“You are here in the sanctuary of Montrose Baptist Church, in the shadow of the Cross, where people come to worship and give thanks,” she said. “Remember that it is here, in the church, that your teachers, friends, and loved ones prayed for you and wished you well as you began this next phase of your life,” she said. “When you’re out there, and you’re struggling (as we all do), look back — recall that you have never been alone, and be grateful for what God has done for you.”
She recalled the prayers of her parents and remembered how, as a sobbing Harvard freshman undergrad turning 18, she was comforted by an answering machine message on which her mother sang for her. “Her song was the encouragement that I needed in that moment, and even in my loneliness, I thanked God for the opportunity he’d given me, for the firm foundation he had provided, and also for how far I had come.”
Some anticipate that, as occurred when she was a nominee to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, Jackson will be asked by senators about her connection to wording in a statement of faith on Montrose Christian’s website, which included opposition to homosexuality and encouragement to “speak on behalf of the unborn.” In response at that time, Jackson said she was unaware of the website declarations and added that in general, as a federal judge and pending judicial nominee, “it would be inappropriate for me to identify any statements or policy positions of those boards and indicate my personal agreement or disagreement with those statements.”
March for Life, an anti-abortion group, was one of the earliest groups to state its opposition to Jackson’s high court nomination.
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson speaks after President Joe Biden announced Jackson as his nominee to the Supreme Court in the Cross Hall of the White House, Feb. 25, 2022, in Washington. Vice President Kamala Harris listens at right. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
“We expect her to be a reliable vote for the far left and the Biden administration’s radical abortion agenda,” stated its president, Jeanne Mancini. “We urge the Members of the Senate to stand for our nation’s mothers and most vulnerable unborn by rejecting this extreme nominee, and we encourage the nomination of a judge who will honor our Constitution and the right to life.”
Rutledge said such a stance is unfair to Jackson.
“I know, without any question, that Ketanji Brown Jackson is dedicated to the Constitution, the rule of law,” Rutledge said. “She will decide cases based on the facts and the law, not an agenda. Now, is she going to be more progressive than the very conservative wing of the court? Probably, but she’s also fair and dedicated to the law. So I think it’s unfair to just say that she’s already made up her mind about any issue.”
During a White House “faith and community engagement call” in early March, administration officials thanked religious and nonprofit leaders for their actions on behalf of Jackson.
“We are continually grateful for the support she has received from this community. Please keep that coming as much as possible,” urged Josh Dickson, deputy director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. “We know that it has meant a lot, especially in the face of some baseless attacks on her. She’s an eminently qualified jurist and we look forward to her confirmation on the bench.”
National reporter Jack Jenkins contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared here.
