Judge Amy Coney Barrett could be President Trump\u2019s nominee to the Supreme Court\u2014a prospect that thrills many conservatives. A former Antonin Scalia clerk and Notre Dame professor, Judge Barrett, 46, seems an ideal choice. Yet her religious beliefs could lead to a contentious confirmation process. Would it be a risk to pick her?<\/p>\n
Last year President Trump nominated Ms. Barrett for a seat on the Seventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Several Democratic senators pondered whether an \u201corthodox Catholic\u201d would have dual loyalties. \u201cThe dogma lives loudly within you,\u201d Sen. Dianne Feinstein said during Ms. Barrett\u2019s hearing. \u201cThat\u2019s of concern.\u201d<\/p>\n
Video of Mrs. Feinstein\u2019s religious test quickly spread, provoking outrage from thousands of Americans. Yet a New York Times news story suggested she and her colleagues hadn\u2019t gone far enough: The nominee\u2019s \u201cmembership in a small, tightly knit Christian group called People of Praise never came up at the hearing, and might have led to even more intense questioning.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard Painter, a law professor and Democratic U.S. Senate candidate in Minnesota, loved the article. He recently tweeted the link, adding his own comment on People of Praise: \u201cA religious group in which members take an oath of loyalty to each other and are supervised by a male \u2018head\u2019 or female \u2018handmaiden.\u2019 That looks like a cult.\u201d As nonbigots do, Mr. Painter then added, \u201cdon\u2019t even try playing the \u2018anti-Catholic bigotry\u2019 card.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s easy to make People of Praise sound terrifying. Isn\u2019t there a TV show and novel about these \u201chandmaid\u201d people? Do Americans really want a cultist on the Supreme Court? Despite such insinuations from \u201cresistance\u201d conspiracy theorists, understanding the group requires more than a couple of tweets….<\/p>\n