So-called Justice Gorsuch derides "so-called separation of church and state. "

[Tanuki]

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/gorsuch-derides-so-called-separation-church-state-n1287809

..."The case is relatively straightforward: Boston's city hall generally flies national, state, and city flags on its public flag poles, though there are occasional exceptions. On Pride Day, for example, Boston will fly a rainbow flag. If foreign dignitaries visit Boston, the city's flag poles will feature the flag of the foreign officials' countries.

With this mind, Harold Shurtleff, who represents a group called Camp Constitution, applied to have Boston fly a white flag with a red cross. He described it as a "Christian flag," at which point the city declined his request. Gregory Rooney, a local commissioner, concluded that Boston's city hall had to remain neutral on matters of faith.

A legal fight soon followed, and the case made its way to the Supreme Court. By all accounts, given the dominance of conservative justices, Shurtleff is very likely to prevail, but consider an off-hand comment Gorsuch made during oral arguments:

"As I understand it, Mr. Rooney said that he thought it was concern about the so-called separation of state, church and state, or the Constitution's Establishment Clause."


Ordinarily, when we hear references to the "so-called" constitutional principle of separation of church and state, the rhetoric is coming from televangelists or far-right politicians eager to curry favor with activists in the religious right movement.

This week, however, the phrase came from a sitting justice on the nation's highest court — suggesting he has a dismissive view of this bedrock principle of religious liberty."...(more)