A Preference for Logic over Emotionalism

Everyone knows that the mere outward show of faith or belief is not at all a reliable predictor of behavior. Moreover, when selecting an individual for one of the highest and most critical offices in the land, mere indications of quality cannot substitute for proven experience. Alan Keyes

Alan Keyes, quoted here from an October 15th article on WND.COM, has a troubling quality for a man with political ambitions, and perhaps even more so for someone hoping for an audience in mass media. He clearly thinks before he expresses an opinion. One never has the sense of Mr. Keyes that he feels a particular thing, or that he's taken a poll to see whether or not a given opinion is tolerable by the public. During the 2000 Presidential debates, Mr. Keyes was clearly the smartest person on the platform, capable of thoughtful, incisive, and logical argument in a way that escaped other candidates. As such, he is one of the few critics of the President's nomination of Ms. Miers for Associate Justice who merits serious attention.

At issue is the President's careless invocation of the nominee's religious affiliation. Keyes, who has powerful religious convictions, dismisses this from the get-go, arguing both Constitutional and logical grounds.

The Constitution (Article VI) states that "no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States."...Whatever his personal inclinations, in his official capacity the president may properly take account of the words and actions that result from an individual's religious beliefs, but it is their quality, not the religious affiliation itself that constitutes the basis for his official judgment. For example, given the teachings of Buddha, an individual ought to show consideration for the life and worth of every individual. If she has done so, the president may properly consider her actions as an indication that she would show due respect for the rights and dignity of each person when adjudicating cases that arise under the Constitution. Her actions, not the religious beliefs that motivate them, are the proper constitutional basis for his deliberation.

The article should be required reading on both sides of the aisle in the Senate, and might well be read as part of the introduction to hearings on her nomination. If the President read it, he might reconsider his nomination or, at the very least, his rationale.

Luther