Alito's Call to Arms to Secure Religious Liberty by Linda Greenhouse

[elleng]

'Barely a month after handing down the majority opinion that erased the right to abortion, Justice Samuel Alito traveled to Rome to give a keynote address at a “religious liberty summit” convened by the Religious Liberty Initiative of the University of Notre Dame’s law school. As the video that Notre Dame posted of the bearded justice delivering his remarks made clear, this was a victory lap.

The press coverage of that speech last month mainly focused on his snarky comments about world leaders who had the effrontery to criticize what the Supreme Court had done in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. “One of these was former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, but he paid the price,” Justice Alito deadpanned as laughter filled the majestic Galleria Colonna.

One can debate the degree of bad taste displayed by such a remark, but that’s not my concern. What interests me about his talk was its substance: a call to arms on behalf of religion.

“The challenge for those who want to protect religious liberty in the United States, Europe and other similar places,” Justice Alito said, “is to convince people who are not religious that religious liberty is worth special protection.”

On one level, there is nothing surprising about such a declaration from Justice Alito. We know where he stands on religion. He is the author of a long string of opinions that have elevated the free exercise of religion above civil society’s other values, including the right not to be discriminated against and the right to enjoy benefits intended for all. He wrote a concurring opinion in June’s astonishing decision that permitted a high school football coach to commandeer the 50-yard line after games for his personal prayers over the public school district’s objection.'>>>

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/11/opinion/religion-supreme-court-alito.html

[dchill]

1. "...religious liberty is worth special protection."

This is why no one should be religious in the political sense. And Alito is addled.

[Ferrets are Cool]

2. Religion deserves NO protection.

Only the right to practice it should be protected. NOT the right to force others to practice it.

[elleng]

4. Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

[wolfie001]

3. Another reason to expand the SC

[Martin68]

5. Theocrats like Alito mean something entirely different from what the "Founders" has in mind when

Last edited Fri Aug 12, 2022, 08:57 AM - Edit history (1)

they wrote and signed the Constitution. Alito and his ilk want their fundamentalist version of Christianity to be the state religion. Religious liberty means no such thing. It means the right to practice any religion you like as long as it does not infringe on the rights of other people.

[LastDemocratInSC]

7. Jefferson said that any religious practice is fine

so long as "it doesn't break my leg or pick my pocket."

The best form of religious practice, to me, is one where nobody knows you're doing it. On the few occasions when someone has asked about my religious inclinations I have always responded by saying "You will never know".

For the record, I have no such inclinations (so now you do know) but I am silent about that in everyday life because I want everyone else to be silent about their inclinations. I'm not interested in theirs and I expect them to have no interest in mine.

[Martin68]

11. I entirely agree. Jesus recommended praying in private, not on the 50-yard line.

Matthew 6:5-6 ESV / 115

“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

[Girard442]

6. Got to make sure my membership in The Satanic Temple is up to date.

I mean, surely they wouldn't deprive my religion of protection.

[J_William_Ryan]

8. Religious liberty is not 'in jeopardy.'

Separation of church and state is in no manner detrimental to religious liberty, practice, or expression.

Establishment Clause jurisprudence is in no manner detrimental to religious liberty, practice, or expression.

Prohibiting government from promoting or endorsing religion is in no manner detrimental to religious liberty, practice, or expression.

Requiring religious entities that contract with government, providing government services, to abide by policies that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation is in no manner detrimental to religious liberty, practice, or expression.

The notion that religious liberty is somehow ‘under attack’ is a lie contrived to justify the un-Constitutional conjoining of church and state, the un-Constitutional codification of religious dogma into secular law, and the un-Constitutional effort to marginalize minority faiths and those free from religion.

[hvn_nbr_2]

9. Wingnuts think "religious liberty" MEANS a fundamentalist theocracy.

Religious liberty for them means that they get to have a theocracy based on their views.
Religious liberty for everyone else means that everyone else is free to submit to their religion.

[BigmanPigman]

10. This is why Freedom From Religion Found. is in my will.

I, like Ron Reagan Jr, aren't afraid of burning in Hell. Keep religion out of politics!!!!!!!!!!!

What is FFRF's Purpose?
The purposes of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc., as stated in its bylaws, are to promote the constitutional principle of separation of state and church, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.

https://ffrf.org/

https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/391302520

[slightlv]

12. Alito means security of religion

for only HIS type of religion. If you don't believe HIS religion, you can go to hell. Period.