Welcome to
Reads of Reason, a weekly compilation of news-clippings that relate to our work advocating for the equal rights of nonreligious Americas and the separation of religion and government. The last week has seen headlines dominated by tragic losses and Christian nationalism. Here are some stories you may have missed:
While the
separation of church and state is constitutionally promised in the
First Amendment, there is a part of the United States’ population that views America as a “Christian nation.” Decades of efforts by those very people have made the government less secular. History professor
David Sehat writes,
What the end of Roe signals about the rise of Christian power (May 23, 2022; 4 minute read) in
The Washington Post, providing some context for how we got to where we are. [
Note: This article may be behind a paywall.]
Alarmingly, for Americans who believe the country should be declared a “Christian nation,” the right to own guns is considered more important than others defined in the
Bill of Rights. Highlighting original research,
Samuel L. Perry says that
School Shootings Confirm That Guns Are the Religion of the Right (May 25, 2022; 4 minute read) in
Time. In the wake of another school shooting in
Uvalde, TX, Perry’s work deserves a read. His previous research — published in 2018 — done with
Andrew L. Whitehead and
Landon Schnabel, is available free:
Gun Control in the Crosshairs: Christian Nationalism and Opposition to Stricter Gun Laws (15+ minute read).
Meanwhile, Catholic Americans who love their guns may find themselves at odds with their religious leadership:
Pope Francis and a cardinal say it's time for the U.S. to act on guns (May 25, 2022; 1 minute read).
Bill Chappell at
NPR notes this message comes after 27 school shootings so far this year — we are only 21 weeks into 2022.
School shootings aren’t the only incidents of mass gun violence that have terrorized the nation recently. The racist attack on a grocery store in
Buffalo, NY has brought “
replacement theory” into the spotlight. Researchers at the
Public Religion Research Institute have found that
Belief in ‘The Great Replacement’ Is Not Fringe Among Conservatives (May 25, 2022; 2 minute read).
Which makes the
Troubling growth of Christian nationalism on display in the pulpit, on the campaign trail (May 25, 2022; 2 minute read) important to keep an eye on.
Don Byrd talks about
Pastor Greg Locke and the
IRS, the Georgia gubernatorial hopeful
Kandiss Taylor (who is refusing to concede in her primary loss), and Pennsylvania state senator and gubernatorial hopeful
Doug Mastriano in this
Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty article.
The current religiopolitical situation has left many, including
Anya Overmann — President of
Young Humanists International — wanting.
Government without gods: Where are the nonreligious public servants? (May 25, 2022; 6 minute read) she asks over at
OnlySky. Unwelcome by the public is one answer.
