It has been many years since any numerous group of people were advocating directly for the suppression of certain religious groups. However, a recent display took place between Senator Dianne Finestein of California and Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois toward a judicial nominee. This represents a bit of cruel irony, as this nominee is a Roman Catholic.
There was a time when a Catholic would be put out of several segments of the American government and culture. I think it's safe to say that most people thought that this line of thinking had gone away -We had hopes that this line of reasoning died out at least since the Kennedy administration. Unfortunately, the types of questions being asked seem to indicate that this is a cause that continues.
Most American Protestants, having been accustomed to an ethos of toleration for other beliefs, would have found this display very disturbing. The role fo the senators is to discern wether they can execute the decisions needed for the position in question.
I can think of two possibilities so far. The first is the possibility that Finestein and Durbin both seek to cast people of certain religious persuasions out of government. the second is the possiblity that coming from Roman Catholic backgrounds, Finestein and Durbin believe they can ask certain types of questions that those from Protestant background have not. Either way, questions are being asked that are completely out of place in a confirmation hearing. Even as a Protestant, it's disturbing. It begs the question: who will they come after next? If the roles had been reversed and a different set of politicians were asking similar questions of somebody who adheres to a Non-Christian religion, people would rightly be outraged. Let's have some consistency!
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