As has now been widely reported, Brian Buescher has been nominated to the US District Court. In the course of confirmation, nominees provide written responses to written questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Two Democrat Senators, Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI), appear to raise concerns about Buescher’s religious beliefs:

Hirono asked whether his membership in the Knights of Columbus would prevent him from hearing cases “fairly and impartially” and, if confirmed, whether he would end his membership in the Roman Catholic charitable organization.

“The Knights of Columbus has taken a number of extreme positions,” Hirono said in the questionnaire. “For example, it was reportedly one of the top contributors to California’s Proposition 8 campaign to ban same-sex marriage.”

Yes, that’s a US Senator un-ironically declaring opposition to same-sex marriage an “extreme position.”

Harris, in her questions to the nominee, called the Knights of Columbus “an all-male society” and asked the Nebraska lawyer if he was aware that the group was anti-abortion and anti-gay marriage when he joined. The California senator also referenced Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson’s statement that abortion amounted to “the killing of the innocent on a massive scale” and asked Buescher if he agreed with the statement.

Both Harris and Hirono are taking issues with Catholic religious beliefs. Surely they’re not so ignorant as to not know that.

Representing the Knights of Columbus, Kathleen Blomquist said the questions hearkened back to the days of anti-Catholic sentiment.

“Our country’s sad history of anti-Catholic bigotry contributed to the founding of the Knights of Columbus, and we are proud of the many Catholics who overcame this hurdle to contribute so greatly to our country,” she told the CNA.

Blomquist added: “We were extremely disappointed to see that one’s commitment to Catholic principles through membership in the Knights of Columbus—a charitable organization that adheres to and promotes Catholic teachings—would be viewed as a disqualifier from public service in this day and age.”

Religious freedom is a thing, Senators, as is the “No Religious Test” clause of the US Constitution.

Unfortunately, because this apparent bigotry is aimed toward Christian beliefs, it will not be criticized or disavowed as it would have been had Buescher been Jewish or homosexual. In America, it is politically and socially acceptable to attack Christian religious beliefs.

That’s the state of American society. True, it is only two Senators (in this conversation, though others have spoken up against Christian beliefs in the recent past). That this can be said in a public forum and not be roundly condemned is a sad commentary on the direction religious freedom is going in the United States.

While anti-Christian groups might be smirking that bigotry is all but sanctioned against Christians, they might remember: First, they came for the Christians…

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