Pharyngula

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Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Circumstantial skittering about Miers' creationist credentials

I think this is weak, but it does make it more interesting to ask Miers about her opinions on creationism. It's from a Huffington Post entry—I'm already unimpressed—citing the Free Republic citing World Magazine, so we have to plumb pretty deeply into the sewers of Wingnuttia to find it, but here's the quote:

Maybe it’s the judicial implications of her evangelical faith, unseen on the Court in recent decades. Friends who know Miers well testify to her internal compass that includes a needle pointed toward Christ. Again, Texas Supreme Court Justice Nathan Hecht told me she has a philosophy that grows out of evangelical exegesis and carries over into legal issues: "She's an originalist—that's the way she takes the Bible," and that's her approach to the Constitution as well—"Originalist—it means what it says."

Eh. Odd, worrisome if true, but not enough to condemn her. I wonder if anyone will bother to try and get the truth from her, or if we're once again going to let a cipher stroll onto the highest court in the land.


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Comments:
#43473: — 10/11  at  08:32 AM
Trick, Treat, or Frist!

Odd, schmodd. Methinks the rite wingnuts protestth much too much. They'll row over and play dead and vote for Harriet "It is the will of BushCo" Miers anyway. An Inherit The Wind moment? Good night and Good Luck!



#43479: — 10/11  at  09:23 AM
Very unlike you, PZ. Has America really got to the point where it's acceptable for a Supreme Court judge to think the world was created 6,000 years ago? There are more important reasons to oppose her, but still, it's a pretty depressing state of affairs.



#43484: Alon Levy — 10/11  at  10:04 AM
The credibility of this quote is about the same as this of Michael Behe, and you know it.

I still think she's one of the best possible judges that Bush could possibly nominate: she's probably pro-affirmative action, the only thing that connects her to abortion opponents is a single comment she made in 1990, and she's prone to suddenly changing her views on critical issues. Far from a Scalia clone, she is highly susceptible to the Souter factor. It's no wonder the religious right is up in arms over her nomination; so far the two justices Bush has nominated are likely to be more liberal than the respective justices they are to replace.



's avatar #43487: PZ Myers — 10/11  at  10:24 AM
My doubts are because it hasn't been confirmed in any way that Miers thinks that. It's all very vague and third-hand so far.

PZ Myers
Division of Science and Math
University of Minnesota, Morris



#43497: — 10/11  at  11:03 AM
OK. I agree the veracity of the allegation is far from proven. I read your "worrisome if true, but not enough to condemn her" comment to be about her alleged views, rather than the allegation, if you see what I mean.



's avatar #43503: DouglasG — 10/11  at  11:38 AM
My guess is that the right is making a stink to make her look like she MAY not hold views that she probably does. They are making their fuss so the left puts its guard down and gives her a pass. I hope I'm wrong...

Douglas E. Gogerty
-----
“No, I’m from Iowa. I just work in outer space.”
-James T. Kirk



#43506: — 10/11  at  12:23 PM
"Originalist", eh?

Well, if she doesn't keep a kosher kitchen or avoid wearing poly-cotton, does she maybe stay at home praying from sundown Friday through sundown Saturday to honor the Sabbath Day? Or is she one of those neo-Biblical revisionist Christians?



#43508: — 10/11  at  12:40 PM
Well, Bush did lend the weight of his scientific prestige to the teaching of ID and Miers has said the First Chimp is the most brilliant man she's met.



#43520: Alon Levy — 10/11  at  01:43 PM
My guess is that the right is making a stink to make her look like she MAY not hold views that she probably does. They are making their fuss so the left puts its guard down and gives her a pass. I hope I'm wrong...

It's unlikely. In the past, organizations cried out against judicial nominees sincerely, that is proportionally to how much they thought the nominees held views opposite to the these of the organization in question. The Christian Coalition didn't raise a ruckus over Scalia and Thomas the way they should have by your reasoning, but did object to Souter on the grounds that he was an unknown.



#43541: — 10/11  at  07:15 PM
Miers is an impressive woman. Making it as a lawyer in Dallas is not easy. Making it as a woman lawyer is nearly impossible. Do not underestimate her talents -- I don't think she's gotten suddenly stupid and not charming, even in the service of George Bush.

I rather hope one of the Judiciary Committee members can pin her down a bit -- in a conflict between the Christian imperative to stick to the truth, to stick to the facts, and the belief by some Christians in things that are not verified by geology, chemistry, physics or biology, would she choose her faith in the truth (science), or creationism? Does a Christian's commitment to truth trump some Christians' distaste for science?

It's not a question on a law suit that's unfair to ask, I think.



#43546: Ronald Brak — 10/11  at  08:25 PM
Her internal compass includes a needle that points towards Christ? Well this is very interesting as I am working on calculations right now that will pinpoint the location of Christ. I can use her needle to double check my findings.



#43556: — 10/11  at  10:24 PM
All evidence shows that Miers' "internal needle" points to one thing: protecting George W. Bush.

And given what Patrick Fitzgerald may be digging up soon, I really don't think it's a good idea to put someone on the Supreme Court whose main purpose is to make things easy for George W. Bush at all times.

Do we really need to have TWO justices who will refuse to recuse themselves in cases that deeply involve their close personal friends?



#43568: Alon Levy — 10/12  at  06:18 AM
If Miers' problem is her connection to George W. Bush, then there's absolutely nothing to worry about. Once appointed, justices owe nothing to anyone; in the circles George W. Bush is running in, friendship is almost always based on quid pro quos, so if Miers is confirmed, she'll probably forget about her appointer shortly, at worst by the time he leaves office.



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