Read
our past articles here! From
Our Members Read
articles from members of the NCC family News
Releases Releases
to the National Press | 7/26/05 
U.S.
Supreme Court nominee John C. Roberts (Left) meets with Senate Minority Leader
Harry Reid (Right, D-NV) last Thursday to discuss his appointment to the High
Court.
By Rev. Rob Schenck Many people are
asking what comes next for President Bush's nominee for the U.S. Supreme court.
At the moment, Judge John G. Roberts is busy making rounds on Capitol Hill primarily
for the purpose of courtesy calls on both friendly and hostile members of the
Judiciary Committee that will hold confirmation hearings beginning in late August
or early September. After that, and presuming the committee votes to recommend
him to the full senate, all senators will debate the question and cast a vote,
likely in mid to late September. Again, presuming he is confirmed, Judge Roberts
would have one to two weeks to make his transition from his current court to his
new digs at the Supreme Court across the street from our ministry center here
on Capitol Hill. While there is early speculation that the Senate will indeed
confirm Judge Roberts, no one really believes it will be a smooth ride. I recall
sitting in on confirmation hearings for John Ashcroft who was up for attorney
general in the first Bush Administration and it was nothing short of brutal. Besides
attacking him for being a right wing extremist, opponents of President Bush threatened
to grill Mr. Ashcroft on his Christian doctrinal beliefs. It was one of the most
contentious, prejudicial, petty and insulting exercises I have witnessed in Washington
since arriving here nearly twelve years ago. I don't expect much substantive difference
for Judge Roberts. I do predict that some of those same personalities that
savagely attacked John Ashcroft will try to temper themselves during this nomination
process, but only because they will have plenty of surrogates to do their dirty
work. First thing in the morning on the day after President Bush's 9:00 P.M. announcement
of Judge Roberts, we went across the street to the U.S. Capitol police station
to secure permits for our daily prayer vigils, rallies and news conferences to
be held during the confirmation hearings. By the time we got there, super-liberal
and left wing groups had already scarped up virtually every public space! Somebody
with inside knowledge had obviously tipped them off. Notwithstanding Senator Ted
Kennedy's "civilized" tone, his office and others will be feeding information
and prodding extremist organizations to bombard the airwaves, press and streets
with anti-Roberts vitriol. All this is not to mention what they are already doing
to attack Judge Roberts' wife who, like her husband, is a faithful Catholic and
as such has been actively engaged in pro-life work. That's red meat for pro-abortion,
anti-marriage and anti-family activists. Here on Capitol Hill the sidewalks and
parks are going to look like the Mardi Gras from Hades! Well, we're up for
the battle. We will not be intimidated or bullied into the shadows. This is a
time for Christians to let our light shine and declare the Truth! I've been in
these spiritual street brawls before and while they aren't pretty, God is always
the Victor! I remember leading a large group of pastors in a prayer service outside
Madison Square Gardens in 1992 when then Governor Bill Clinton was to be nominated
at the Democratic Convention in New York City. As we knelt to pray for the future
of the country, homosexual activists urinated on us while yelling that they were
HIV positive. I don't expect it to get nearly that bad here in Washington, but
there are plenty of wild-eyed gangs ready to do whatever is necessary to smear
Judge Roberts' reputation. Our job will be to first pray that God's will
be done in this matter, to show visible support for a justice who will faithfully
apply the Constitution as it is written and not how he or she imagines it, and
get the truth out to the media beyond all the spin. I have asked our colleague,
Rev. Pat Mahoney, to lead this effort as he did in Montgomery, Alabama for Judge
Roy Moore during the Ten Commandments war and as he did later in Florida for Terry
Schiavo and her family as she was thirsted and starved to death by court order. Please
pray for us and consider helping us financially with this critically important
mission. At this point, no other Christian organization will be publicly advocating
for truth during the hearings. It will cost Faith and Action $30,000 to undertake
this bold public Christian witness. We do not have any of these funds in our budget.
You can make your tax-deductible gift for Operation
Higher Court online or by phone (202-546-8329, press option 3)
or mail your check or money order to Faith and Action, 109 2nd St., NE,
Washington, D.C. 20002. And, there's one more way you can help:
By coming to Washington and joining us in prayer, in rallies and in news conferences.
We need your presence with us! I assure you it will be peaceful, legal and safe
as we politely confront the forces that will attempt to deceive the American people
and thwart the successful appointment of a reasonable justice to the out-of-control
Supreme Court. Please talk with your family, friends, pastor and fellow church
members about coming to Washington for just a few hours, a day, a weekend or even
a week or two if you can stay. Hearings will begin as early as the last two weeks
of August or the first two weeks of September. See this website and the upcoming
www.prayatthecourt.com for details. I hope to see you here in Washington!
|  |
