TheSupremeCourtfailstheempathytestTounderstandwhyreligiousfreedommatters,putyourselfinthepositionofsomeonewhoispartofaminorityfaithtraditioninatownornationthatoverwhelminglyadherestoadifferentcreed.Thenjudgepublicpracticesbyhowtheywouldaffectthehypotheticalyou.ThisactofempathyhelpsexplainwhyreligiouslibertyintheUnitedStatesissuchagift.Itisbased,asSupremeCourtJusticeElenaKaganwroteinherdissenttoMonday’sdecisiononpublicprayer,on“thebreathtakinglygenerousconstitutionalideathatourpublicinstitutionsbelongnolesstotheBuddhistorHinduthantotheMethodistorEpiscopalian.”Religiouslibertywillnotdisappearbecauseofthecourt’s5-to-4rulingthatthegovernmentofGreece,N.Y.,canbeginitstownboardmeetingswithprayers—eventhough,asKaganputit,“monthinandmonthoutforoveradecade,”theywere“steepedinonlyonefaith,”Christianity.ButthecourtmajoritynotonlyfailedtheempathytestbutalsolosttheopportunityKaganofferedtofindabalancethatwouldbothhonorreligion’sroleinAmericanpubliclifeandsafeguardtherightsofthosewhosefaithcommitmentsdivergefromthemajority’s.Thefactsofthecasearestraightforward.AsJusticeStephenBreyernotedinhisowndissent,from1999to2010,atmorethan120ofGreece’stownboardmonthlymeetings,onlyfouropeningprayersweredeliveredbynon-Christians.Thefourexceptions,Breyerpointedout,all“occurredin2008,shortlyaftertheplaintiffs[inthecase]begancomplainingaboutthetown’sChristianprayerpractice.”ThecourtruledthatthegovernmentofGreecehadnotviolatedanyone’srights.“Ceremonialprayer,”JusticeAnthonyKennedywroteforthemajority,“isbutarecognitionthat,sincethisnationwasfoundedanduntilthepresentday,manyAmericansdeemthattheirownexistencemustbeunderstoodbypreceptsfarbeyondtheauthorityofgovernmenttoalterordefineandthatwillingparticipationincivicaffairscanbeconsistentwithabriefacknowledgmentoftheirbeliefinahigherpower,alwayswithduerespectforthosewhoadheretootherbeliefs.”Thetownwasjustified,Kennedyargued,indrawingonclergyfromhousesofworshipwithinitsboundaries,whichhappenedtobeChristian.Greece’snon-Christianswo...
