Dear Friend,
Call me an optimist, but I still believe a democracy — one with robust civic engagement and a strong civil society — can withstand even extreme disagreements. Call me a cynic, but when a government starts deciding which voices are protected and which are punished, that is a democracy in decline — or worse.
At American Atheists, we’re realists. And the sober reality is that in our nation’s 250th year of independence, we find ourselves somewhere in between.
You don’t have to take my word for it. In the last decade, and especially over this past year, multiple international indices have downgraded the U.S. from a full democracy to something less: a flawed democracy, an anocracy, an electoral autocracy, or a competitive authoritarian regime. 72% of Americans believe the U.S. is no longer “a good example of democracy.”
The labels differ, but the direction we’re heading doesn’t. A consistent canary for democratic backsliding is when those in power draw a line between who’s protected and who’s punished. White Christian nationalists have done just that. So, this is a precarious moment — one that demands civil rights organizations like ours be ever vigilant, always agile, and ready to respond. We are.
This week, we issued a statement calling for the Senate to rein in the Department of Homeland Security, which is increasingly operating far beyond the bounds of the U.S. Constitution — including using militarized and even lethal force against civilians; illegally detaining asylees, some of whom have fled religious persecution; and using white Christian nationalist rhetoric to justify its unlawful conduct. Yesterday, we learned federal agents with the Department of Justice arrested two journalists for documenting an immigration protest at a Minneapolis church, reframing both the assembly (which was organized by a Reverend, also arrested) and the reporters’ coverage of it as an ‘anti-Christian attack on a place of worship.’
This is a regime otherizing entire communities, criminalizing certain viewpoints, and curbing liberties all under the guise of “security.” We’ve seen this before. When repression is wrapped in religious language, we should be clear-eyed that atheists, nonreligious Americans, and religious minorities will never be on the “protected” side.
That’s why American Atheists is fighting so hard to safeguard fundamental rights in state legislatures across the country. Our Policy Team is tracking over 1,200 bills and submitting testimony on behalf of members like you every day.
>> Our Virginia Secular Advocacy Team helped ensure voters there will have the chance to approve constitutional amendments safeguarding marriage equality and reproductive healthcare — rights that religious extremists are trying to strip away.
>> In Florida, our tenacious Assistant State Director was in Tallahassee calling out state leaders for their religious hypocrisy.
>> Next week in Nebraska, we’ll be opposing LB1071, an attempt to funnel millions in state funds to private, mostly religious schools despite voters’ decisive rejection of voucher schemes.
>> We’re also working nationwide to defend the separation of church and state, stand up for nonreligious families, and ensure no more public dollars are diverted to unaccountable, discriminatory religious schools. The law is clear: Our governments must never favor one religion or compel the rest of us to pay for it.
Whether it’s detaining journalists through “law enforcement” or dismantling public education through lawmaking, all of the above is part of the same anti-democratic project that picks which belief systems get subsidized and which get squashed. It’s how white Christian nationalists intend to enforce the line they’ve drawn between themselves and everyone else.
A government confident in its legitimacy doesn’t fear protest, the press, or public input. Liberal democracies, like the one the U.S. founders envisioned, celebrate pluralism and protect dissent. Illiberal, authoritarian, and theocratic regimes punish them. But doing so isn’t a sign of strength so much as it is an indication of weakness — the desperate act of a government trying to cling to power as cracks widen and its grip on power begins to slip.
We people of conscience must continue resisting the would-be theocrats and authoritarians, exercising our First Amendment rights in the streets and our collective power in state legislatures. Because it’s working. Together, we are making an impact. But in a pivotal moment like this, when our Muslim neighbors are already being targeted, we atheists can’t assume we’re protected. We need to organize as if we’re not.
To ensure our staff and volunteers can sustain this momentum — at a time when we cannot afford to slow down — I hope you’ll give an urgent one-time gift of $25, $45, or $100 today.
In solidarity,
Nick Fish
President
American Atheists is a 501(c)(3) non-partisan, nonprofit educational organization that relies on the support of members like you. Contributions are tax-deductible. Our Federal Tax ID Number is 74-2466507.
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