A left-wing Christian group has launched a petition to force conservative Samuel Alito off of the Supreme Court for endorsing the idea that America should practice "godliness."
Faithful America accused Alito of twisting Christianity to advance a political agenda of "Christian nationalism."
"You are unfit to serve on our nation's highest court, and we demand that you immediately resign...This man is far from impartial and cannot remain a justice on our nation's highest court," the petition reads.
Liberal outrage toward Alito began to build when the New York Times reported that two flags loosely connected with January 6th - the "Appeal To Heaven" flag and an inverted American flag - were flown outside his homes.
Both symbols have been used in different contexts for centuries. But Alito's critics have cited the flags as proof of Alito's sympathy for the January 6th rioters and "Christian nationalism," an amorphous term that has been used to attack Christians with traditional beliefs.
The controversy escalated when Alito shared unguarded comments about the political divide in America with an undercover liberal activist, saying, "One side or the other is going to win." Alito also agreed with the activist when she asked if America should return to "godliness."
Faithful America, which preaches a progressive, LGBT-friendly flavor of Christianity, said Alito's comments were "extraordinary" and evidence of a hidden agenda.
"These extraordinary comments twist our faith, endorse a Christian-nationalist agenda, and violate the Constitutional separation of church and state—and that's not all," the petition states.
The group further alleged that Alito challenged "our democratic system of elections and our judicial system itself" with the flag displays at his homes, although no explanation was provided for this dramatic assertion.
The petition is toothless, but it comes as emboldened Democrats have escalated attacks on Alito, his wife, and the conservative Supreme Court's basic legitimacy.
President Biden poured more fuel on the fire at a campaign fundraiser in Los Angeles, where he alluded to the flag controversy while warning about the consequences of a second Trump presidency.
"The idea that, if he's reelected, he's going to appoint two more flying flags upside down is really...I think it is one of the scariest parts of it," Biden said.
Alito has refused to recuse himself from January 6th cases, which include a controversy about President Trump's assertion of presidential immunity.
