GORSUCH RAISED CATHOLIC
GORSUCH'S LIBERAL "PROTESTANT PASTRIX"
(I.E. NEITHER PROTESTANT NOR A PASTOR
IN THE BIBLICAL SENSE)
ABOVE: SUSAN SPRINGER, RECTOR OF APOSTATE, PRO LGBT, PRO ABORTION, ANTI GUN, PRO CLIMATE CONTROL,
ST. JOHN'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, BOULDER, COLORADO
THE PROS AND CONS OF JUDGE NEIL M. GORSUCH
(I.E. NEITHER PROTESTANT NOR A PASTOR
IN THE BIBLICAL SENSE)
ABOVE: SUSAN SPRINGER, RECTOR OF APOSTATE, PRO LGBT, PRO ABORTION, ANTI GUN, PRO CLIMATE CONTROL,
ST. JOHN'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, BOULDER, COLORADO
THIS CHURCH PRACTICES CATHOLIC CONTEMPLATIVE MYSTICISM & SPIRITUAL FORMATION & THE PAGAN "WALKING THE LABYRINTH"
SEE: http://www.stjohnsboulder.org/index.php/worship/evensong (contemplative). EXCERPT: "St. John’s Contemplative Evensong Service encourages us
to also be prayerful without words. The chanted prayers and psalms, as
well as the hymns and sacramentals, help prepare us for longer periods
of silence where one might simply rest in the presence of God."
CHORAL COMPLINE: http://www.stjohnsboulder.org/index.php/worship/compl EXCERPT:
"Compline is a 1500-year-old tradition that developed in the early
monastic communities. It is the final office of the day in the Christian
tradition of canonical hours.
The English word “Compline” is derived from the Latin word
“completorium” meaning completion, since Compline completes the liturgy
of the day. As is characteristic of monastic offices. The sanctuary is dark and quiet; there are candles, but no cell phones,
no responses to have to follow, no preaching. It’s short: just 30-35
minutes. People are free to sit on the floor, sit up around the altar,
or even lie down and allow the music to wash over them."
Congregation’s Rapid Response Network: "This network would be activated as significant bills are introduced that relate to guns."
SEE THIS BLOG'S "CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER" & "MYSTICISM" CATEGORIES FOR EXTENSIVE POSTS ABOUT THESE APOSTATE PRACTICES.
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
THE PROS AND CONS OF JUDGE NEIL M. GORSUCH
(SEE OUR PREVIOUS POST & ARTICLE FROM KELLEIGH NELSON: http://ratherexposethem.blogspot.com/2017/01/contact-trump-say-no-to-neil-gorsuch.html)
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
By Kelleigh Nelson
February 8, 2017
NewsWithViews.com
February 8, 2017
NewsWithViews.com
Our
young are so full of innocence and capabilities that are not yet known.
Why would anyone want to destroy that through abortion? One of the most
absurd pro-choice claims is that those who are pro-life do not like or
care for the baby after he or she is born. In fact, pro-lifers find equal
importance of life inside and outside of the womb. The gravity in a baby’s
eyes, showing such extreme happiness for life, is one of the most beautiful
things in the world. —G. K. Chesterton
I am
overjoyed that Donald J. Trump is our 45th President, and I’m thrilled
with 95% of his nominees. Nevertheless, unlike the sycophants who supported
Obama and Hillary, when I am in doubt, I’m going to let my readers
know about it.
God
Said, CHOOSE LIFE
The
Lord said in Deuteronomy
to Choose Life! When those of us who hate Roe v. Wade think of the suffering
of millions of little babies in their mothers’ wombs when abortion
is chosen, we cry out for it to come to a screeching halt. We know too
what happens to those little murdered bodies. It is why our 45th President
has promised to put pro-life justices on the Supreme Court. We can thank
God Hillary Clinton is not nominating a justice.
My first
choice would have been Judge Charles Canady from Florida. While he was
in Congress, Canady was credited for coining the term "partial-birth
abortion" while developing the Partial-Birth
Abortion Ban Act of 1995. He has proven to be stellar on pro-life
issues.
Neil
Gorsuch and Antonin Scalia
When
introducing Neil Gorsuch, our President said, “I took the task of
this nomination very seriously. I have selected an individual whose qualities
define, really, and I mean closely, define what we’re looking for.
Judge Gorsuch has outstanding legal skills, a brilliant mind, tremendous
discipline and has earned bipartisan support.” He added that Gorsuch’s
resume was as good as he’s ever seen.
As he
searched for a nominee to ultimately take Scalia's empty seat, Trump said
he spoke "regularly" with Scalia's wife, Maureen McCarthy Scalia,
according to Kellyanne Conway. Mrs. Scalia has been a rock throughout
this entire process," Conway said. "She has been somebody who
the President has talked to regularly throughout this process and he has
very much enjoyed his time with her in person and over the phone."
Gorsuch
is better than half of those on the list who really don’t see much
that can be done in stopping abortion. He does have sterling credentials,
and in theory believes in the Constitution. However, no one can truly
say whether or not he’d vote to overturn Roe v. Wade, which is ultimately
the definition of pro-life.
Gorsuch
and Scalia were friends, and obviously had enjoyed time together in Colorado
as the signed photo suggests.
The
insignia reads, “To Neil Gorsuch, Fond memories of a day on the
Colorado. With warm regards, Antonin Scalia.
After
President Trump’s announcement of Neil Gorsuch as his nominee, Gorsuch
met Mrs. Scalia and chatted amiably with her and her son, Fr. Paul Scalia.
Gorsuch
and Hobby Lobby
Many
believe Gorsuch is pro-life because he ruled for the Christian Hobby Lobby
stores against Obamacare’s demand (via Secretary
Sebelius) that this Christian for-profit organization provide all
contraceptive funding in their insurance. The left would have you think
that Hobby Lobby was against all contraception for women, which is untrue.
The reality is that the FDA approved 18 forms of female contraception,
and Hobby Lobby took offense to only the ones that killed an already fertilized
egg, Plan B "morning-after pill," Ella "morning-after pill,"
and two hormonal and copper intrauterine devices (IUDs). They didn’t
object to most birth control pills, sponges, condoms and even sterilization.
The
key issue on appeal in the 10th was whether or not a “for-profit
corporation” may be considered a "person exercising religion"
under the Religious
Freedom Restoration Act, which came into play in the decision
for Hobby Lobby from the lower court. The case was about religious
freedom, not about abortion per se. Gorsuch sided with the Little Sisters
of the Poor in a similar religious freedom case involving Obamacare.
In the
Supreme Court decision, Justice Alito wrote that, "The owners of
the businesses have religious objections to abortion, and according to
their religious beliefs the contraceptive methods at issue are abortifacients."
According
to ABC News, Gorsuch “is a defender of the ‘Free Exercise
Clause,’ which says Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment
of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” As such,
he has also championed the rights of religious groups to display their
religion in public places. And that’s a big Amen.
Gorsuch
and Assisted Suicide
Gorsuch
disagreed with Judge Richard Posner of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the
Seventh Circuit. Posner has written in favor of permitting physician-assisted
suicide, arguing that the government should not interfere with a person's
decision to take his or her own life, especially in cases where the patient
is terminally ill.
Gorsuch
rejected that view, writing it would "tend toward, if not require,
the legalization not only of assisted suicide and euthanasia, but of any
act of consensual homicide." Posner's position, he writes, would
allow "sadomasochist killings" and "mass suicide pacts,"
as well as duels, illicit drug use, organ sales and the "sale of
one's own life."
Gorsuch
concludes his book by suggesting that the law could allow for terminally
ill patients to refuse treatments that would extend their lives, while
stopping short of permitting intentional killing.
In his
book, The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia (2006), Gorsuch
praised the pro-abortion ruling that upheld Roe v. Wade as follows:
“The plurality in Casey expressly sought to provide a firmer basis
for the abortion right and to shore up the reasoning behind Roe’s
result.” (p. 79) This is extremely troubling, as no one who is pro-life
would ever assert that there is a “firmer basis” and better
“reasoning” that can support the horrifically unjust result
of abortion-on-demand.
Citing
the Judge’s book as proof that he is pro-life is not valid inasmuch
as pro-abortion supreme court judges have ruled against physician assisted
suicide in the past.
Gorsuch
and Stare Decisis
Gorsuch
also clings to bad precedent, and is an extreme supporter of stare
decisis, both of which are excuses for upholding Roe v. Wade rather
than overturning it. “Our duty to follow precedent sometimes requires
us to make mistakes,” Gorsuch declared in ruling against the Second
Amendment rights of a man before his court. United
States v. Games-Perez, 667 F.3d 1136, 1142 (10th Cir. 2012) (Gorsuch,
J. concurring).
What
is stare decisis? It is Latin for “to stand by things decided,”
and is the doctrine of precedent. Courts cite to stare decisis when an
issue has been previously brought to the court and a ruling already issued.
Generally, courts will adhere to the previous ruling, though this is not
universally true. See, e.g. Planned
Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey, 505 US 833. The
doctrine operates both horizontally and vertically. Horizontal stare decisis
refers to a court adhering to its own precedent. A court engages in vertical
stare decisis when it applies precedent from a higher court. Consequently,
stare decisis discourages litigating established precedents.
Although
courts seldom overrule precedent, Justice Rehnquist explained that stare
decisis is not an “inexorable
command.” On occasion, the Court will decide not to apply the
doctrine if a prior decision is deemed unworkable.
In addition, significant societal changes may also prompt the Court to
overrule
precedent; however, any decision
to overrule precedent is exercised cautiously. (Cornell
University Law School)
Gorsuch
Nominated by George W. Bush
“Not
a single Democrat opposed #NeilGorsuch’s
confirmation in 2006,” tweeted
Mitch McConnell on February 1st. Both
Bush families stated they were pro-choice after they were out of office.
It is likely the Democrat Senators knew the families were really pro-choice
and thus confirmed their nominee. Here’s
the list of the leftists who confirmed him.
Gorsuch
and the CFR
Neil
Gorsuch was a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations, listed
in the 2008 CFR Annual Report Membership Roster. He is not listed in the
2017 Annual Report, but is listed as a member in his 2006 nomination by
President George W. Bush. (See
part 8)
Aside
from his stint at Harvard Law, can we conjecture that his term membership
in the CFR might have influenced him with the One-World-Socialist-Police-State-under-the-United-Nations
goals of the CFR? Here is a short
tutorial on the CFR. You can also purchase
a booklet about the CFR.
Because
of his membership, will he will be a shoe-in for the post, as he was in
2006? Other CFR Members of the Court are Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen
Breyer.
The
only way you can find out about CFR Membership rosters is to obtain the
CFR Annual Reports through purchase from Amazon for a nominal fee. (Hat
tip to Sue.)
Gorsuch’s
Pro-Abortion Church
Neil
Gorsuch and his wife attend the apostate St.
John’s Episcopal Church in Boulder, Colorado, that has a woman
rector, Rev. Susan Springer, who considers homosexuality as acceptable,
and who believes that women have the right to kill their unborn babies.
Springer also promotes climate control and gun control. [Link]
Homosexuals
have had union blessing ceremonies in the church. Here
is an article written by Rev. Susan Springer in 2010 supporting homosexuals
and their behavior.
In 1994,
as the anti-abortion movement mobilized to restrict reproductive freedom
of American women, the Episcopal Church added this resolve:
“The Episcopal Church expresses its unequivocal opposition to any legislative, executive or judicial action on the part of local, state or national governments that abridges the right of a woman to reach an informed decision about the termination of pregnancy or that would limit the access of a woman to safe means of acting on her decision.”
From
this article
in Huffington Post, it appears Gorsuch is also pro-gay marriage, and
unlikely to ever change Roe v. Wade.
Gorsuch’s
membership
in an Episcopal church in Boulder, Colorado, whose female senior pastor
attended the Women’s March in Colorado, and has been associated
with other liberal causes, gives great pause to most pro-life conservatives.
Lobbyist
Influence
The
influence, primarily by the pro-abortion Federalist
Society and Heritage Foundation lobbyists, over the Supreme Court
decision by our President was unprecedented. Why did Trump lock himself
into only 21 names given by these organizations?
According
to media accounts Trump considered only candidates whom the Federalist
Society recommended, and no others. Florida Supreme Court Justice Charles
Canady is pro-life and more qualified than Gorsuch, but apparently, Trump
never even interviewed Canady. Other prominent pro-life candidates, both
on and off the list, who Trump cited during his campaign, were also not
seriously considered.
If this
were merely the first time that a Supreme Court nominee was supposedly
pro-life, but was actually pro-choice, then perhaps a “wait and
see” approach might be reasonable. However, unborn children have
been sacrificed time and time again by this deception. President Ronald
Reagan appointed Sandra Day O’Connor, who was supposed to be pro-life
but wasn’t, and then likewise for Anthony Kennedy. The first President
Bush appointed David Souter, who was also supposed to be pro-life, but
became stridently pro-abortion instead.
As well,
the pro-choice,
pro-gay-marriage billionaire Koch brothers have thrown their weight
behind Judge Gorsuch. [Link]
They launched a digital campaign urging senators to confirm Gorsuch, and
they plan to mobilize the network’s 3.2 million activists to put
pressure on lawmakers.
Gorsuch
on Other Issues
In an
analysis by Larry Pratt of Gun Owners of America, he pointed out that
Gorsuch joined an opinion that adhered to the anti-gun view that “concealed
weapons create an immediate and severe danger to the public.” United
States v. Rodriguez, 739 F.3d 481, 490 (10th Cir. 2013).
On the
transgender issue, Gorsuch joined an opinion holding that “it is
unlawful to discriminate against a transgender (or any other) person because
he or she does not behave in accordance with an employer’s expectations
for men or women.” Kastl
v. Maricopa Cty. Cmty. Coll. Dist., 325 F. App’x 492, 493 (9th Cir.
2009).
Where
will Gorsuch come down on in the issue of whether men, who claim to be
women, may enter women’s public bathrooms, showers and locker rooms.
His opinion would affect children in public school facilities. Will he
even be questioned on this issue by senators during his hearing proceedings?
Conclusion
Unfortunately
for us, Gorsuch’s views on abortion are not well defined. In his
book, he wrote, “In Roe, the Court explained that, had it found
the fetus to be a “person” for purposes of the Fourteenth
Amendment, it could not have created a right to abortion because no constitutional
basis exists for preferring the mother’s liberty interests over
the child’s life.”
For
the sake of the unborn babies in America, I pray that Gorsuch truly is
pro-life.
Like
Joe Friday of Dragnet, I’m just giving you the facts, the decision
is yours.
_________________________________________________________
Panel members included the Rev. Susan Springer of St. John’s Episcopal Church; Michael Sowder, associate professor of English and a practicing Buddhist; Dr. Vikram Garg, gastroenterologist and internist who practices the Hindu tradition; Harrison Kleiner, adjunct assistant professor of philosophy and Roman Catholic; William Duncan, director of the Marriage Law Foundation and member of the Church pf Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Eldon Peterson, pastor of the Cache Valley Bible fellowship; and Rabbi Ilana Schwartzman of the congregation Kol Ami in Salt Lake City.
“We realize we don’t have all possible religions represented and many will argue that we should have had an atheist on the panel,” said director for the Center for Women and Gender Ann Austin. “But this panel is an important step in understanding the diverse points of view around this very sensitive topic.”
The panel was organized by Philip Barlow, USU’s Arrington Chair of Mormon History and Culture, and Camille O’Dell, director of the School Counseling program in USU’s Department of Psychology.
Rev. Springer said all voices are important to such a discussion and, as a society, it is necessary that they are made public.
“Currently, the Episcopal Diocese of Utah permits the blessing of same gender unions, but not every Episcopal diocese in this country permits them,” Springer said. “Unlike, for example, the Roman Catholic and LDS churches, Episcopalians have no central figure or group that is our doctrinal authority.”
“We endeavor to be a safe place and to be welcoming,” Springer said. “We’re not perfect, we don’t always succeed, but that’s our goal.”
Duncan said the controversy over the Proposition 8 measure in California – which was overturned by a San Francisco judge – demonstrates that same-sex marriage is a threat to religious liberties.
Duncan’s group was formed a year after a Massachusetts Court decision which declared banning gay marriage as unconstitutional with a mission of “reaffirming the legal definition of marriage as the union of a husband and wife.”
“Increasingly, groups are seeking to harness religion along with other social institutions, such as family and church, to accomplish their aims of cultural reconstruction,” Duncan said.
Duncan said that many saw opponents to interracial marriage in the ’60s as bigots.
“Just because the LDS Church does not believe in same-sex marriage does not mean Latter-day Saints are prejudiced,” he said.
Peterson said Christians do not condone same-sex marriage and likened the debate to “what color the grass is … there’s only one definition of same-sex marriage.” He said he wishes gays would “take responsibility” for their orientation and not “claim to be a victim.”
Sowder said that Buddhism has no central religious authority but largely welcomes gays as it would welcome anybody. He quoted the Dalai Lama, who said that homosexuality is considered “sexual misconduct,” but that the Tibetan stance of gay marriage is “subject to change.”
“Compassion is the ultimate ideal in Buddhism,” Sowder said. “Why is sexuality such a highly charged issue in religion? I think that’s why we have this focus on it, it freaks us out.”
Kleiner said Catholics believe “marriage was founded for man.”
“We are most complete as organisms when we join with opposite flesh.”
He said he does not believe gay marriage is a choice: “You can’t choose how you feel but you can choose how you act.”
Garg said that Hinduism, currently, has no one leader who would stand up for gay marriage, though there is no reference to it in scripture.
“Love, in Hinduism, means a devotion between two people, whether it is romantic or platonic,” Garg said. “There’s really no information in religious scriptures about marriage and same sex.”
He said for some it is a challenge to accept gay marriage since males play a dominant role in a heterosexual marriage.
Schwartzman said the Torah “is divinely inspired, not divinely written,” so more Jewish people are becoming accepting of same-sex marriage and that even the more conservative members are “teetering” on whether or not to fully embrace the concept of same-sex marriage.
Springer ended the panel saying she felt discussions such as this panel are necessary to moving forward.
__________________________________________________
Rev. Susan Springer has said she is pro-gay marriage and offers blessings to same-sex couples
Another member of the clergy is outspoken about the need for gun control
The church’s Rev. Ted Howard also signed a letter slamming the ‘disrespectful rhetoric’ directed at Islam as Trump floated a ban on Muslim immigrants
Church authorities also appear to be strongly in favor of environmental initiatives and added solar panels to the roof because of ‘climate crisis’
If Gorsuch is confirmed, he will renew the Supreme Court’s Christian majority and join as the only non-Catholic member
By Ruth Styles In Boulder, Colorado
DailyMail.com
6 February 2017
He has been described as ‘the heir to Scalia’ and is a religious conservative whose appointment to the Supreme Court was greeted with jubilation on the pro-gun, anti-abortion Right.
But DailyMail.com can reveal that Neil Gorsuch’s own church, in Boulder, Colorado, is a hotbed of liberal thinking – and is led by a pastor who proudly attended the anti-Trump Women’s March in Denver the day after the President’s inauguration.
Another member of the clergy at St. John’s Episcopal Church is outspoken about the need for gun control, and helped organize opposition to a gun shop giveaway of high-capacity magazines in the run-up to a 2013 law that banned them from the state of Colorado.
In December 2015, shortly after the San Bernardino terrorist attack, Rev. Ted Howard, 74, also put his name to a public letter slamming the ‘criticism and disrespectful rhetoric’ directed at Islam – just as President Trump was floating a total ban on Muslim immigrants.
And in a twist that may surprise religious conservatives who welcomed Gorsuch’s appointment, church leader Rev. Susan Springer, 58, has said she is pro-gay marriage and offers blessings to same sex couples.
The church, which trumpets its ‘inclusive’ ethos on its website, also operates a homeless outreach program that includes an LGBT center and a sexual health clinic in a pamphlet setting out the best places for those in need of help.
Church authorities also appear to be strongly in favor of environmental initiatives – even adding solar panels to the roof in January last year saying it was because of the ‘climate crisis’.
Gorsuch, 49, moved to Colorado with his British wife Louise and daughters Emma, 18, and Belinda, 16, a decade ago after being appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit by President George W. Bush.
The judge, who grew up in Denver but relocated to Washington DC as a teenager, has been a member of the congregation ever since and regularly volunteers as an usher.
Gorsuch was brought up as a Catholic by his mother Ann, and attended an elite all boys Catholic school in Washington D.C. run by the Jesuit order.
The Rest…HERE
___________________________________________________
“He said, ‘This is a wonderful thing. You’ll see how your relationship grows,'” Goodbaum recalled.
“I have never felt the least whiff from him of homophobia or intolerance toward gay people,” he added.
As previously reported, Gorsuch is an Episcopalian, and attends St. John’s Episcopal Church in Boulder, Colorado. St. John’s identifies itself as “inclusive” on its website and is led by female minister Susan Springer. All of its deacons are also female.
In 2013, Springer expressed her support for same-sex “marriage.”
“I don’t think anybody in my faith tradition is out to destroy marriage between a man and a woman,” she told the Daily Camera. “I think we are out to find a way to offer the same blessing and the same sense of inclusion to same-sex couples. And I think we stand as prophetic witness, that same-sex couples ought to enjoy the same legal benefits, if you will, as heterosexual couples."
However, in 2005, Gorsuch penned an article for the National Review, where he opined that issues such as same-sex nuptials and others should be battled in the ballot box rather than in the courts.
He pointed to the writings of Washington Post columnist David von Drehle, who remarked that pushing agendas through the court system damages progressive purposes. Gorsuch said that liberals would do well to heed those sentiments.
“von Drehle recognizes that American liberals have become addicted to the courtroom, relying on judges and lawyers rather than elected leaders and the ballot box, as the primary means of effecting their social agenda on everything from gay marriage to assisted suicide to the use of vouchers for private-school education,” he wrote.
“Liberals may win a victory on gay marriage when preaching to the choir before like-minded judges in Massachusetts. But in failing to reach out and persuade the public generally, they invite exactly the sort of backlash we saw in November when gay marriage was rejected in all eleven states where it was on the ballot,” Gorsuch noted.
He reiterated that letting the American people sort out matters in elections is the best way to solve social arguments rather than placing issues in the hands of judges.
“During the New Deal, liberals recognized that the ballot box and elected branches are generally the appropriate engines of social reform, and liberals used both to spectacular effect—instituting profound social changes that remain deeply ingrained in society today,” Gorsuch wrote. “It would be a very good thing for all involved—the country, an independent judiciary, and the Left itself—if liberals take a page from David von Drehle and their own judges of the New Deal era, kick their addiction to constitutional litigation, and return to their New Deal roots of trying to win elections rather than lawsuits.”
But Gorsusch has weighed in on social issues at times. As previously reported, Gorsuch is the author of the book “The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia,” in which he concludes that “human life is intrinsically valuable and that intentional killing is always wrong.”
Gorsuch is also known for ruling in favor of the popular craft chain Hobby Lobby, which had sued the Obama administration over its abortion pill mandate. The company had sued to retain the right not to cover contraceptives that it considers to be abortifacients, such as the morning-after pill. Gorsuch pointed to the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act in his ruling.
“It is not for secular courts to rewrite the religious complaint of a faithful adherent, or to decide whether a religious teaching about complicity imposes ‘too much’ moral disapproval on those only ‘indirectly’ assisting wrongful conduct,” he wrote in Hobby Lobby v. Sebelius. “Whether an act of complicity is or isn’t ‘too attenuated’ from the underlying wrong is sometimes itself a matter of faith we must respect.”
Gorsuch was likewise a part of a ruling in favor of the Roman Catholic Little Sisters of the Poor, which had also sued the Obama administration over the abortion pill mandate.
Gorsuch is stated as being much like the late Antonin Scalia in that he is an originalist, that is, he seeks to interpret the Constitution in the original intent of the Founding Fathers. Scalia, however, noted during his tenure that he opposes both the complete abolition of abortion, as well as requiring legalization. He said that the Constitution does not require a state to ban abortion as he believes the 14th Amendment only applies to those who have been born.
“I will strike down Roe v. Wade, but I will also strike down a law that is the opposite of Roe v. Wade,” Scalia outlined in a 2002 Pew Forum. “You know, both sides in that debate want the Supreme Court to decide the matter for them. One [side] wants no state to be able to prohibit abortion and the other one wants every state to have to prohibit abortion, and they’re both wrong.”
“And indeed, there are anti-abortion people who think that the Constitution requires a state to prohibit abortion. They say that the equal protection clause requires that you treat a helpless human being that’s still in the womb the way you treat other human beings. I think that’s wrong,” Scalia further explained in a 2008 60 Minutes interview. “I think when the Constitution says that persons are entitled to equal protection of the laws, I think it clearly means walking-around persons.”
The Trump administration, while identifying as pro-life with exceptions, has also expressed its support for the homosexual agenda. As previously reported, during his RNC acceptance speech in July, Trump told those gathered that he would work to protect homosexuals if elected.
“As president, I will do everything in my power to protect LGBTQ citizens from the violence and oppression of a hateful foreign ideology,” he declared, being met with applause.
“And, I have to say, as a Republican, it is so nice to hear you cheering for what I just said,” he said in response.
Trump had also declared at a fundraiser in June that he is the best candidate for the “gay community.”
“So you tell me, who’s better for the gay community, and who’s better for women than Donald Trump? Believe me!” he said.
In February, he replied in the affirmative when asked by a lesbian reporter if the nation can expect “more forward motion” on homosexual issues if elected president.
_________________________________________________________
SPRINGER ATTENDED ECUMENICAL LGBT DISCUSSION
USU Panel Discusses Gay Marriage, Faith
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
Representatives from seven faiths discussed same-sex marriage on Nov.
2 as part of the Center for Women and Gender lecture series at Utah
State University. Titled, ““Gays and Marriage: Religious Perspectives,”
the panel discussion was open to students, faculty and members of the
general community.Panel members included the Rev. Susan Springer of St. John’s Episcopal Church; Michael Sowder, associate professor of English and a practicing Buddhist; Dr. Vikram Garg, gastroenterologist and internist who practices the Hindu tradition; Harrison Kleiner, adjunct assistant professor of philosophy and Roman Catholic; William Duncan, director of the Marriage Law Foundation and member of the Church pf Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Eldon Peterson, pastor of the Cache Valley Bible fellowship; and Rabbi Ilana Schwartzman of the congregation Kol Ami in Salt Lake City.
“We realize we don’t have all possible religions represented and many will argue that we should have had an atheist on the panel,” said director for the Center for Women and Gender Ann Austin. “But this panel is an important step in understanding the diverse points of view around this very sensitive topic.”
The panel was organized by Philip Barlow, USU’s Arrington Chair of Mormon History and Culture, and Camille O’Dell, director of the School Counseling program in USU’s Department of Psychology.
Rev. Springer said all voices are important to such a discussion and, as a society, it is necessary that they are made public.
“Currently, the Episcopal Diocese of Utah permits the blessing of same gender unions, but not every Episcopal diocese in this country permits them,” Springer said. “Unlike, for example, the Roman Catholic and LDS churches, Episcopalians have no central figure or group that is our doctrinal authority.”
“We endeavor to be a safe place and to be welcoming,” Springer said. “We’re not perfect, we don’t always succeed, but that’s our goal.”
Duncan said the controversy over the Proposition 8 measure in California – which was overturned by a San Francisco judge – demonstrates that same-sex marriage is a threat to religious liberties.
Duncan’s group was formed a year after a Massachusetts Court decision which declared banning gay marriage as unconstitutional with a mission of “reaffirming the legal definition of marriage as the union of a husband and wife.”
“Increasingly, groups are seeking to harness religion along with other social institutions, such as family and church, to accomplish their aims of cultural reconstruction,” Duncan said.
Duncan said that many saw opponents to interracial marriage in the ’60s as bigots.
“Just because the LDS Church does not believe in same-sex marriage does not mean Latter-day Saints are prejudiced,” he said.
Peterson said Christians do not condone same-sex marriage and likened the debate to “what color the grass is … there’s only one definition of same-sex marriage.” He said he wishes gays would “take responsibility” for their orientation and not “claim to be a victim.”
Sowder said that Buddhism has no central religious authority but largely welcomes gays as it would welcome anybody. He quoted the Dalai Lama, who said that homosexuality is considered “sexual misconduct,” but that the Tibetan stance of gay marriage is “subject to change.”
“Compassion is the ultimate ideal in Buddhism,” Sowder said. “Why is sexuality such a highly charged issue in religion? I think that’s why we have this focus on it, it freaks us out.”
Kleiner said Catholics believe “marriage was founded for man.”
“We are most complete as organisms when we join with opposite flesh.”
He said he does not believe gay marriage is a choice: “You can’t choose how you feel but you can choose how you act.”
Garg said that Hinduism, currently, has no one leader who would stand up for gay marriage, though there is no reference to it in scripture.
“Love, in Hinduism, means a devotion between two people, whether it is romantic or platonic,” Garg said. “There’s really no information in religious scriptures about marriage and same sex.”
He said for some it is a challenge to accept gay marriage since males play a dominant role in a heterosexual marriage.
Schwartzman said the Torah “is divinely inspired, not divinely written,” so more Jewish people are becoming accepting of same-sex marriage and that even the more conservative members are “teetering” on whether or not to fully embrace the concept of same-sex marriage.
Springer ended the panel saying she felt discussions such as this panel are necessary to moving forward.
__________________________________________________
EXCLUSIVE: A rector who marched against Trump, (is for) gay blessings, gun
control, Muslim outreach and ‘climate crisis’ solar panels on the roof:
Meet Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch’s ultra-liberal church
BY PAUL MARTIN & RUTH STYLES
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
St. John’s Episcopal Church is led by a pastor who proudly
attended the anti-Trump Women’s March in Denver the day after the
President’s inaugurationRev. Susan Springer has said she is pro-gay marriage and offers blessings to same-sex couples
Another member of the clergy is outspoken about the need for gun control
The church’s Rev. Ted Howard also signed a letter slamming the ‘disrespectful rhetoric’ directed at Islam as Trump floated a ban on Muslim immigrants
Church authorities also appear to be strongly in favor of environmental initiatives and added solar panels to the roof because of ‘climate crisis’
If Gorsuch is confirmed, he will renew the Supreme Court’s Christian majority and join as the only non-Catholic member
By Ruth Styles In Boulder, Colorado
DailyMail.com
6 February 2017
He has been described as ‘the heir to Scalia’ and is a religious conservative whose appointment to the Supreme Court was greeted with jubilation on the pro-gun, anti-abortion Right.
But DailyMail.com can reveal that Neil Gorsuch’s own church, in Boulder, Colorado, is a hotbed of liberal thinking – and is led by a pastor who proudly attended the anti-Trump Women’s March in Denver the day after the President’s inauguration.
Another member of the clergy at St. John’s Episcopal Church is outspoken about the need for gun control, and helped organize opposition to a gun shop giveaway of high-capacity magazines in the run-up to a 2013 law that banned them from the state of Colorado.
In December 2015, shortly after the San Bernardino terrorist attack, Rev. Ted Howard, 74, also put his name to a public letter slamming the ‘criticism and disrespectful rhetoric’ directed at Islam – just as President Trump was floating a total ban on Muslim immigrants.
And in a twist that may surprise religious conservatives who welcomed Gorsuch’s appointment, church leader Rev. Susan Springer, 58, has said she is pro-gay marriage and offers blessings to same sex couples.
The church, which trumpets its ‘inclusive’ ethos on its website, also operates a homeless outreach program that includes an LGBT center and a sexual health clinic in a pamphlet setting out the best places for those in need of help.
Church authorities also appear to be strongly in favor of environmental initiatives – even adding solar panels to the roof in January last year saying it was because of the ‘climate crisis’.
Gorsuch, 49, moved to Colorado with his British wife Louise and daughters Emma, 18, and Belinda, 16, a decade ago after being appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit by President George W. Bush.
The judge, who grew up in Denver but relocated to Washington DC as a teenager, has been a member of the congregation ever since and regularly volunteers as an usher.
Gorsuch was brought up as a Catholic by his mother Ann, and attended an elite all boys Catholic school in Washington D.C. run by the Jesuit order.
The Rest…HERE
___________________________________________________
JOSHUA R. GOODBAUM
SAYS GORSUCH SUPPORTED HIS "GAY MARRIAGE":
SEE: http://www.garrisonlaw.com/about-garrison/joshua-r-goodbaum-partner/;
EXCERPTS: Prior to joining Garrison, Levin-Epstein in 2011, Josh worked at a large corporate firm in Washington, DC, and interned at Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) in Boston
Former Law Clerk for Supreme Court Nominee Says Gorsuch Supported His ‘Gay Marriage’
BY HEATHER CLARK
SEE: http://christiannews.net/2017/02/07/former-law-clerk-for-supreme-court-nominee-says-gorsuch-supported-his-gay-marriage/;
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
WASHINGTON — Discussion is stirring over how Trump Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch might rule on issues such as homosexuality and abortion should he be confirmed. His former law clerk told reporters last week that Gorsuch was supportive of his “gay marriage,” but reports also note that Gorsuch outlined over a decade ago that he does not believe the courts are the place to effect social change.Joshua Goodbaum served as a clerk for Gorsuch in 2009, and now works as an attorney. He told Reuters on Friday that on the week of his 2014 “wedding” with his partner, Gorsuch expressed his support.
“He said, ‘This is a wonderful thing. You’ll see how your relationship grows,'” Goodbaum recalled.
“I have never felt the least whiff from him of homophobia or intolerance toward gay people,” he added.
As previously reported, Gorsuch is an Episcopalian, and attends St. John’s Episcopal Church in Boulder, Colorado. St. John’s identifies itself as “inclusive” on its website and is led by female minister Susan Springer. All of its deacons are also female.
In 2013, Springer expressed her support for same-sex “marriage.”
“I don’t think anybody in my faith tradition is out to destroy marriage between a man and a woman,” she told the Daily Camera. “I think we are out to find a way to offer the same blessing and the same sense of inclusion to same-sex couples. And I think we stand as prophetic witness, that same-sex couples ought to enjoy the same legal benefits, if you will, as heterosexual couples."
However, in 2005, Gorsuch penned an article for the National Review, where he opined that issues such as same-sex nuptials and others should be battled in the ballot box rather than in the courts.
He pointed to the writings of Washington Post columnist David von Drehle, who remarked that pushing agendas through the court system damages progressive purposes. Gorsuch said that liberals would do well to heed those sentiments.
“von Drehle recognizes that American liberals have become addicted to the courtroom, relying on judges and lawyers rather than elected leaders and the ballot box, as the primary means of effecting their social agenda on everything from gay marriage to assisted suicide to the use of vouchers for private-school education,” he wrote.
“Liberals may win a victory on gay marriage when preaching to the choir before like-minded judges in Massachusetts. But in failing to reach out and persuade the public generally, they invite exactly the sort of backlash we saw in November when gay marriage was rejected in all eleven states where it was on the ballot,” Gorsuch noted.
He reiterated that letting the American people sort out matters in elections is the best way to solve social arguments rather than placing issues in the hands of judges.
“During the New Deal, liberals recognized that the ballot box and elected branches are generally the appropriate engines of social reform, and liberals used both to spectacular effect—instituting profound social changes that remain deeply ingrained in society today,” Gorsuch wrote. “It would be a very good thing for all involved—the country, an independent judiciary, and the Left itself—if liberals take a page from David von Drehle and their own judges of the New Deal era, kick their addiction to constitutional litigation, and return to their New Deal roots of trying to win elections rather than lawsuits.”
But Gorsusch has weighed in on social issues at times. As previously reported, Gorsuch is the author of the book “The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia,” in which he concludes that “human life is intrinsically valuable and that intentional killing is always wrong.”
Gorsuch is also known for ruling in favor of the popular craft chain Hobby Lobby, which had sued the Obama administration over its abortion pill mandate. The company had sued to retain the right not to cover contraceptives that it considers to be abortifacients, such as the morning-after pill. Gorsuch pointed to the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act in his ruling.
“It is not for secular courts to rewrite the religious complaint of a faithful adherent, or to decide whether a religious teaching about complicity imposes ‘too much’ moral disapproval on those only ‘indirectly’ assisting wrongful conduct,” he wrote in Hobby Lobby v. Sebelius. “Whether an act of complicity is or isn’t ‘too attenuated’ from the underlying wrong is sometimes itself a matter of faith we must respect.”
Gorsuch was likewise a part of a ruling in favor of the Roman Catholic Little Sisters of the Poor, which had also sued the Obama administration over the abortion pill mandate.
Gorsuch is stated as being much like the late Antonin Scalia in that he is an originalist, that is, he seeks to interpret the Constitution in the original intent of the Founding Fathers. Scalia, however, noted during his tenure that he opposes both the complete abolition of abortion, as well as requiring legalization. He said that the Constitution does not require a state to ban abortion as he believes the 14th Amendment only applies to those who have been born.
“I will strike down Roe v. Wade, but I will also strike down a law that is the opposite of Roe v. Wade,” Scalia outlined in a 2002 Pew Forum. “You know, both sides in that debate want the Supreme Court to decide the matter for them. One [side] wants no state to be able to prohibit abortion and the other one wants every state to have to prohibit abortion, and they’re both wrong.”
“And indeed, there are anti-abortion people who think that the Constitution requires a state to prohibit abortion. They say that the equal protection clause requires that you treat a helpless human being that’s still in the womb the way you treat other human beings. I think that’s wrong,” Scalia further explained in a 2008 60 Minutes interview. “I think when the Constitution says that persons are entitled to equal protection of the laws, I think it clearly means walking-around persons.”
The Trump administration, while identifying as pro-life with exceptions, has also expressed its support for the homosexual agenda. As previously reported, during his RNC acceptance speech in July, Trump told those gathered that he would work to protect homosexuals if elected.
“As president, I will do everything in my power to protect LGBTQ citizens from the violence and oppression of a hateful foreign ideology,” he declared, being met with applause.
“And, I have to say, as a Republican, it is so nice to hear you cheering for what I just said,” he said in response.
Trump had also declared at a fundraiser in June that he is the best candidate for the “gay community.”
“So you tell me, who’s better for the gay community, and who’s better for women than Donald Trump? Believe me!” he said.
In February, he replied in the affirmative when asked by a lesbian reporter if the nation can expect “more forward motion” on homosexual issues if elected president.
