Justice Scalia Honored by American Catholic Press
Justice Scalia Honored by American Catholic Press Oct. 12, 2006In The Star
newspaper, John K. Ryan reports on a dinner and lecture, honoring U.S.
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. According to this reporter,
Justice Scalia is widely known as a conservative interpreter of the
constitution; he relies on the exact meaning of the text itself. The
Justice is also generally acknowledged as extremely intelligent and
articulate. Held at Flossmoor Country Club in Flossmoor, Ilinois, the celebration gave clear evidence of the gifts with which Justice Scalia is endowed, according to Ryan. Justice Scalia spoke on the religious establishment clause of the first amendment to the U.S. constitution. That amendment prohibits any laws made by Congress that would establish a particular religion. In general, said Justice Scalia, this clause expresses what today is called the separation of church and state. On the one hand, the Justice said he was strongly against any establishment of an official religion by the Congress. On the other hand, he also argued that the government need not be neutral with regard to religion. American history abounds with instances of religious influence on the culture. "From abolition to prohibition, the secular arrangements that Americans have voted for, or indeed fought for, have often related to religious beliefs," said the Justice. Justice Scalia emphasized, said Ryan, that this history does not imply any intention to establish a religion. In fact, said Justice Scalia, the separation of church and state is more crucial now than ever before in America: "It is more needful in the American republic than elsewhere because of the sheer diversity of religions here," he said.
Justice Scalia gave numerous examples of mutual influence of religion and government in America. He said that religious thinking and practice often expressed what was taking place in American culture. For example, said Justice Scalia, during the Industrial Revolution in the 1800s, the U.S. put into effect the Calvinist, Protestant ethic of the value of human labor, of dligent work. As socialism became popular during the twentieth century, popular piety became directed to works of charity, of generosity to the poor. In such ways, "the ideas of government have often influenced religion," he said.
There is yet another dimension, the binding character of the law of the state. Scripture speaks to this dimension. As in St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans, it is true that "All authority comes from God." Now, that is certainly lawful authority, said Justice Scalia; it is also clearly the authority of the state. In other words, we have to obey the "powers that be," as the familiar expression puts it, with its origin in the King James Bible translation. In support of this teaching, the speaker referred to the Anglican, C.S. Lewis, who argued that Christians have a moral obligation to turn themselves in when going against the law to pay their "just debt to society."
In conclusion, Justice Scalia quoted Yale law professor Grant Gilmore: "In heaven there will be no law, and the lion will lie down with the lamb. In hell there will be nothing but law, and due process will be meticulously observed." The reporter for this lecture, John K. Ryan, may be reached at [email protected] or (708) 802-8807. For the full text of the original article by John K. Ryan, go directly to The Star.For another report, go to the article by Patty Gayes, from the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Chicago, the New World. Why? Who? What? How to GiveBenefit Archives:1989 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2021 2022Copyright © 1999
American Catholic Press. All rights reserved. |
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