Religion & Law

I receive email updates from some pro-life advocacy groups, and their reactions to the nomination of Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court are predictable, understandable, and, in my view, not at all helpful.  They could all be captured in the meta-headline, "Pro-abortion zealot set to radicalize American law!"  I recognize that interest groups across the ideological spectrum only remain viable if they can convince a sufficient number of citizens that "this is the big battle we've been gearing up for, and we really mean it this time!"  Pro-life groups don't draw much attention (or financial support) to the cause by pointing out that elections have consequences, that other potential nominees have records suggesting a more aggressive interpretation of reproductive rights, and that her nomination hardly represents a fundamental change in the Court's abortion jurisprudence (given that she is replacing Justice Stevens).  On other issues, Justice Kagan might actually move things in a positive direction (though her views on presidential power concern me).  So how should her nomination be greeted by those who are supportive of Catholic legal theory?