More than 40 evangelical leaders are supporting Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court and say they will “pray and work for a quick confirmation process.”
In a statement from the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, the leaders said their “views on just government and human flourishing are based on biblical principles.”
They believe that the judicial philosophy of Judge Kavanaugh fulfills the scriptural teaching that “government is justly ordered when it exercises the proper authority delegated to it by God. This means ensuring the rule of law, administering justice fairly and impartially, protecting the God-given dignity of every human being, and safeguarding our constitutional liberties.”
The evangelical leaders also believe that Kavanaugh will correctly interpret the Constitution impartially and faithfully “not as he…simply wishes it to be.”
The signatories include Dr. Ronnie Floyd, who said he was “delighted” by the choice and another nominee “committed to following the original intent of our Constitution.”
And Dr. Jack Graham who thanked President Donald Trump for remaining “true to his word.”
Judicial Philosophy of Brett Kavanaugh
The Gospel Coalition wrote Judge Kavanaugh “is considered a proponent of originalism, a manner of interpreting the Constitution that begins with the text and attempts to give that text the meaning it had when it was adopted, and textualism, a method of statutory interpretation that relies on the plain text of a statute to determine its meaning.
“While in private practice in the 1990s, he served as chair of the Federalist Society’s Religious Liberties Practice Group and wrote two pro bono Supreme Court amicus briefs in support of the cause of religious liberty. (The Federalist Society is a group of conservatives and libertarians interested in “reordering priorities within the legal system to place a premium on individual liberty, traditional values and the rule of law.”)
“In a 2017 case involving an unaccompanied and undocumented migrant teenager who sought an abortion while living in a government-funded shelter, Kavanaugh issued a dissenting opinion. In that dissent he wrote that a previous “ruling followed from the Supreme Court’s many precedents holding that the Government has permissible interests in favoring fetal life, protecting the best interests of a minor, and refraining from facilitating abortion.” However, he found the opinion of the majority on his appeals court represented a “radical extension of the Supreme Court’s abortion jurisprudence.”
Senator James Lankford (R-OK), a graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, called Kavanaugh’s selection “a good choice” and tweeted “Judge Brett Kavanaugh is an impressive nominee to be considered for the Supreme Court. I look forward to evaluating his judicial philosophy. It’s important to have a jurist who acts within the bounds of the Constitution and interprets the law as written.”
Dr. Jerry A. Johnson, president and CEO of National Religious Broadcasters, called Kavanaugh an “all-star” and “eminently qualified to serve on the high court.”
Greg Laurie said Kavanaugh’s nomination “comes supported by the prayers of millions of Christians who trust in their judicial system to protect the rights and liberties of all Americans.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has promised to hold the confirmation hearings for Kavanaugh in September or October—before the midterms in November.
