The Establishment Clause prohibits government from making adherence to a religion relevant in any way to a person's standing in the political community.

I think I learned to appreciate and treasure each day, because you don't know how many you're going to be given.

When I went to law school, which after all was back in the dark ages, we never looked beyond our borders for precedents. As a state court judge, it never would have occurred to me to do so, and when I got to the Supreme Court, it was very much the same. We just didn't do it.

being a member of the court is a lot like walking through fresh concrete. Do you remember doing that as a child and leaving a footprint and it hardens after you? I'm afraid that's what we do and we look back and we see those opinions we've written and they've sort of hardened after us.

(W)e do not count heads before enforcing the First Amendment.

This chance will stand before you only once.

We have a complex system of government. You have to teach it to every generation.