Tipsheet

WaPo Roasted Over ‘Dud of a Hit Piece’ on ACB’s Faith

Leah Barkoukis
Leah Barkoukis  |  October 07, 2020 7:30 AM

The Washington Post joined other media outlets in publishing a hit piece on Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s faith, particularly over her involvement in the group People of Praise. But in reality, they are pathetically weak smears that were rightfully called out by many conservatives on Twitter. 

 “Amy Coney Barrett served as a ‘handmaid’ in Christian group People of Praise,’ three WaPo reporters charged in their story published Tuesday.

In the group, “handmaid” is a leadership position, they learn. “The title of handmaid was adopted by People of Praise in reference to the biblical description of Mary as 'the handmaid of the Lord,' according to the group," WaPo states.

Where WaPo and the AP, which ran a similar story last week, get so tied up is on the group’s belief that men are the head of the household.

Men’s “headship” of their wives, and the male-dominated governance of the community, has been the basis of accusations from some critics of Barrett that People of Praise is built on the sexist expectation that women defer to men.

One source from their own reporting at least tried to ground them in reality. 

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"[John Fea, a prominent historian of U.S. religion at Messiah University] said People of Praise’s belief in distinct gender roles is similar to what is lived and preached across much of America today, in faiths as different as Catholicism, the Southern Baptist Convention and orthodox Islam and Judaism.

"He said that believing men should be the spiritual leaders of the family does not mean that women cannot be professionally ambitious. 'Everything about Amy Coney Barrett’s career contradicts the idea that women in People of Praise can’t have careers or be successful,' he said," according to WaPo.

Finally, the report also took issue with her choice of housing in law school.

Also, while in law school, Barrett lived at the South Bend home of People of Praise’s influential co-founder Kevin Ranaghan and his wife, Dorothy, who together helped establish the group’s male-dominated hierarchy and view of gender roles.

Sen. Tom Cotton said the liberal media ought to be ashamed over the continued attacks on Barrett's faith. 

Others referred to the story as a "dud of a hit piece" and joked about how pathetic it is.