Justice Sunday II: God Save the United States and this Honorable Court

No, I didn't just make that up. It's the title of this Sunday's rally in Nashville, Tennessee. The second televised church event co-sponsored by prominent Christian conservative groups like the Family Research Council and Focus on the Family to rally for U.S. Supreme Court nominee John Roberts. Liberal religious leaders are criticizing the event and saying its organizers should not drag religion into his confirmation fight.

"There is no one religious position on the Roberts nomination, no one religious view on the future of the court or the cases it will hear," Rev. Bill Sinkford, president of the Unitarian Universalist Association, told reporters in a conference call.

The first "Justice Sunday" rally in April attacked Democrats filibustering against Bush's judicial nominees, saying the Democrats were opposed to people of faith (God loves the right). It featured an appearance by Senate Republican leader Bill Frist but now that he's taken the position for stem-cell research his been uninvited to this one.

Liberal religious groups criticized the organizers' emphasis on religion in the evaluation of Roberts and called it a threat to the principle of separation of church and state. "A senator or a congressman's faith should never be called into question based on their support or opposition to a particular nominee," said Rev. Robert Edgar, general secretary to the National Council of Churches.

The rally will be broadcast live to churches around the country and carried on hundreds of radio stations and the Internet. Yuk! Sorry, call me old fashion but sermoning should be done in a church not a stadium. Do you feel the spirit through your Wi-Fi receiver? Maybe Podcast it so you can listen on your iPod while working out.

[8/15/06 Update]
So, how'd the event go? I was too busy sacrificing lambs to mighty Hades to watch, but here's what Reuter's reported:

Organizers of the rally, which featured a packed audience at a Baptist church swaying and singing hymns beneath two huge American flags, said they hoped to use the gathering as a "launching pad" to mobilize Christians against judges they say are overriding the Constitution with their decisions.

"Catholics and other Christians together, we are going to move to the front of the bus and take command of the wheel," Catholic League's Bill Donohue said.

Oh poor Christians! Shall we pity these poor dear souls who only control 99.8% of the government?

Dr. James Dobson, the head of Focus on the Family, said in a videotaped address projected onto a giant screen above the altar that Democrats such as Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy and other "minions on the left" would try to turn Roberts' upcoming senate confirmation process into a "circus."

Count me in as a "minion" (and by that I assume he means us godforsaken devil-worshipping left).

From the voice of reason comes Baptist minister Rev. Bill Sherman from nearby Fairview, Tennessee. "We live in a complex society and theirs is a simplistic approach... To identify your church with a party, to push your agenda is not the proper function of the church. I don't like for any church to try to manipulate a political party. Politicians should be elected, not chosen by the church. There are plenty of Baptists who feel as I do and do not feel this is appropriate." Amen.