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Alito: U.S. Should Return "To A Place of Godliness"

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(The Guardian) Secret recording captures Justice Alito agreeing that US should return 'to a place of godliness'
Supreme court justice Samuel Alito is in facing fresh scrutiny after newly released audio recordings captured him agreeing that America should return “to a place of godliness”, just weeks after he came under fire for controversial flags that flew above his homes.

In audio posted on social media by liberal filmmaker Lauren Windsor, Alito is heard questioning whether compromise between the left and right is possible. “One side or the other is going to win,” Alito said. -- There can be a way of working, a way of living together peacefully, but it’s difficult, you know, because there are differences on fundamental things that really can’t be compromised.

The recording comes after reports that an upside-down American flag was displayed at the home of Alito and his wife, Martha-Ann Alito, in Virginia just weeks after the January 6 Capitol riot. The inverted flag is a symbol that has become associated with Donald Trump’s false claims that Joe Biden stole the election. Another provocative flag, the “Appeal to Heaven” flag which has in recent years become a symbol of far-right Christian extremism, was flown outside the Alito’s’ New Jersey summer home, according to reports.

Alito has rejected calls to step aside from supreme court cases involving Trump and January 6 defendants, claiming that neither incident merits his recusal. The court is considering two major cases related to the 6 January 2021 attack by a mob of Trump supporters on the Capitol, including charges faced by the rioters and whether the former president has immunity from prosecution on election interference charges.
Justice Samuel Alito, in an audio recording posted to X on Monday, is heard agreeing that the US should return “to a place of godliness.”

The audio was posted by liberal filmmaker Lauren Windsor, who said it was recorded at the Supreme Court Historical Society’s annual dinner last week. Windsor, posing as a religious conservative, is heard saying to Alito: I think that the solution really is like winning the moral argument. Like, people in this country who believe in God have got to keep fighting for that, to return our country to a place of godliness.

“I agree with you, I agree with you,” Alito responded.
 
This is wrong. The US was never founded as a Christian Nation. The Constitution itself states that it shall respect no religion. Our founding fathers agreed that religion should stay personal. Christianity was kept at arms length from the government because George Washington intended religious freedom in the United States to apply to all religions.
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.
https://constitution.congress.gov/c...shall make no law,for a redress of grievances.
 
The US was never founded as a Christian Nation. The Constitution itself states that it shall respect no religion.
In the strictest sense of the word, you're absolutely right.

In a de jure (legal) sense of the word, the United States is officially a secular nation. In a de facto (practical) sense of the word, the United States is a very diverse country in terms of religion - not just w/regards to the three Abrahamic faiths but w/in said faiths. As to the Constitution, there are actually two religious clauses in the 1st Amendment - one stating that government shall neither favor/disfavor any specific religious faith over another and that government shall not deny the individual to right to worship/not worship the god/gods/goddesses of their choice.

The Constitution also states in Article VI that there shall be no religious test in order to hold office, an issue North Carolina had to deal with just recently (TL/DR: in Asheville back in the late 2000's an atheist named Ceil Bothwell was elected to the Asheville City Council; his election was challenged on state constitutional grounds - NC's state constitution has a Christian faith clause in it, dating back to early American times - but was allowed to serve because of the U.S. Constitution's prohibition on religious tests for office).
Our founding fathers agreed that religion should stay personal.
*continuing* The Framers knew from history - most were well-versed in history and had studied what happens when government & religion are joined at the hip, for instance - and wanted to make sure the two were kept separate as much as possible.
Christianity was kept at arms length from the government because George Washington intended religious freedom in the United States to apply to all religions
 
Why would we want to do that?


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And an observation.

In the audio, the word "Christian" is never used. The statement is about "Godliness".

The two are related ideas, but one does not require the other, you can be "Godly" and be everything from Agnostic to Wiccan.
 
Godliness in this case seems to directly refer to God ie the christian god, and I would find it hard to believe he meant otherwise.

I don't think too much of this incident - that's his opinion and I don't see it doing much damage especially if he is able to separate his personal belief from ability to carry out legal cases. However I believe Alito in particular has more than compromised his legal neutrality and has no place on the highest court of justice in the land. But, it's been the case for a very long time that the supreme court is built on partisan interests anyway. I'm no longer surprised and expect more scandalous things to come at all levels as the United States slips into decadent partisan bickering.
 
Perhaps one's own personal bias against a particular set of beliefs is showing through as well.
No. I disagree. The definition is spot on.

51uSIob.png

 
No. I disagree. The definition is spot on.

51uSIob.png



I don't see the word "Christian" in the definition.

The "laws and wishes of God" could apply equally to Allah, or Vishnu, or Ahura Mazda, or......
 
The "laws and wishes of God" could apply equally to Allah, or Vishnu, or Ahura Mazda, or......
Fair enough. You do have a point. I do remember some worshippers of those religions making references like that to their gods from my time on other debate forums.
 

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Welcome to Offtopix 👋, Visitor

Off Topix is a well-established general discussion forum that originally opened to the public in 2009! We provide a laid-back atmosphere, and our members are down to earth. We have a ton of content, and fresh stuff is constantly being added. We cover all sorts of topics, so there's bound to be something inside to pique your interest. We welcome anyone and everyone to register and become a member of our awesome community.

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