Don't Let Me Stop You: Religious Tests

Leftist organizations and the MSM (but I repeat myself) have expressed great concern that Judge John Roberts's Catholic faith might make him unsuitable for the Supreme Court. The chief concern is that Roberts, unlike John Kerry, may actually believe all that stuff. Thus there would be a risk that Roberts could undermine key constitutional protections such as the eleventy-fifth amendment, Roe v Wade.

Consequently, the New York Times branch of MoveOn.gov, when they could pry themselves away from his adoption records, has been keenly interested in the details of Judge Roberts' religious views. In the rush to protect the Rule of Law from Religious Extremism the Lefties have run afoul of an obscure federal law, the US Constitution. Manuel Miranda reports in the Wall Street Journal article, Judging While Catholic:

"Earlier this week, in a span of minutes, three journalists asked me to respond to liberals, like Sen. Richard Durbin (D., Ill.), raising Judge Roberts's religion as a confirmation issue. As if there were a Republican talking point in my hand, they each asked in similar words: 'What's the line on that?' Minutes before penning this column, a fourth prominent political reporter startled me further by asking: 'What religion test clause? Where does that appear?'"

Miranda, a knowledgeable attorney, helpfully provides the reference:

U.S. CONSTITUTION: "Article. VI. Clause 3: The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States." [emphasis added]

Sen. Dickie "Pol Pot" Durbin (Moonbat, IL) evidently thinks that while a "religious test" is prohibited, this is just a "religious quiz," which would be OK. After all the Holy Principle of Separation of Church and State demands that something be done.

The "Separation of Church and State" is the "Four legs good. Two legs bad," version of the Constitution's view of religion, designed for those animals without the mental capacity to comprehend the whole picture. As previously noted here, the Constitution and Amendments do not actually mention the phrase. The real language is, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

It's hard to twist that and the prohibition of religious tests to mean what the Looney Left wants it to mean.

Technorati: John Roberts, Supreme Court, judicial nomination, judicial confirmation, freedom of religion, church and state,