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CATHOLIC LEAGUE for Religious and Civil Rights
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Catholic League=20
ToSent: Thursday, July 21, 2005 6:30 PM
Subject: ROBERTS, CATHOLICISM AND ABORTION
July 21, 2005
ROBERTS, CATHOLICISM AND ABORTION =20
Catholic League president William Donohue =
offered the following comments today on Supreme Court nominee John =
Roberts:=20
=20
"In an AP poll just released, 52 percent =
of Americans said that Judge Roberts should give his position on =
abortion when asked by lawmakers. Whether he does or not is of little =
interest to the Catholic League, though it is im****tant to recall that =
Ruth Bader Ginsburg positively refused to answer questions on gay rights =
and capital punishment, and she did so with impunity. What is of =
interest to us is the way some are trying to establish a =
cause-and-effect relation****p between Judge Roberts' Catholicity and his =
presumed position on abortion. Indeed, even his wife, who is avowedly =
pro-life, has been dragged into this debate.=20
=20
"Let's begin with the AP. In the story on =
the survey, it says, 'While deputy solicitor general in 1990, Roberts, a =
Roman Catholic, helped write a legal brief' that Roe v. Wade be =
overturned. Now there is nothing in the AP style-book that merits =
mentioning Roberts' religion in this context. For example, in today's =
New York Times, it several times mentions that Roberts is a Catholic, =
but its use is entirely descriptive and biographical: it was not cited =
to imply a causal relation****p with his presumed position on abortion. =
That's not a small difference. To the unconvinced, imagine reading, =
'Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a Jew, helped write a legal brief' for the ACLU =
upholding Roe? And keep in mind that every survey has disclosed that =
Jews are more uniformly in favor of abortion rights than Catholics are =
pro-life.=20
=20
"AP is not alone. Yesterday, NPR's Lynn =
Neary said of Roberts, 'And he is a Roman Catholic, and that might =
affect the way he views an issue like abortion, for instance.' American =
University law professor Stephen Wermiel went one better, asserting, 'It =
could make a difference. It could also make a difference in =
church-state separation issues.'=20
"These are more than red flags-these are =
the marks of bigotry, politely expressed. And these people consider =
themselves to be tolerant."=20
=20
=20
=20
=20
=20
Kiera M. McCaffrey
Director of Communications
The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights
450 Seventh Avenue
New York, NY 10123
212-371-3191
212-371-3394 (fax) =20
Send Mail To lg@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
to unsubscribe.
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<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----=20
<DIV style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A=20
title=3Dlg@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
=
href=3D"mailto:lg@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
">Catholic=20
League</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>To</B><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, July 21, 2005 6:30 PM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> ROBERTS, CATHOLICISM AND ABORTION</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV align=3Dcenter>
<CENTER>
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<TD width=3D"100%" height=3D750>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in =
0pt 0pt"=20
align=3Dleft><B>July 21, 2005</B></P>
<P class=3DMsoTitle align=3Dcenter><FONT=20
size=3D4><B>ROBERTS, CATHOLICISM AND=20
ABORTION</B> <O:P> </O:P></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoTitle=20
style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0.1in 0pt; =
TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-WEIGHT: normal"><FONT =
size=3D4>Catholic=20
League president William Donohue offered =
the=20
following comments today on Supreme Court =
nominee=20
John Roberts:<O:P> =
</O:P></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=3DMsoTitle=20
style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0.1in 0pt; =
TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-WEIGHT: normal"><FONT=20
size=3D4> <O:P> =
</O:P></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=3DMsoTitle=20
style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0.1in 0pt; =
TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-WEIGHT: normal"><FONT =
size=3D4>=93In an AP=20
poll just released, 52 percent of =
Americans said=20
that Judge Roberts should give his =
position on=20
abortion when asked by lawmakers.<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> =
</SPAN>Whether he=20
does or not is of little interest to the =
Catholic=20
League, though it is im****tant to recall =
that Ruth=20
Bader Ginsburg positively refused to =
answer=20
questions on gay rights and capital =
punishment,=20
and she did so with impunity.<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> =
</SPAN>What is of=20
interest to us is the way some are trying =
to=20
establish a cause-and-effect relation****p =
between=20
Judge Roberts=92 Catholicity and his =
presumed=20
position on abortion.<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> =
</SPAN>Indeed,=20
even his wife, who is avowedly pro-life, =
has been=20
dragged into this debate.<O:P>=20
</O:P></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=3DMsoTitle=20
style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0.1in 0pt; =
TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-WEIGHT: normal"><FONT=20
size=3D4> <O:P> =
</O:P></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=3DMsoTitle=20
style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0.1in 0pt; =
TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><FONT=20
size=3D4><SPAN style=3D"FONT-WEIGHT: =
normal">=93Let=92s=20
begin with the AP.<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> =
</SPAN>In the=20
story on the survey, it says, =91While =
deputy=20
solicitor general in 1990, Roberts, a =
Roman=20
Catholic, helped write a legal brief=92 =
that <I>Roe=20
v. Wade</I> be overturned.<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> =
</SPAN>Now there=20
is nothing in the AP style-book that =
merits=20
mentioning Roberts=92 religion in this =
context.<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> =
</SPAN>For=20
example, in today=92s <I>New York =
Times</I>, it=20
several times mentions that Roberts is a =
Catholic,=20
but its use is entirely descriptive and=20
biographical: it was not cited to imply a =
causal=20
relation****p with his presumed position on =
abortion.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: =
yes"> =20
</SPAN>That=92s not a small =
difference.<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> =
</SPAN>To the=20
unconvinced, imagine reading, =91Ruth =
Bader=20
Ginsburg, a Jew, helped write a legal =
brief=92 for=20
the A</SPAN>CLU upholding <I>Roe</I>?<SPAN =
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> =
</SPAN>And keep=20
in mind that every survey has disclosed =
that Jews=20
are more uniformly in favor of abortion =
rights=20
than Catholics are pro-life.<O:P>=20
</O:P></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoTitle=20
style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0.1in 0pt; =
TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><FONT=20
size=3D4> <O:P> </O:P></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoTitle=20
style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0.1in 0pt; =
TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><FONT=20
size=3D4>=93AP is not alone.<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> =
</SPAN>Yesterday,=20
NPR=92s Lynn Neary said of Roberts, =91And =
he is a=20
Roman Catholic, and that might affect the =
way he=20
views an issue like abortion, for =
instance.=92<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> =
</SPAN>American=20
University law professor Stephen Wermiel =
went one=20
better, asserting, =91It could make a=20
difference.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: =
yes"> =20
</SPAN>It could also make a difference in=20
church-state separation =
issues.=92 </FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoTitle=20
style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0.1in 0pt; =
TEXT-ALIGN: justify"> </P>
<P class=3DMsoTitle=20
style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0.1in 0pt; =
TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; =
mso-fareast-font-family: Times New Roman; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; =
mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT=20
size=3D4>=93These are more than red =
flags=97these are=20
the marks of bigotry, politely =
expressed.<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> =
</SPAN>And these=20
people consider themselves to be=20
tolerant.=94</FONT></SPAN>=20
</P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><!-- =
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<DIV style=3D"WIDTH: 536px; HEIGHT: 41px"><FONT face=3D"Times New =
Roman"=20
size=3D2>Kiera M. McCaffrey<BR>Director of Communications<BR>The =
Catholic=20
League for Religious and Civil Rights<BR>450 Seventh Avenue<BR>New =
York,=20
NY 10123<BR>212-371-3191<BR>212-371-3394 (fax)</FONT>=20
</DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></CENTER></DIV>
<CENTER><BR><A =
href=3D"mailto:lg@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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