c. 2005 Religion News Service

(UNDATED) Religious reaction to President Bush’s Tuesday (July 20) nomination of federal appeals court Judge John G. Roberts Jr. to replace the retiring Sandra Day O’Connor on the Supreme Court:

“He is one of the most highly regarded judicial scholars in America. Only a far left extremist would oppose him.”

_ Religious broadcaster and Christian Coalition founder Pat Robertson

“Roberts will work to dismantle the wall of separation between church and state and open the door to majority rule on religious matters. In a game with such high stakes, this unwise crusade should disqualify him.”

_ Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State

“In my dealings with Judge Roberts over the years, I have found him to be a `lawyer’s lawyer’ exhibiting uncommon insight and judgment. … We are preparing for a very intense battle that is certain to begin immediately.”

_ Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice, a conservative Christian legal group

“John Roberts’ record raises serious concerns and questions about where he stands on crucial legal and constitutional issues. … Replacing O’Connor with someone who is not committed to upholding Americans’ rights, liberties and legal protections would be a constitutional catastrophe.”

_ Ralph G. Neas, president of People for the American Way, a liberal advocacy group

“Judge Roberts is widely respected for his appellate advocacy, having argued some 39 cases before the Supreme Court. He knows how to think on his feet, and his warm, engaging personality will serve him well at his hearing.”

_ Jan LaRue, chief counsel for Concerned Women for America, a conservative advocacy organization

“He is someone who knows and appreciates the plight of the poor, especially those who have the most difficult time getting fair and even-handed treatment in our legal system.”

_ Carl A. Anderson, supreme knight of the Knights of Columbus, the world’s largest Catholic lay organization

“Judge Roberts is an unquestionably qualified attorney and judge with impressive experience in government and the private sector.”

_ James C. Dobson, founder and chairman of Focus on the Family, a conservative Christian organization

“No one should rush to judgment on the nominee. Given the recent and increased level of rhetoric coming from both sides of the political aisle, I urge not only members of Congress and the media, but all Americans, to take a step back before judging the president’s nominee.”

_ C. Welton Gaddy, president of The Interfaith Alliance, an advocacy group founded to counter the Christian right

“He was an extraordinary lawyer, and I am persuaded he will be an exceptional justice. President Bush, in my opinion, has kept his promise to nominate an individual who will interpret, not rewrite, the Constitution.”

_ Brian Fahling, senior trial attorney for the American Family Association, a conservative Christian advocacy group

“Supreme Court nominee John G. Roberts’ opinions and beliefs put him in the same category as Justice Antonin Scalia, who is known for his ultra-conservative views on abortion and opposition to church-state separation.”

_ Tony Hileman, executive director of the American Humanist Association

“I have found the president in the 17 years I have known him personally to be a man of integrity and a man of his word. I will trust the president until I have compelling evidence to the contrary. The nomination of Judge Roberts has certainly not given me any reason at present to believe that the president has done anything other than to fulfill his campaign promises.”

_ Richard Land, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, the country’s largest Protestant denomination

MO/PH END RNS