Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito says the United States’ dedication to religious liberty is being put to the test.
Alito told a meeting of Catholic lawyers and judges — “A wind is picking up that is hostile to those with traditional moral beliefs.”
The Associated Press quotes him as saying, “We are likely to see pitched battles in courts and Congress, state legislatures and town halls. But the most important fight is for the hearts and minds of our fellow Americans. It is up to all of us to evangelize our fellow Americans about the issue of religious freedom.”
Alito reportedly also read from his dissent in the Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage case and said he predicted those who opposed the high court’s decision would be cast as bigots.
He told the group, “We are seeing this is coming to pass. You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.
Alito’s speech was arranged by Advocati Christi, a group of Catholic lawyers and judges who seek to “provide an opportunity for lawyers to learn about the Catholic faith and Catholic social teaching and to help them integrate these into their life and practice.”
Alito, who has served as a justice on the U.S. Supreme Court since 2006, said Supreme Court decisions such as Burwell v. Hobby Lobby that found in favor of “closely held” for-profit corporations seeking exemption from the Obamacare mandate, requiring employers to provide abortion-inducing drugs to their employers in violation of their religious convictions, should inspire activism for religious liberty.