Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse on Tuesday criticized media reports on potential Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett’s membership in the ecumenical religious group People of Praise.
“These ugly smears against Judge Barrett are a combination of anti-Catholic bigotry and QAnon-level stupidity,” he said. “People of Praise is basically a Bible study — and just like billions of Christians around the world, Judge Barrett reads the Bible, prays, and tries to serve her community. Senators should condemn this wacky McCarthyism.”
Sasse’s comments came after several news outlets published stories likening People of Praise to the cult in Margaret Atwood’s fictional series, The Handmaid’s Tale. One, published by Reuters, cited the group’s “unusual mix of Roman Catholic and Pentecostal traditions” and a former member who called it repressive. Another, in Newsweek, asserted that Atwood had based her novels on People of Praise, before retracting the claim.
People of Praise is an ecumenical Christian group that was founded in South Bend, Indiana, in 1971. Barrett, who is a member, is widely considered to be President Trump’s top pick to fill the vacancy left by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court.
Barrett has already faced scrutiny for her faith, as well as her opposition to abortion. At her confirmation hearing to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in 2017, California Sen. Dianne Feinstein criticized Barrett for her faith.
“Why is it that so many of us on this side have this very uncomfortable feeling that dogma and law are two different things, and I think whatever a religion is, it has its own dogma. The law is totally different,” Feinstein said. “And I think in your case, professor, when you read your speeches, the conclusion one draws is that the dogma lives loudly within you. And that’s of concern.”
