Non-theists deserve a Supreme...now more than ever

Though not unexpected, it's disappointing nonetheless for us non-theists Trump picked a Catholic to replace retiring Catholic Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy. While we make up 23% of the population, our percentage of the Supreme Court is zero, zilch, nada. Moreover, we've never held a single one of the 113 Supreme slots in the 229 years since the Supreme Court was established in 1789. With Catholic Brett Kavanaugh, Catholics will continue to make up 67% of the Court compared to just 21% of the population (Neil Gorsuch raised a Catholic; now attends Episcopalian services). Jews make up the other 33%, an even bigger anomaly to their tiny 2% of the populous. Though Protestants haven't a single Supreme either, a large majority of all 114 Justices were protestants. The religious monopoly has left its mark on issues non-theists have no interest in interfering with.

A benefit of getting one of our team on the Court is tamping down the extreme prejudice the so-called religious practice against us non-believers. When polled, non-theists rank dead last in terms of a group folks couldn't bring themselves to vote for. Only 4% wouldn't vote for a black; 11% for women; 12% for Hispanics; 45% for gays; and a whopping 53% exclude non-theists. That must change. Though legally twisted and unenforceable, seven states, Arkansas, Maryland, Mississippi, Texas, Tennessee, North and South Carolina still have laws forbidding a non-theist to hold state office.

A fitting coda to the 229 years of religious predilections deciding the most important legal cases on the fabric of our polity might be giving a non-theist a chance to play God.