This Week in God

[babylonsister]

This Week in God
Posted October 6th, 2007 at 10:42 am



First up from The God Machine this week is a special Roman Catholic mass, held every year around this time, in which the church subtly lobbies Supreme Court justices on how they should rule on specific social issues.

Don’t you wish you had the opportunity to personally lobby the members of the U.S. Supreme Court on issues that concern you?

It’s rare that anyone gets that chance. The nine members of the court are supposed to be somewhat aloof and to isolate themselves from the pressure groups and high-powered lobbyists who regularly cruise the halls of Congress, seeking to button-hole members of the House of Representatives or Senate.

But once a year, many of the justices sit through a lecture where they are patiently instructed on how to vote on a number of important constitutional issues. This event takes places in the context of a worship service. It is called the “Red Mass.”

The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., working with the John Carroll Society, sponsors this special service, so named for the red vestments the presiding member of the clergy wears. The annual event takes place the Sunday before the first Monday in October, the opening of the Supreme Court’s new term.

This year’s Red Mass was held a week ago, and drew six sitting justices of the high court — Roberts, Scalia, Thomas, Alito, Kennedy, and Breyer. They heard Archbishop Timothy Dolan tout the importance of a “mutually enriching alliance” between religion and democracy, and allude to the church’s opposition to abortion, stem-cell research, and euthanasia, blasting “a culture where life itself can be treated as a commodity, seen as a means to an end, or as an inconvenience when tiny or infirm, in a society where rights are reduced to whatever we have the urge to do instead of what we ought to do in a civil society.”

more...

http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/13134.html

[daninthemoon]

1. Well, I suppose it's slightly better than if jerry fallwell and the

fundamentalists were running it. Something I was unaware of though.

[babylonsister]

2. First I'd ever heard of this, too. Doesn't seem right regardless

of who's running it.

[NMMNG]

3. I'd like to say I'm surprised

But I'm not.

[More Than A Feeling]

4. And when will the Freedom From Religion Foundation have the opportunity

to lecture six justices of the highest court of the land as though they were schoolchildren?

Didn't think so.

[Bozita]

5. Didn't the IRS go after a California church with a peace message a few years ago?

The "Red Mass" really crosses the line, imho.

Here's stuff about the California church:
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/178/story_17863_1.html

The agency's regulations prohibit churches from participating in any political campaign on behalf of one candidate. Endorsements, donations or statements made on behalf of a church are also not allowed. Even a debate or forum that shows a preference for or against a particular candidate could violate regulations, according to IRS guidelines.

Regas' sermon speculated about what Jesus would say to Bush and Democratic candidate John Kerry on subjects including poverty, violence and war.

In his introduction, Regas said he did not intend to tell people how to vote, but at one point, Regas imagined the words Jesus would have for Bush: "Mr. President, your doctrine of a pre-emptive war is a failed doctrine. Forcibly changing the regime of an enemy that posed no imminent threat has led to disaster."

Bacon said the IRS asked for supporting documents in its letter, which the church provided. Then the agency offered a deal: If the church would say it violated regulations and promise to comply in the future, the IRS would drop its investigation.

The church replied that it had not broken any regulations.

[robinlynne]

9. not a few years ago, the case just ended last month.

[BrklynLiberal]

6. When JFK ran for President, there were worries that his Catholicism might influence his decisions.

Ahhhhh... for the good old days..
:crazy: :silly: :wtf:

[babylonsister]

7. Ha! You said it. nt

[Solly Mack]

8. Fuck those clergy for doing this. Fuck those justices attending

and fuck anyone that supports this

I'm livid

[robinlynne]

10. constitution sewn up, plastified and sold for doormats....

[papau]

11. I suspect Catholic Supreme Court Justices are aware of Catholic doctrine before they go n/t

n/t

[nemo137]

12. It's apparently a fairly old tradition

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Mass

It's not a new lobbying thing, and as another poster pointed out, conservative Catholic judges are probably aware of Catholic doctrine before the mass, and those not immersed in it will probably take it or leave it as they please.

[nemo137]

13. dupe post, sorry.