Friends,

As the nation continues to battle COVID-19, and our streets are once again full of the sounds of protest due to yet another grievous injustice to the Black community, I wanted to take a moment and let you know that the Secular Coalition for America (SCA) continues to operate effectively, and engage our lawmakers on the separation of church and state, to advance our mission.

As I write this from our office located on 14th Street in downtown DC, with a sizable military presence in the area, I can hear chants coming from just outside, choppers flying overhead, and the sirens responding. For the most part, the demonstrations over the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, and too many others have been peaceful, and SCA strongly supports those who march for an end to racial injustice. In fact, I was out earlier this evening and will be joining them again as soon as I am done here—as I have done much of this week.

Unfortunately, this administration has squandered yet another opportunity to bring the country together to heal, and instead has only fanned the flames of unrest. On Monday, President Trump had tear gas used on peaceful protestors to “clear a path” to nearby St. John’s Church, where, Bible in hand for a photo op, he once again appeased his religious base.

Not only does this show of brute force against peaceful protestors demonstrate the President’s unwillingness to comprehend the injustices faced by Black Americans every single day, but it is also a perfect example of how far he is willing to go to appease the religious right. We will continue to call out his favoritism and ignorance, as it is so clearly vital to our mission and our collective future.

Know that despite all of the current turmoil in the world, the Secular Coalition continues to actively engage Congressional Leadership and our secular champions on the Hill to ensure the separation of church and state. In fact, over the past few months we have seen some of the most significant issues in decades arise regarding church state separation, and only see more challenges ahead as the nation attempts to re-open.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress passed the CARES Act in March. The legislation is meant to provide relief to small businesses and citizens during the pandemic. Unfortunately, it also provides forgivable loans to religious entities, a major violation of the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

The Constitution isn’t perfect, but there is a reason it is in place—it offers a clear set of concrete laws that ground us when the nation is struggling to find the right path forward.

While the SCA recognizes and even sympathizes with those religious institutions who may be struggling due to the pandemic, we must never abandon our core constitutional principles—of which separation of church and state is key—in favor of an easy solution. If we reach that “slippery slope," it will only lead to further erosion of our Constitutional rights.