Text 12067, 92 rader
Skriven 2005-04-22 13:01:14 av Alan Hess
Ärende: filibuster and faith
============================
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/bal-op.religion22apr22,1,1176437.stor
y?coll=bal-pe-opinion
Faith and the filibuster fight


By Melissa Rogers

April 22, 2005

IAM A CHURCHGOING, Bible-believing Baptist, but I recently learned that I'm not
a Christian. Indeed, I've not only learned that I'm not a Christian, I've also
learned that I'm anti-Christian and hostile to religion. Why? Because I dare to
disagree with a certain political and legal agenda.

That's the message that is scheduled to be preached in a Kentucky church
Sunday, at an event sponsored by the Family Research Council and joined by
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. The event is titled "Justice Sunday:
Stopping the Filibuster Against People of Faith."

The press release for the event states that certain judicial nominees are being
opposed "because they are people of faith and moral conviction." It labels a
broad range of court decisions as "liberal, anti-Christian dogma," claiming
that "activist courts ... have been quietly working under the veil of the
judiciary, like thieves in the night, to rob us of our Christian heritage and
our religious freedoms." In sum, the release says that "we must stop this
unprecedented filibuster of people of faith."

Thus, according to supporters of this agenda, including one of the foremost
leaders in Congress, anyone who has a different view of the Constitution is an
advocate of "liberal, anti-Christian dogma." Anyone who takes a contrary
position on Senate rules of procedure is hostile to faith. End of story.

It's time to tell the truth.

There is no "filibuster against people of faith." Religious people are on both
sides of the debate about the filibuster and certain Bush-nominated judges. And
it's wrong for one of the country's foremost political leaders to lend
legitimacy to a contrary notion. Just as no one should have to pass a religious
test in order to hold political office, no one should have to pass a political
test in order to claim religion or morality.

Further, the Senate has already confirmed the overwhelming majority of
President Bush's judicial nominees, and there is every reason to assume that
most of these judges are religious people. Many of these judges presumably
share the president's views on abortion and same-sex marriage.

Of course, it would be improper to oppose judges because of their faith, but it
is legitimate for senators to inquire about a judge's constitutional philosophy
and ability to follow settled law, whatever his or her personal opinion. And
surely reasonable minds can agree that something is seriously awry when a
non-Catholic senator, Alabama Republican Jeff Sessions, lectures Catholic
senators about Catholic doctrine during a hearing on judicial nominations.

Moreover, contrary to the Family Research Council's claims, court decisions
have not resulted in the "banning of school prayer" and "the expulsion of the
Ten Commandments from public spaces." As courts have repeatedly recognized,
students have every right to pray in public schools, as long as the school does
not sponsor the prayer.

Similarly, the Supreme Court has held that if public parks are generally open
for community group rallies and signs, religious rallies and signs must be
welcome, too, so long as it's clear that the government itself isn't promoting
religion. Indeed, many deeply religious people support these principles
precisely because they don't want the government secularizing the sacred and
otherwise meddling in religion.

Just as the government always perverts the faith it promotes, politicians
cheapen the religion they seek to embrace when they push partisan politics in
churches. When Jesus cast the moneychangers out of the temple, He said, "My
house shall be called the house of prayer."

Houses of worship are holy places, not political precincts.

Dr. Frist is wrong to seek political advantage through this event, and his
error is compounded by his tacit approval of these illegitimate claims of
persecution and the smearing of others as "anti-religious" simply because they
differ on certain political and legal issues.

When I hear attempts to manipulate people in the pews, I always think of one of
my grandmother's favorite Bible verses: "For God hath not given us the spirit
of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7).

May people of all faiths and political stripes reject a spirit of fear and
speak the truth, with power and with love.

Melissa Rogers is a visiting professor of religion and public policy at Wake
Forest University Divinity School.

Copyright + 2005, The Baltimore Sun

--- Msged/2 6.0.1
 * Origin: tncbbs.no-ip.com - Join the CROSSFIRE echo - all welcom (1:261/1000)