Supporters of Judge Amy Coney Barrett responded Wednesday to a fresh round of scrutiny of her faith, warning that, as the Senate prepares to hold Supreme Court confirmation hearings next week, attacks on her Catholicism will prove divisive.
Much of the criticism surrounding Barrett focuses on her membership in the People of Praise, a charismatic religious group some mistakenly believe to have inspired Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, a claim which arose from the group’s former practice of calling its female leaders “handmaidens.” The Washington Post on Tuesday published a story alleging that Barrett, who does not advertise her membership in the group, was at least, at one time, a handmaiden.
The story, which cited former members of the group who claimed that its structure demeaned women, drew widespread criticism from Barrett’s defenders, many of whom said the outlet is furthering an anti-Catholic campaign against the judge.
“This conspiracy theory that a brilliant jurist and an accomplished lawyer is secretly a subservient woman controlled by her husband’s ‘shadowy organization’ isn’t just stupid — it’s bigoted and sexist,” said Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse, a frequent critic of alleged anti-Catholicism in the Senate.
Sasse, who, last year, asked the Senate to censure Sens. Kamala Harris and Mazie Hirono after they posed so-called religious tests to Catholic judicial nominees, warned that the nomination hearings where Barrett is expected to be confirmed will be contentious, where “no blow is too low.”
He is not alone in that opinion. Commenting on the Washington Post’s story, the latest in a series of critical pieces on the People of Praise, CatholicVote President Brian Burch said that misrepresentations of the religious group are “disgusting” attacks that needlessly involve her personal faith in the hearings.
“Democrats are playing with fire,” he said.
The term handmaiden arose within the People of Praise because of its use in the Gospel of Luke, in which the Blessed Virgin Mary said that she was “the handmaiden of the Lord,” in response to a request to be Jesus Christ’s mother.
Barrett has also faced criticism from people who say that her faith will influence her decisions on the court. Human Rights Campaign President Alfonso David on Wednesday warned that Barrett’s writings as a law professor at the University of Notre Dame give a “road map” to her opinions on abortion and gay marriage jurisprudence, as well as what he said was an overemphasis on religious freedom.
“That’s a huge concern for us,” he said on MSNBC’s Morning Joe. “Religion has been used to justify colonization. Religion has been used as a tool to support slavery. Religion has been used as a tool to support ‘separate but equal.'”
Barrett is expected to receive a grilling from Harris, who serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee and is former Vice President Joe Biden’s running mate. Harris, who received a strong backlash after the Senate censured her, faces continued criticism from Barrett supporters as the hearings draw near.
On Wednesday, anti-abortion activist Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, a group which pushed for Barrett’s nomination, urged Harris and Biden to condemn the “ongoing attacks” on Barrett’s faith.
“Joe Biden calls himself a ‘devout Catholic,’ yet remains completely silent as these bigoted attacks continue,” Dannenfelser said, leveling criticism at the whole party.
Some Democrats, however, have cautioned against personal attacks on Barrett. Delaware Sen. Chris Coons, after speaking with Barrett on Wednesday, told reporters that he does not intend to mention her faith in the hearings, instead focusing solely on her judicial record.
