In the wake of the passing on of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, we’ve been plunged into deep political discourse once again, right before a major Presidential election. We have to pick a new Justice to serve in her place. Actually no, the President has to pick one and the Senate has to confirm the pick before they can sit on the court.
Why does this matter? The court always has a balance issue; how many liberals and conservatives will be represented. As a conservative and a believer in moral biblical law, I support building up the court to be as conservative as possible. We currently have a 5-3 composition (5 conservatives and 3 liberals). We need to get to a solid 6-3 with this next justice…for many years to come.
Why Does it Matter?
Justices can serve through many Presidencies and their rulings can set precedents that could hold the country captive for years on end.
While the founders setup the Judiciary to carry the least amount of power, they left a door wide open called life long terms. Judges don’t have to run for re-election and cannot be removed even by the President that appointed them. The only authority that can remove a judge is the legislature, through impeachment. This has only happened once (Samuel Chase, 1804) and was unsuccessful.
While their job is to interpret the law, Judicial activism is a well known and well accepted practice that aims to correct perceived wrongful applications of the law. It is great when it’s in your favor and horribly painful when it goes against you.
Justices can serve through many Presidencies and their rulings can set precedents that will hold the country captive for years on end. Here are a few significant decisions that have adversely affected the country…
Plessy v Ferguson, 1896
This was the case that essentially legalized segregation in the south. The court essentially agreed with Southern states and their reasoning that segregation was lawful and fair. ‘Separate but equal’ became a law that discriminated against black southerners for almost 60 years.
Brown v Board of Education of Topeka Kansas, 1954
This decision essentially overturned segregation in public schools yet left the rest of society to grapple with the same situation created by the previous ruling. Congress eventually stepped in to change the laws in the 60s in order to secure equal rights for all in ending segregation and Jim Crow (1963), supporting voting rights (1965), and housing discrimination (1968).
One decision by the Supreme Court took almost 70 years to undo. The untold suffering the country faced, the pains of which we’re still experiencing today was setup by a Supreme Court ruling that Congress was unable to overturn.
Roe v Wade, 1973
This ruling has affected the lives of millions of children who never had the chance to see the light of day. As a Christian conservative, I am deeply pained that our society has to live under such bondage as a result of not watching what was going on in the courts, or maybe having no choice in the matter.
47 years and over 63 million babies later, we’re still grappling with ways to get rid of this detrimental law. Judges matter more than we like to agree and we have to pray that our courts are stacked with judges who represent Christian moral values.
Obergfell v Hodges, 2015
This was the one that legalized gay marriage and essentially changed the definition of marriage. While we love homosexuals and want to see them delivered, redeemed and born again into life with Christ, we refuse to accept that God intended for marriage to be treated as a negotiable union that could be between anyone and anyone they wish.
The Supreme Court decision essentially made it law and states have to abide by this ruling until the same court or a future court, reverses this ruling.
Enter Donald Trump
We have an opportunity to reverse some of these evils against society. The Bible commands us to be shrewd as serpents and gentle as doves – Mat 10:16. Any conservative President has the opportunity to install conservative judges and leave behind a lasting legacy. Donald Trump will be the first President to nominate 3 Supreme Court justice in a single presidential term in office. It hasn’t happened in recent history.
Supreme Court Justices Matter…
A whole lifetime lot!
I believe God is moving behind the scenes and answering our prayers for change in a way we didn’t expect and didn’t foresee. I pray that God’s will is done but more so that we will continue to get judges who release rulings that favor God’s people and His divine will and purpose for this nation.
They serve much longer than Presidents and have much more influence than we realize. Pray for the ones in office right now and the ones yet to be installed. We need Godly judges behind the bench. This may very well be Donald Trump’s legacy.
No, we’re not afraid but we’re not dumb enough to watch Godly values erode away and say nothing. We’re sons and daughters of a living God and as long as we’re here, we will thrive to see His Kingdom come, His will done, on earth as it is in heaven. Help us, Lord!
Nelson Masinde 