How will Sotomayor rule in the coming suit to overturn Roe v Wade?
There will be five Catholics on the Supreme Court once Sotomayor is seated among them.
I just finished my daily perusal of the Internets Tubes. Sonia Sotomayor and the conservative outrage upon her was about 80% of what's lighting up the electrons today. They hate her. They hate women. They hate her cuisine preferences. They hate Obama. They have a lot of hate to go around, that's for sure.
But not one word about her religion. Plenty about how her vagina will skew her opinions and votes on cases. Plenty about how her marital status will skew same. Her 'empathy'. Her 'immigrant parents'. Her Latino messiness.
How about her religion? Will that help John Roberts and the rest of the Neocon Gang make abortion illegal again? Not one word. Nada. Zip. Zero.
Maybe it's like reverse psychology; maybe conservatives are hiding their SUPPORT for her while trumpeting their opposition? Or maybe it's more like Pavlovian psychology than anything else.
I just finished my daily perusal of the Internets Tubes. Sonia Sotomayor and the conservative outrage upon her was about 80% of what's lighting up the electrons today. They hate her. They hate women. They hate her cuisine preferences. They hate Obama. They have a lot of hate to go around, that's for sure.
But not one word about her religion. Plenty about how her vagina will skew her opinions and votes on cases. Plenty about how her marital status will skew same. Her 'empathy'. Her 'immigrant parents'. Her Latino messiness.
How about her religion? Will that help John Roberts and the rest of the Neocon Gang make abortion illegal again? Not one word. Nada. Zip. Zero.
Maybe it's like reverse psychology; maybe conservatives are hiding their SUPPORT for her while trumpeting their opposition? Or maybe it's more like Pavlovian psychology than anything else.
Advertisement
I was thinking the same thing. Along with fundamentalist Protestants, hispanic Catholics are one of the most ardent anti-choice groups out there. Sotomayor is hardly a liberal, but neither is Obama. I think she matches his moderate stance pretty closely. When it comes to which side of Roe v. Wade she falls on, I would be very concerned.
May 28, 2009 1:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
The question is is she a practicing Catholic? By all accounts I have read no. She's what one might call a holiday Catholic. Next, does the church even recognize her as a Catholic? Maybe not since she got a divorce and without the compulsory annulment from the church.
Yes her views on Roe v. Wade on are unknown, but if I were to guess she will respond to the question like all do. It is settled law. If asked about the upcoming SCOTUS case she again will respond like all candidates do. "I cannot tell you how I am going to vote since I have not heard the arguments and it would be improper at this point to venture an opinion."
May 28, 2009 1:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
There is a vein in Catholic thought that separates law from works. The view is roughly this: outlawing abortion will not eliminate the act. What will eliminate abortion is a loving and just society that takes care of its children. Therefore, through deed and example shall abortion be remedied.
This kind of thought separates church and state. The whole "give unto Ceasar what is Ceasar's, give unto God what is God's" kind of thinking.
Anyhow, I doubt she would do anything but uphold precedent.
May 28, 2009 1:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks for your thoughts. They seem pretty reasonable to me, and I was honestly wondering if there was even a small chance that she could be a stealth Christian on the Court.
It would appear that although there may be just as many Catholics who embrace this vein of thought as its opposite, the most vocal ones are obviously more of the fundamentalist vein. I find myself being reminded of the 'render unto Caesar' Scripture more and more, especially when I hear a nutty neocon complaining about just about anything...
May 28, 2009 4:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
There will be five Catholics on the Supreme Court once Sotomayor is seated among them.
Sotomayor will be the sixth. There are already five.
Justice. Affiliation
John Roberts, Catholic
Stephen G. Breyer, Jewish
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Jewish
Anthony M. Kennedy, Catholic
Antonin Scalia, Catholic
David H. Souter, Episcopalian
John Paul Stevens, Protestant
Clarence Thomas, Catholic
Samuel Alito, Catholic
May 28, 2009 1:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's like the Pope has a secret plot to take over the Supreme Court or something. Where's my tinfoil hat? Somebody cal Dan Brown!
May 28, 2009 3:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
I supply a correction to a simple fact and you see Pope plots? Are you crazy or something?
May 28, 2009 4:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Relax. Many an inherent jest is misconstrued in a comments line or an email, on these here Internets Tubes.
Thank you for the correction. I appreciate it.
Wow, two Jews. I had no idea. Now THERE'S some top secret plot territory for ya.
May 28, 2009 4:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not upset. Just responded in kind. I guess I should have added a smiley.
May 28, 2009 4:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ah! My mistake. And I stepped right into a perfect example of what I tried to illustrate...
Irony. Dontcha just love it?
May 28, 2009 5:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
:)
May 28, 2009 5:57 PM | Reply | Permalink