OK, we all have our political beliefs and agendas to push, debate and argue over. If done in a spirit of compromise, give-and-take and good faith, such a process can be healthy and desirable.
Some of the evangelicals have no interest in compromise, give-and-take, nor in good faith. Indeed, some of them encourage their faithful to pray the current bench off the Court, by whatever means necessary. Some of them equate opposition to Roberts with Satan. And, not surprisingly, these evangelicals seek to make a few bucks from the whole process. Would you expect any less from Pat Robertson?
Two years ago, in July 2003, Rev. Pat Robertson "felt an urgent need" for people to unite and pray for change in the Supreme Court. His "feeling' of "urgent need" led him and his 700 Club to form
Operation Supreme Court Freedom. They launched a nationwide 21-day prayer campaign, complete with donations, during which they asked their partners and viewers to pray for God to "intervene and restore righteousness and justice in our land."
The fact that nothing happened during the intervening 2 years seems to me to be a pretty decent suggestion of the existence of God. Nonetheless, Pat now views the current O'Connor vacancy as proof that his prayers have been answered.
And naturally, now that the last round of prayers have finally been answered, Pat feels the need to waft a few more up to the Almighty. Among the more seemingly pernicious prayers solicited by Robertson are the following:
Pray that the justices of the Supreme Court would rule according to the Constitution as written and not man's opinions. (As if the Constitution were not written by men to memorialize their opinions on how the government should be run.)
"Pray that additional vacancies occur within the Supreme Court." (Hmmm, he doesn't say how?)
"Pray that those who oppose biblical truth would retire from the Supreme Court and be replaced by those who honor God's law." (And the rest can just die? Whose biblical truth? The biblical truth that favors social justice and caring for the poor?)
"Pray that truth would reign supreme during the Senate confirmation hearings." (To keep Roberts from lying, no doubt)
"Pray that any plan of the enemy for the Senate confirmation hearing would be thwarted. Take authority over the schemes of Satan concerning the Supreme Court." (You can guess whose caucus room Beelzebub is supposedly in)
Am I being cynical or are these people nuts?