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Thanksgiving Leftovers

On Thanksgiving weekend it’s good to remember that the holiday has always been a combination of religious and secular, but from the beginning the secular aspects have been winning. The early Puritans would designate days of thanksgiving when there was something to give thanks for, like a military victory. There would be a church service in the morning followed by a feast in the afternoon. In time a regular feast was held in late autumn, although not on Sunday so as not to conflict with church. Younger generations of Puritans began to de-emphasize the church part of the day.

As Puritans spread through the new country they took their thanksgiving tradition with them but in sharing it with non-Puritan neighbors they emphasized the food and family elements over their religious tradition. Abraham Lincoln established the national holiday we know in 1863 with an eye towards thankfulness for the Union’s growing success in the Civil War. Today the meal, the parade, the football, and the shopping have eclipsed the original religious aspects.

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Congress has a huge amount to do by the end of the year. It has to pass the budget for every federal agency, department, and program, and the two parties are not close on the overall numbers. It comes down to how much for the defense budget and then how much for all the domestic programs. Republicans now have the incentive to delay the process into next year when they will control the House and have more say in the priorities.

Also on the to-do list for December is passing the bill that strengthens the process for counting electoral votes which is currently determined by a badly written bill from 1887. The Respect for Marriage Act is also near final passage. It would codify into law the Supreme Court decision that requires each state to observe marriages that are legal in other states. The bill got enough votes to proceed to consideration in the Senate but next week Senator Lee (R-UT) will offer an amendment that adds provisions concerning religious freedom, same-sex marriages in churches, and other problematic issues that should be left out of the bill. If you haven't added your support for the bill you cando it here ([link removed]) .

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If you’re interested in a scholarly look at campaigning in churches, legal threats to the Johnson Amendment, and an idea for strengthening it, take a look at the latest article on our blog. ([link removed]) It’s well-researched, forward-looking, and it’s written by our intern, Jake. I’ve already sent it to a Hill office for their consideration.

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This Tuesday is now known as Giving Tuesday, which is when we give you the opportunity to help support us in our work. If you’re a regular reader here you have a pretty good idea what we do to support the equal rights of nonreligious Americans and fight for the separation of religion and government. If you’re not, I challenge you to find anyone who wrote a better letter to Mitch McConnell ([link removed]) on religious freedom and the Supreme Court than we did. If you can find one, send them a donation. If you can’t, our Donate button is right down below!

Scott MacConomy, Director of Policy ad Government Affairs at the Secular Coalition for America, wears a blue suit and stands with his arms crossed over his chest in front of the United States Capitol Building.

Your advocate,

Scott MacConomy
Director of Policy and Government Affairs
Secular Coalition for America
The Secular Coalition for America works every day to defend the separation of religion and government and to fight anti-democratic ideologies like Christian nationalism. Your support for this work is vital.

Donate to protect equal rights for nonreligious Americans! ([link removed])
P.S. Please consider leaving a legacy gift to the Secular Coalition for America ([link removed]) . The protection of our secular values requires eternal vigilance.

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