Religion and Politics: A Reply to Justice Antonin Scalia

This piece is an edited transcript of Professor Strossen's oral presentation on "Religion and Politics" at the Jewish Theological Seminary ("JTS") in New York on June 18, 1996. She was responding to Justice Antonin Scalia's presentation at JTS on the same subject on May 21, 1996. The major topics included in this essay are constitutional interpretation regarding individual liberty in general, and constitutional interpretation specifically regarding the two religion clauses of the First Amendment - The Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause. The main conclusion of this piece is that strictly enforcing both First Amendment religion clauses is an essential for preserving religious liberty as it is for preserving a tolerant, pluralistic, democratic society.