SCA's Casey Brinck corrects the record on behalf of nontheists

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Dear Friend,

As yet another election nears, I am reminded of how far our nation has come in the diversification of our elected officials. For the first time ever, a woman of color has been selected as the Vice Presidential candidate for a major political party. This follows other major “firsts” that we have seen over the past few elections, and we should be proud of these steps forward as a nation. However, we still have some work to do.

Particularly, non-theists are perhaps the most underrepresented and most maligned demographic in government today. Currently, only one openly non-theist (Jared Huffman D-CA) holds a seat in the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. Let me repeat that number as it is so long, and may be difficult to remember...ONE. The reason for such a low number of openly nontheist members of government is clear. A 2019 Gallup poll ([link removed][UNIQID]) found that of all demographics included in the survey, only openly socialist candidates were viewed as less favorable than an openly atheist candidate, with only 60% of respondents saying they would vote for an openly atheist candidate. To put it in perspective, 80% of respondents said they would vote for an Evangelical Christian, 93% for a Jewish candidate, and 95% for a Catholic candidate. It is obvious that we still have some work to do in educating Americans about who we are, and what we stand
for.

Part of the problem is the misrepresentation we receive from the media, the religious right and their cohorts, and not to mention the direct hostility from the current administration. Take for instance Attorney General Barr’s words ([link removed][UNIQID]) when he spoke at Notre Dame University last year calling those who identify as secular, “militant”, and went on further to say, “the problem is not that religion is being forced on others, the problem is that irreligion is being forced — secular values are being forced on people of faith.” This antagonistic label of “militant” makes zero sense, as our founding document clearly states the secular nature of our government. Therefore, it is the other side who are “militant”, our side merely wants our government to follow the law of the land as stated in the Constitution. Hardly militant. Not to mention the blatant lie he followed it up with. Let me be clea
r. Secularists do not want to force their values on anyone. We simply want our government to reflect the document upon which it was founded, particularly the First Amendment, and do not want others’ religious values forced upon us.

Other examples of open hostility towards our community from the administration can be found of course from the President himself on numerous occasions ([link removed][UNIQID]) ; and even his children have joined in the atheist bashing. The President’s son, Eric Trump, recently stated in an interview ([link removed][UNIQID]) , "[President Trump has] literally saved Christianity, there is a full out war on faith in this country by the other side. The Democratic Party has become the party of the quote-unquote atheists, they want to attack Christianity, they want to close churches..." Again, the misrepresentation and fear mongering could not be further from the truth. Atheists, while not necessarily agreeing with other religious views, are far more likely to openly support an individual’s right to theistic belief and
practice than any other demographic. In many ways, atheists are very liberal in the classic sense when it comes to our collective view on religious belief and practice. Do not force me to believe what you believe, and I will do the same. It’s that simple. Eric's misleading statement regarding church closings is just another example of how our views are twisted to serve a political purpose by the other side. With the rapid spread of the virus at that time, and closures happening in every other sector of society, our community’s concern was strictly public health based ([link removed][UNIQID]) , and had absolutely nothing to do with preventing worship (which can be done anywhere).

As the nation watches the Senate hearings for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barret ([link removed][UNIQID]) t ([link removed][UNIQID]) , we are hearing the same old rhetoric from the right, who have once again climbed onto their soapbox to protest (imagined) faith bashing. In actuality, not one single member of the other side has asked any questions nor made any statements regarding Judge Barrett’s faith. In fact, the only negative statement made regarding faith, or the lack thereof, was from Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) who said, “America’s secular cultural elites aren't sure that a faithful Christian can be entrusted with the law...they want blood.”
It is easy for the other side to label us as the boogeyman to their political whims with such a lack of understanding about who we are and what we believe in...equal rights and justice under the law for all, and the separation of religion and government. It is up to each and every one of us to change the narrative on what it means to be non-theist, which is what we are working on every day here at the Secular Coalition for America ([link removed][UNIQID]) .

It is time to rip the red letter A from our chests. I know that with your help, we will continue to make great in-roads in our fight for increased representation in government, and change the misconceptions about what we stand for that persist in our society.

To join us in our mission, please click the “I want to help!” button below. Every dollar goes to fighting for our shared secular values and is greatly appreciated. Also, you can check to see if your employer participates in a matching donation for non-profits program by clicking here ([link removed][UNIQID]) .
I want to help! ([link removed][UNIQID])

Please stay safe and healthy, and best regards,
Casey
Casey C. Brinck
Director of Policy & Government Affairs
Secular Coalition for America

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