As President Obama considers nominees to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, a debate bubbles as to whether religion should play a role in his choice.
This is a no-brainer. The religious views of the next justice of the high court must absolutely be a decisive factor.
Though the court without Stevens will be left with six Catholics and two Jews, the open seat should not go to either domination. Nor should it go to a Presbyterian, a Lutheran, a Methodist, a Muslim or even a Zoroastrian. If it did, that would make nine people who all have one religious principle in common: a belief in religion.
Clearly, the next person to take the bench should be an atheist.
To replace John Paul Stevens, Obama should draw on the influence of the Founding Fathers like Thomas Jefferson and pick a nonbeliever. This will never happen in a country where seemingly no politician, from either party, can resist the temptation of ending a speech with the empty phrase "God bless America."
Freedom and reason are secular. Religion plays far too influential a role in our political and civic life as is. One person's superstitions and myths are just coded language, they do not represent anything. Add to the faux righteousness, the willful ignorance of the basic principle of separation of Church and State by some of the biggest politicians. It's sad.
With nonbelievers representing 30% of the population, it's about time they received some representation.
1 comment:
The so-called "basic principle of separation of Church and State" is not in the Constitution but was invented by the Supreme Court.
Don't trust me, Google it.
But since politics is your religion, I don't think you would believe it even if you read it.
You also seem to focus on the perceived negative aspects of religion. Do you ever weigh religion's pros and cons, such as the fact religion is a force that makes people work and sacrifice for others and is a genuine altruistic force? Do you really think the U.S. could have been built without a sense of mission greater than the love of government money?
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