-after ruling, then use it as a weapon in future attacks.

When questioned by Chief Justice John Roberts on whether religious groups should have the right to judge the qualifications of their own key employees, she replied: “We don't see that line of church autonomy principles in the religion clause jurisprudence as such.”

translation: ... she replied, "No."

[BenKenobi]

It happened in England, it can happen in Ameerica. England was very Catholic, and she still hasn’t recovered. Wasn’t until 1830 that Catholics could even vote.

[Morgana]

Rev. Mother Superior is not pleased by this at all!!

[Chode]

so much for the separation of Church and State...

[Campion]

"Why, this isn't Spain, my good man! This is England!" -- "Thomas Cromwell," in "A Man for All Seasons".

[Carl Vehse]

There didn't seem to be any hard attacks by the justices on the "ministerial exception" (the right of a religious organization to require employees adhere to the organization's doctrine tenets) however four justices repeatedly brought up the question of pretext.

The Sixth Court of Appeals also raised that issue of examining whether the alleged discrimination was covered by the ministerial exception under church doctrine, or whether church doctrine was used as a pretext for discrimination in the instant case.