Scalia dismisses religious neutrality

METAIRIE, La. - Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia said Saturday that the idea of religious neutrality is not grounded in the country's constitutional traditions and that God has been good to the U.S. exactly because Americans honor him.

Scalia was speaking at a Catholic high school in this New Orleans suburb. Scalia, who was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986 is the court's longest serving justice.

He told the 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.

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

He also said there is "nothing wrong" with the idea of presidents and others invoking God in speeches. He said God has been good to America because Americans have honored him.

Scalia said during the Sept. 11 attacks he was in Rome at a conference. The next morning, after a speech by President George W. Bush in which he invoked God and asked for his blessing, Scalia said many of the other judges approached him and said they wished their presidents or prime ministers would do the same.

Scalia's comments Saturday come as the court prepares to hear arguments later this year in a case that challenges part of President Obama's health-care law and whether it adequately shields faith-based hospitals, colleges, and charities from having to offer contraceptive coverage to their employees.