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Dear Friend,
It’s Christmas Eve, and like you, I’ve received my fair share of “Merry Christmas” greetings mixed in with “Happy Holidays.”
That’s fine by me. I respond “Merry Christmas” back, and I mean it. As SCA and our members have shown through our My Secular Holiday campaign, nonbelievers aren’t at war with Christmas, Chanukah, or any other holiday celebration.
With that said, you and I know “Merry Christmas” reflects bigger issues facing our country and more importantly, our government.
America’s constitution was drafted to foster religious freedom—a protection so that I can say, without fear, “I’m an atheist and my family celebrates the holidays in a secular way,” just as my friends say, “We’re heading to Christmas Eve Mass tonight.”
To guarantee that freedom, our government isn’t supposed to pick sides. Our national motto—our Pledge of Allegiance—our Oath of Office—should not reflect a Judeo-Christian God. Elected officials should not indulge nor cite their personal beliefs as they draft, vote on, and implement policy. Judges should not reinterpret the Constitution to turn faith into a license to discriminate.
Yet that’s where we are.
Heading into 2020, we face another year under a Trump Administration that is actively undermining the secular foundation of our nation. Guided by the extreme religious right, they will treat next year as their last chance to pass laws, change regulations, and appoint judges that will reshape America into a theocracy.
We need to fight harder on every front—on Capitol Hill, at State Houses across the country, and perhaps most importantly, at the ballot box.
The Secular Coalition for America and our 19 member organizations continue to lead this work, and we need all the help we can get. If the holiday season has you feeling generous, please consider making a donation—whether it’s your first-ever gift or you’re already a recurring donor—to bolster our work in 2020.
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