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 can do it here. 

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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.  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 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!