When Judges are Pharisees

A Pharisee is defined by Google's Dictionary source identified as Oxford Languages as "a member of an ancient Jewish sect distinguished by strict observance of the traditional and written law and commonly held to have pretensions to superior sanctity."  The words "a self-righteous person" and "hypocrite" are also used in the definition.

When thinking of a Pharisee as so defined, I can't help but think of certain judges who at least purport to strictly observe traditional and written law and are sanctimonious.  Certain Justices of the Supreme Court as well, I blush to admit.

Recently. two of the Justices, and the spouse of one of them, made some remarks at a gathering of some kind of something called "the Supreme Court Historical Society" which were surreptitiously recorded by someone "posing as a conservative."  I'm not sure what's involved in posing as a conservative, but in this case it seems making statements against abortion and supportive of (Christian, presumably) religion sufficed for that purpose.  

The statements sufficed, at least, to elicit remarks from the Justice to the effect that the nation should be restored to "godliness" and was doomed to be ruled by the left or the right, no compromise being possible.  The Justice's spouse was more voluble, bemoaning the controversy over flags flown at the Alito properties, which she seems to find incomprehensible if not maliciously intended, and expressing condemnation of the LGBT community and Pride month.  She expressed the hope of flying a flag featuring the Sacred Heart of Jesus, evidently in response to those in the LGBT community or those who support them.

I don't know why anyone would consider the emblem of the Sacred Heart an expression of condemnation of the LGBT community or of anyone, for that matter.  By my understanding, it's used to represent Christ's love and compassion.  It takes a peculiar kind of person to believe it represents intolerance and exclusion.

But Pharisees are peculiar.  At least, the Gospels indicate Christ thought them to be.  The picture at the top of this post shows the Pharisee and the tax collector, who figure in a parable from the Gospel of Luke.  In that parable, the Pharisee thanks God for making him a good man, unlike the tax collector and other mean and sinful folk.  The tax collector confesses his sins to God, and begs for his mercy.  The Pharisee is full of pride and is self-righteous, and is condemned by Christ as a result.

Like Pharisees, there are judges (and others) who believe they know what godliness is, and think themselves uniquely qualified to know what it is and impose it on others.  They ascribe their own limitations of intelligence and character to God.  Their vision is a narrow one, their sympathies are congested; there are no questions that are open to inquiry; all has been answered.  Oddly, such judges abhor judging.  What's to be judged?  It's merely a question of knowing what's already been decided (though not if it was decided anew--what's been decided was decided long ago and cannot be improved upon.

The other Justice was intelligent enough to resist the temptation to be pharisaical, and it may be hoped even that he isn't a Pharisee.  Pharisees, as we see from the parable, like to expound on their own godliness.  Pharisees like some judges and others, are exhibitionists of a sort.  They are shamelessly good.  They're so convinced of their righteousness they think it should be displayed, exposed to all.