Journalists attacking Amy Coney Barrett’s faith have revealed their own Achilles’ heel

September 29, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Journalists writing about Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett’s (ACB’s) relationship to the People of Praise Community in South Bend, Indiana are falling into the same sort of error that Sen. Diane Feinstein did in 2017 as they inadvertently criticise the most fundamental teachings of the Catholic faith, thinking they have stumbled upon the secret tenets of a far-out religious sect.  

During Barrett’s previous U.S. Senate confirmation hearing, Sen. Feinstein famously declared, “the dogma lives loudly within you,” referring to ACB’s Catholic faith. 

Feinstein most likely would have avoided that egregious misstep if she had been exposed to better examples of what it means to live an authentic Catholic life.  However, during her tenure in the U.S. Senate, the California lawmaker has been surrounded by the likes of Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Dick Durbin, Sen. Tim Kaine, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, and her former colleague, Joe Biden, all of whom proudly identify as ‘Catholic’ while expressing beliefs and conducting their jobs, guided by the dogma of the sexual revolution and cultural Marxism to the exclusion of their Catholic faith. 

Secular journalists are following in Sen. Feinstein’s steps, racing down the same Christophobic path, spreading uneducated, irrational claims.

Newsweek published a hit piece with a headline stating that the People of Praise Community had inspired “The Handmaid’s Tale,” a fictional novel depicting a world where women are regarded by men as chattel. The 1985 book has recently been turned into a popular TV series. 

Newsweek’s assertion was breathtakingly false.  The group from which author Margaret Atwood drew her inspiration was the similarly named “People of Hope” in New Jersey, some 700 miles away.  Rather than retract the article, Newsweek chose to issue a correction at the end, not the top, of the story. 

The far-left magazine, Mother Jones, followed with a hit piece of its own, striving to smear ACB because of her ties to People of Praise, which Mother Jones deemed an “unorthodox religious community.” 

People of Praise is unorthodox only in the sense that its members are seriously committed to living their Catholic faith, rejecting the standards of secular popular culture and the demands of political correctness.  

“Here they go. They just can't help themselves. It blew up on them in 2017 during her first set of confirmation hearings,” noted Princeton University's Prof. Robert P. George on Twitter.  

“But they can't stop themselves,” declared George.  “It's the ideological equivalent of a compulsion, perhaps an addiction. The addict knows that it won't end well for him, but ….”

“I'll give Amy Barrett's opponents some good advice, in blissful assurance that they won't take it. Don't attack her faith. Don't go near it. Stay a million miles away,” warned George in a follow up Tweet.  

“Talk about health care, immigration, the weather, anything but religion,” he continued.   “It's not her Achilles heel; it's yours.”

Others also couldn’t help but issue Tweets ridiculing assertions in the Mother Jones article, attempting to dismiss female members of People of Praise as the women in “the Handmaid’s Tale.”

“Women in ACB's religious community are so subordinate to men that she's going to be nominated to the SCOTUS,” said Twitter user Radical Caution.

“Yes, her husband is apparently forcing her to become a Supreme Court Justice. So he can control her even more,” said Mary H. FioRito.

“I’m so sorry this is happening to you. Are you going to be ok?” asked global pro-life activst Obianuju Ekeocha, with her tongue firmly planted in cheek.  

“I mean everyone knows that devout Christians are not supposed to participate in public life and all, society is meant to be inclusive while excluding all practicing Christians.”

Politico then published its own hit piece, zeroing in on a statement distributed by Trinity School, the People of Praise school where ACB was a member of the board, claiming that the views of the school are “at odds with American law.”

The offending statements from the 2018-19 school year? 

The only proper place for human sexual activity is marriage, where marriage is a legal and committed relationship between one man and one woman. 

‘Homosexual acts’ are said to be ‘at odds with Scripture.’

These statements, however, are not the views of a far-out, secret religious sect.  They are immutable truths which the Catholic church has taught for two millennia.  

When the author of the Politico piece, Adam Wren, posted his story on Twitter, the social media site lit up with statements educating Wren on the basics of Catholic teaching.

“Standard biblical teaching,” yawned Ryan Anderson, senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation and a teaching fellow at the University of Dallas. 

“And a Supreme Court ruling on *state marriage law* can’t change standard biblical teaching,” explained Anderson to Wren.

“All I read in this article is desperation.  This is Orthodox Christianity. It's been around longer than Obergefell, the Politico, you and me,” replied Twitter user S. Andy Moore. 

“‘…the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil’ – John 3:19,” added Moore. 

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Doug Mainwaring is a journalist for LifeSiteNews, an author, and a marriage, family and children's rights activist.  He has testified before the United States Congress and state legislative bodies, originated and co-authored amicus briefs for the United States Supreme Court, and has been a guest on numerous TV and radio programs.  Doug and his family live in the Washington, DC suburbs.