Miers’ withdrawal still will shape Supreme Court nomination, respondents say
President Bush’s choice of Judge Samuel A. Alito to succeed retiring Justice Sandra Day O’Connor continues to make faith issues a priority in the year’s second high court appointment.
I think it is about time that we have a Supreme Court Justice that is not ashamed to identify herself as a Christian. I would have preferred that the nominee had some judicial experience (sitting on the bench); however, with a believer in God and a believer in the constitution it is a step in the right direction. I was very pleased with John Roberts’ nomination and confirmation for Chief Justice and now Harriet Meirs is another step forward. I am with the President.
Howard Hallmark
Noting Harriet Miers picture and first thought about her in ‘The Christian Chronicle’ , I thought that she was a member of the New Testament church, the church of Chirst. The so-called Christian Church is just another religious institution.
I do not doubt that the woman would make a good Jurist on the Supreme Court. Being conservative is too close to being honest and the way things aught to be.
However, my personal take really is, that NO WOMAN should bein this kind of authority. The point I want to make here, any personprofessing christianity will have a very difficult time in politics. (The Supreme Ct. is political now.) In this business, there is no doubt about it, IT IS A COMPROMISING BUSINESS!! Truth and sticking to the written Constitution is not too important in politics today. I don’t have to tell you, that this country is headed for the rocks!!!
Cleo Phillips
We don’t have a religious test for office holding in the United States; for example, one doesn’t have to be a Sunni or a Shiite. We don’t have a gender test. We don’t have a racial test. I’m grateful. Should Mrs. Miers be confirmed and become a member of the United States Supreme Court, I hope it is because she has outstanding qualifications as a jurist. I hope she has a deep knowledge of American constitutional law. I’m glad Jesus is her Lord and Savior. He’s mine, too.
Anne Donnell
About the Miers nomination. I think it was a specific effort on the part of the President to recommend such a religious person.. He was hopeful – and not without regret – that she had no marks against her.
Except one. She was identified as a Christian!
We don’t have a religious test for office holding in the United States; for example, one doesn’t have to be a Sunni or a Shiite. We don’t have a gender test. We don’t have a racial test. I’m grateful. Should Mrs. Miers be confirmed and become a member of the United States Supreme Court, I hope it is because she has outstanding qualifications as a jurist. I hope she has a deep knowledge of American constitutional law. I’m glad Jesus is her Lord and Savior. He’s mine, too.
Anne Donnell
About the Miers nomination. I think it was a specific effort on the part of the President to recommend such a religious person.. He was hopeful – and not without regret – that she had no marks against her.
Except one. She was identified as a Christian!
While we have some separatist differences with the Christian Church, it does not behoove us to join in the opposition of such a religious person whose basic belief are ours. We need more religious balance on the Supreme Court.
Wiliam Manby
I find it very exciting that a Christian has been nominated to the Supreme Court. I find it disgusting and frustrating that conservatives are protesting one of their own, when we know nothing to oppose. I, also, trust President Bush to appoint a strong conservative whom he knows very well.
Martha Chappelle
We all know the importance of having righteous, God-fearing judges throughout the land. Many of us have been praying for just that especially when it comes to the Supreme Court. We have prayed and some have even fasted concerning the next people that President Bush would choose to be Supreme Court judges.
The question that we must now ask ourselves is this: do we trust God’s answer to our prayers? No, Miers does not have a crystal-clear track record of defeating abortion at every turn and no, she probably doesn’t have a crystal-clear track record concerning ANY issue that we deem vital as Christians and vital as to this country’s future. That being the case, again I say “Do we trust God’s answer to our prayers?”
I have been reading a book called “Finding Common Ground”, a book that emphasizes the importance of sowing so that there will be a harvest. One of the things that book talks about is the importance of “moles”. In the spy world, a mole is a person planted in an enemy’s culture for the express purpose of blending into that culture in order to gain positions of power and trust. Once those positions are gained the mole is then able to secretly wreak havok on the enemy by sending vital information to their true country. In this case, I think Miers to be the perfect “mole” candidate because she doesn’t stand out as real threat to Satan’s kingdom. But Lord willing she is appointed to the Supreme Court, I believe God will use her to wreak havok on Satan and his forces, and not necessarily in a secret fashion either.
No matter what, let’s pray that God will fill this land with righteous judges, especially on the Highest Court in the Land.
David Hicks
IN MY OPINION, MS. MIERS DECISION TO WITHDRAW IS PRIMARILY DUE TOOPPOSITION FROM THE SECULAR RIGHT WING OF THE GOP, COMBINED WITH POORFEEDBACK FROM HER INTERVIEWS WITH INDIVIDUAL SENATORS.
I AM NOW PRAYING FOR, AND AM SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT THAT, THE PREIDENTWILL ANSWER BY NOMINATING JUDGE JANICE ROGERS BROWN, A FAITHFUL MEMBEROF THE LORD’S CHURCH, AND A SUPERIOR CANDIDATE FOR THE SUPREME COURT. THIS COURAGEOUS MOVE, IF SUCCESSFUL, WOULD DO MORE TO PROTECTCHRISTIANITY IN THE UNITED STATES THAN ANY OTHER ACTION SINCE 1962,WHEN PUBLIC SCHOOL PRAYER WAS LEGISLATED AWAY.
LARRY SHELLENBERGER
I heard on this morning’s news that Ms. Meirs has withdrawn her name from nomination. I had my own idea of opposition to her being on the Supreme Court due to her very apparent lack of experience in judicial matters and none on constitutional issues. I am in favor of a christian filling the spot as we as a nation need God centered people helping to frame the laws of this country. I am however also much in favor of a person who has served as judges already for a significant amount of time for the wisdom and experience that affords.
I was not in favor of Mr. Roberts being appointed “chief justice” for the same reason. He needs to earn his place by time served, not by political compromise.
Stan Hurd
At this time the Harriet Miers controversy as to if she is qualified or not is not an issue since she has withdrawn her name.
The media and almanacs and phone books and so forth seem to want tolump together the churches of Christ and Christian Church as if theyare the same movement, however, there is a world of difference.
However, is a candidate like this better than a Catholic, Episcipol or even
a non Christian person. I would say yes, because most of the conservative
religious groups do agree on moral standards for deciding cases along with
the churches of Christ.
Gary Hatmaker
The media and almanacs and phone books and so forth seem to want tolump together the churches of Christ and Christian Church as if theyare the same movement, however, there is a world of difference.
However, is a candidate like this better than a Catholic, Episcipol or even
a non Christian person. I would say yes, because most of the conservative
religious groups do agree on moral standards for deciding cases along with
the churches of Christ.
Gary Hatmaker
The question about Harriet Miers’ faith being important in being approved for the Supreme Court is a rhetorical question now.
BUT is faith important in the nominees to any office, not just Associate Justices to the Supreme Court? Yes, to me faith is very important. We need people who have firm convictions about their faith and the importance of interpreting the constitution, rather than rewriting it. There is a saying that a person who doesn’t stand for something will fall for anything.
We need more faith (Christian faith) in our society. We have been losing ground ever since the concentrated effort to stamp out Christian principles from our lives.
Howard H allmark
The faith of Harriet Miers should only be an issue if her faithrequired her to violate her oath of office to uphold the law andConstitution.
Over 30 years ago, I was elected as a Circuit Court Judge in DavidsonCounty Tennessee. I had worked my way through Vanderbilt Law School as a church of Christ preacher and was the son of a very well known church of Christ preacher.
A part of my duties as a Judge was to hear and decide divorcecases. I was criticized by many of my brethren because I was true to myoath of office and decided the cases based on the law regardless of my ownreligious views about the “scriptural” grounds for divorce. Many devout brothers and sisters thought that I should enforce“God’s law” rather than man’s. I respectfullydisagreed for the following reasons: 1. If each of the hundreds of judges in Tennesseesubstituted their own notion of God’s law for the law of Tennessee, chaoswould result; 2. No one including God had appointed me to enforceGod’s law and to do so would fly in the face of the lesson of the Parableof the Tares; 3. Whether to follow God’s law is a matter between theparties and God of which God is perfectly capable of judging; 4. Neither the life of Jesus nor any of the Apostles show a single exampleof an attempt use the power of the government to impose Christian principles onothers.
The pertinent question to a Supreme Court nominee or any candidate forpublic office is “Will you uphold the law and the Constitution regardlessof your personal religious views?”. An honest and positive responseto that question will protect the religious liberty of all.
As James Madison said: “Religion flourishes in greater puritywithout than with the aid of government.”
Steve North
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