Recently, I had the opportunity to provide an evangelical perspective to the Supreme Court vacancy and immigration crisis on CNN's New Day morning show. Here are some of my main points:
This the most pivotal moment of the Trump presidency so far because of its lasting impact. I applaud the way that the President has gone about this extremely serious decision. Instead of rushing to throw a name out, he met with senators from both sides of the aisle to listen to their needs and work towards finding a candidate that will protect all of America—not just one ideological side, or one special interest group.
I think about the fact that, above the main entrance of the Supreme Court is the phrase “Equal justice under the law.” It is important to remember that the role of the Supreme Court is to interpret the law for a specific context. Many people want the Supreme Court to rule in such a way that it makes sweeping changes to the political landscape—both for the right and the left. But that’s not their purpose. The court’s purpose is to figure out how the law applies to a specific context, in a particular situation.
We need a judge who won’t legislate from the bench. Too many judges are using their position on the Supreme Court to advance a particular agenda. We need a judge who will interpret the laws in such a way that it protects and respects the ways that all Americans are choosing to live their lives.
This is the kind of judge we had with Justice Kennedy. Because he took the time to understand the needs of the people involved with the cases, he was often the swing vote on issues. His rulings were all about providing equal justice under the law. What is even more interesting is that Justice Kennedy was appointed by President Reagan—another strong conservative president who had deep-seated faith-values. Yet he was able to appoint a balanced and fair judge.
I think back to the recent decision on the Masterpiece Cakeshop case. That was a 7-2 decision — almost unanimous — in favor of the baker. When you look at their ruling, it wasn’t about religion, it was all about respect. What we want is a judge who will continue to advance this way of interpreting the law in a way that provides respect and dignity to all Americans.
