Friend:

After working from the Southwest for most of the past two months (with a few much-needed breaks to spend time with family), I’m back in Washington, D.C. Returning to the nation’s capital was a sobering reminder that the beginning of a new Supreme Court session in October and the November midterm elections are right around the corner.

Too many people are just now becoming aware that the separation of church and state is a critical pillar of our democracy. This foundational American principle ensures that we are all treated equally under the law and have the freedom to live as ourselves and believe as we choose. Without it, our democracy crumbles along with all the rights and freedoms we hold dear.

We’re learning more about this connection, especially as it relates to Christian nationalism. The goal of Christian nationalism is to ensure that anyone who is not among the chosen cannot fully participate in public life. One of the leading experts on this ideology studied the link between “Christian nationalism and anti-democratic attitudes” and the conclusion is, as he put it, “stunning.” Those who embrace Christian nationalism most strongly are more likely to:

• believe that it’s “too easy to vote” in America;
• support “hypothetical policies that exclude those who could not pass a basic civics test from voting;” and
• deny that “voter suppression” is a problem.

Put simply, the separation of church and state is critical to the equality that our democracy promises, but that Christian nationalists reject. I highlighted several of their attacks during a recent interview with the four stellar hosts of the “We Dissent” podcast; I hope you’ll check it out.

If there’s a silver lining to these existential threats to our democracy, it’s that the white Christian nationalist crusade for their own religious privilege is alienating people and generating momentum for our movement. The majority of Americans want true religious freedom for all, not religious privilege for a chosen few. They want freedom without favor and equality without exception. And they’re realizing they want—they need—the separation of church and state now more than ever.

We need to clarify for our friends and family the connection between a strong, healthy democracy and a strong, healthy separation between church and state. I’d love to hear your thoughts here. How would you convince a friend that the separation of church and state is integral to our democracy?

With your support, we are preparing to launch a campaign for a national recommitment to the separation of church and state. Religious extremists started this fight, but we have every intention of winning it. We must—our democracy is at stake.

With hope and determination,

Rachel K. Laser
President and CEO