About Amy Coney Barrett's religious beliefs.
Just before the Constitution was written, Thomas Jefferson wrote of religious tolerance in our nation-to-be: “It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are 20 gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.” 1/5
One's religion— Islam, atheism, membership in the tiny Christian sect People of Praise, whatever--should prevent nobody from holding any public office. But it's perfectly legitimate for citizens to examine and discuss the full mental apparatus of any Supreme Court nominee.
2/5
Barrett is Catholic, and everyone more or less knows what Catholicism is. But she's also a member of People of Praise, part of the Christian "charismatic" church movement that arose in America in the 1960s as a countercultural multi-denominational rebranded pentecostalism.
3/5
Beyond the well-covered lifestyle traditionalism of People of Praise is their theological extremism: like other charismatics--what @Pontifex called “samba school” Catholicism--People of Praise believe they have magic powers to speak in tongues, cure illness, cast out demons. 4/5
Again, a Senator shouldn't vote against Barrett because of those peculiar beliefs. But what a curious American milestone that they're fundamental to a person we'll be employing for decades to determine and enforce the most consequential contours of reason and reality.
5/5
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