Reason Embattled: Secularism in Peril

Reason Embattled: Secularism in Peril

In this excellent article excerpted from her book, Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism, Susan Jacoby reviews Justice Scalia's comments on the death penalty and, I would argue, assault on reason. He stated in an address delivered at the University of Chicago Divinity School that the death penalty could not be considered cruel and unusual because the Founding Fathers did not believe it to be so.

Perhaps, but they also believed that slavery was appropriate. Sounds almost as if Scalia disagrees with all the amendments that were added after 1800. Jacoby argues that his reasoning is sectarian and that Scalia believes government derives its power from God. I guess he never considered mercy or forgiveness to be God-given.