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Friends,
One time a year, we gather as many secular Americans as possible in Washington D.C. for a show of force.
Last week that annual tradition took another step forward, and our community made its mark on Capitol Hill.
We heard from four members of the Congressional Freethought Caucus, including co-founders and chairs, Representatives Jared Huffman and Jamie Raskin, and met with nearly 100 lawmakers and staff.
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Most importantly, we fought for a government where policy is driven by evidence, research, and fact rather than religious belief.
To drive that point home, we awarded Rita Swan with the 2019 Herb Silverman Lifetime Achievement Award. Swan and her husband lost their son in 1977 because of their faith in Christian Science, and subsequently left the church to become advocates for the rights of children to medical care.
In total, Swan helped repeal religious exemptions from child neglect laws in nine states and prevented exemptions from being enacted in several others. Her powerful story reinforces the painful, sometimes deadly impact that "faith healing" and pseudoscience can have, as well as how resilience in the face of tragedy can drive powerful, systemic change.
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With Rita's strength and courage in mind, we focused on two critical initiatives:
- Increasing access to secular addiction recovery options; and
- Building support for H. Res. 512, which calls for the global repeal of blasphemy, heresy, and apostasy laws.
Barry Grant, a former addict now serving as Director of Outpatient Programs for the Hope House Treatment Center in Crownsville, MD, put what was at stake in personal terms. Grant rejected a faith-based 12 step program, fought for an alternative secular program that fit his individual needs, and now fights to ensure others can have that same life-altering experience.
Congressman Raskin, the sponsor of H. Res. 512, said best why our efforts on Capitol Hill were so important in his speech to our community:
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"Our own anti-blasphemy, anti-heresy principles in our Constitution have been hard-won…this is what America really has to offer the rest of the world. It is bipartisan and we should be able to get everybody to agree on this.”
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We took his words to heart and made our voices heard.
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Lawmakers already hear from us every single day on secular issues. But taking the time to gather at the Capitol and unify around two major causes that need urgent attention—the opioid epidemic at home and increased religious and nontheist persecution abroad—makes our moral values clear to lawmakers and puts our growing political power on display.
We need to keep up the pressure on these issues, and many more, moving forward. We can't do that without your help.
If you share the belief that America was founded on secular values and it needs a government, politicians, and policies that reflect that reality, take a minute to support the Secular Coalition for America.
We are so very proud to represent our 19 member organizations and the broader nonreligious community in Washington, D.C. Your voice, whether it's through phone calls and letters to Congress, direct lobbying at home or on Capitol Hill, volunteer work, or a donation, continues to make an positive impact on our communities and our government.
Thank you for everything you do to support our work.
Sincerely,
Debbie Allen
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