Nick Fish, President of American Atheists: We are, at long last, just one day away from one of the most consequential elections of our lifetime. At the top of the ticket and, for many, top of mind is one of the closest presidential races in recent memory. Together, the consequentiality and closeness of this Election Day are cause for alarm and anxiety for many Americans. I’m sorry to say I can’t assuage all the concerns you might have about the outcome of this election. Anybody who claims to know with any certainty which party will win tomorrow (or in the following days or even weeks) is, at best, waging a guess based on their lived experience. All the available data indicates a statistical toss-up. What I can do for our team, our volunteers, and supporters like you is offer some reassurance: We aren’t going anywhere, no matter what. American Atheists is committed as ever to fighting for the rights, equality, and inclusion of our fellow atheists and all nonreligious Americans. And we won’t rest until our vision is realized: a truly pluralistic nation where religion and government are separate and in which all people can participate freely and fully without facing religiously motivated discrimination or stigma. I’ll admit my eternal optimism about the future of this organization may be a bit biased, but I’ve arrived at it for good reason. Look, I know very well our secular community and the values we share are already under threat. Having worked at American Atheists for over a decade now, my inbox is brimming with legal complaints from nonreligious folks facing discrimination, with daily pleas for assistance from atheists facing persecution around the world, and with news and our own Action Alerts about the myriad of state and federal policies that would codify religious beliefs into law. All of us are witnessing a tremendous and troubling surge of extremism in this country. It’s always been there, of course, but the Religious Right of today has more resources and reach than ever before. Still, I am optimistic. Because we Nones have grown to outnumber any other religious demographic. Because I have seen we can win in courts and legislatures around the country. And because I know this organization — and the larger secular community we’re a part of — is full of tireless activists and dedicated advocates working in all 50 states to protect and advance our rights. When lawmakers in Texas decided to allow chaplains in public schools, we rallied in opposition with a diverse coalition, and the vast majority of districts opted out. When a nonbeliever in West Virginia was forced to participate in religious activities as part of his parole conditions, we filed suit and won. And in Colorado, we helped pass the nation’s first comprehensive health care transparency law requiring religious hospitals to inform patients what services they refuse to provide. Regardless of the election’s outcome, this work will remain critically important, and we’re going to be here to do it. So long as there are groups like Alliance Defending Freedom, PragerU, and the Heritage Foundation, there will be a […]
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