For good reason, reflections on Scalia dominate the news and analysis this week.
(1) A Giant has Fallen — The Death of Justice Antonin Scalia and the Future of Constitutional Government, by Albert Mohler
Justice Scalia firmly believed in the right of the people to establish a constitutional government that would recognize the ultimate authority of the people, not an elite of unelected judges, to establish laws.
(2) How Scalia’s Faith Reshaped the Supreme Court (Time)
“A big part of his legacy will be how navigated the relationship between one’s deeply held faith commitments and one’s role as a judge,” Garnett, of Notre Dame, says. “For him, the way to navigate that relationship, it was not to compromise one’s religious faith or water it down, it was to distinguish between the legal questions the judge has the power to answer and the religious commitments that a judge has the right to hold, just like all of us do.”
(3) What the Death of Justice Antonin Scalia Means for Religious Liberty, by Molly Green (The Atlantic)
The justice, who died Saturday, consistently argued that the United States is fundamentally religious, meaning that the government shouldn’t have to avoid religious displays—nativity scenes on public property, prayers at townhall meetings, and the like. His Roman Catholic faith often seemed to lurk in the background of his opinions, especially in cases involving abortion and homosexuality. But above all, he was committed to a literal, originalist interpretation of the Constitution, along with strict attention to the texts of federal and state laws. His views didn’t always align with those of the Church, and he didn’t always side with people making religious-freedom claims.
Cruz continues: “If we allow our leaders to be selected from non-believers we shouldn’t be surprised when our leaders don’t share our values. So what I’m working to do more than anything else is energize and empower the grassroots and do everything we can for Christians to stand up and vote biblical values.” Our interview took place last Thursday afternoon in Spartanburg South Carolina. Cruz was in town to meet privately with pastors at an event sponsored by the American Renewal Project.
(5) Rubio’s No. 2 campaign staffer a gay marriage advocate
Rich Beeson, deputy campaign manager for presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio, was one of more than 300 establishment Republicans to sign a controversial friend of the court brief last year asking the U.S. Supreme Court to legalize gay marriage. …Beeson was not listed among the names on the original paperwork, but asked to be included in an amended writ which deleted some names and added others by request. In the updated material sent to the U.S. Supreme Court, Beeson identified himself as “Political Director, Romney for President, 2011-2012, Political Director, Republican National Committee, 2007-2008.”
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