Specter asked Roberts whether he agreed with JFK that “I do not speak for my church on public matters — and the church does not speak for me.” Roberts simply replied that he did. I wish he had instead said something like: “That’s certainly how I understand my role as a judge.” The notion that the religious beliefs of political actors should never influence their judgment on “public matters” is one that doesn’t take religious belief–and religiously grounded moral argument–seriously.