Supreme Court Justice Scalia blurs the separation of church and state

by SJ Otto

Once again we see that separation of church and state, a policy and an amendment to the constitution of the US, is not taken seriously by those who have been appointed to uphold such beliefs.

US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia is reported, by AP , as saying to an audience at Archbishop Rummel High School, that there is "no place" in the country's constitutional traditions for the idea that the state must be neutral between religion and its absence.

AP quoted him as saying:

"To tell you the truth there is no place for that in our constitutional tradition. Where did that come from? To be sure, you can't favor one denomination over another but can't favor religion over non-religion?" 

While not denouncing the separation of church and state, Scalia has clearly favored one religion's concepts over others and said that God favors the US. For agnostics, atheists and non-god based religions and belief systems, this is a slap in the face. Many people work hard and contribute to the well being of this country without honoring God. They also have a right to take part in this country.

The AP also quoted him as saying:

"God has been very good to us. That we won the revolution was extraordinary. The Battle of Midway was extraordinary. I think one of the reasons God has been good to us is that we have done him honor.Unlike the other countries of the world that do not even invoke his name we do him honor"

He said that by honoring God, this country has benifited while others have not because they haven't honored God. In other words God likes us best.

What he does not say is that this country can attribute some of its success to the policy of imperialism where the US takes resources from other countries, at the expense of people in other lands. We come out ahead and they lose. They don't lose because god doesn't like them. Nor is it reasonable to belief that god allows us to kill so many innocent people, during our many wars, simply because we honor God.

Scalia is one of the highest authorities in this country so it is disturbing he would treat the constitution so frivolously. And he is not alone. Presidential candidate Donald Trump has made statements against letting Muslims into the US and his words have backfired against him. He has actually been quoted on a Muslim-jihadist fundamentalist recruiting site, from the Middle-east, that claims he is proof the US is anti-Muslim.