Dear Friend,

As COVID-19 continues to spread, we all need to do our part to flatten the curve by staying at home and practicing social distancing when it is necessary to leave the house. 

Unfortunately, not all religious Americans have gotten the message—they’re gathering for services, spreading the coronavirus and dying as a result.

As a secular nation, one would expect elected officials to stand firmly for the public good and state: This is unacceptable. We cannot privilege religion over public health.

Yet of the more than 40 governors who have implemented statewide stay-at-home orders to protect public health, around a dozen have made exceptions for religious gatherings, furthering both the spread of the virus and strains on limited public resources as a result.

To combat these dangerous and unnecessary exemptions, many of our member organizations have been working diligently to spotlight these reckless state leaders, working to hold them accountable and build public momentum for a change in policy.

American Atheists is encouraging nonbelievers from across the country to speak out and oppose special exemptions for houses of worship.

Freedom from Religion Foundation sent letters to every governor, has built a COVID-19 activism hub, and has launched a campaign to help secular Americans contact their governor and urge them to revisit this dangerous policy.

Center for Inquiry launched a COVID-19 resource center, which fact checks the unprecedented deluge of pseudoscience and misinformation flooding our screens during this pandemic.

American Humanist Association Executive Director Roy Speckhardt put it best:

P.S. Our fight to keep the government secular, is more important than ever as the scientific community works to guide elected officials during this pandemic. It is only possible with your support. If you are able to give in this challenging time, please do.