Statements Archives - American Atheists

American Atheists Celebrates Restoration of Religious Freedom Protections for Recipients of Federally Funded Social Services

American Atheists — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 13:30:24 +0000

Washington, D.C. – Today, American Atheists praised the Biden Administration for its issuance of final rules restoring critical religious equality and civil rights protections for millions of Americans who receive government-funded social services. “The Biden administration has taken a vital step towards fulfilling its promise – and this nation’s promise – of equality under the law regardless of one’s religious or nonreligious beliefs,” said Alison Gill, Vice President of Legal and Policy at American Atheists. “I am pleased to see leaders in Washington re-prioritizing Americans in need, and protecting their constitutional rights over the interests of faith-based entities that receive millions of taxpayer dollars every year.” The final rules rescind and replace harmful Trump-era policies that undermined Americans’ constitutional rights and stripped away much-needed safeguards against religious-based discrimination. In 2021, American Atheists constituents submitted nearly 25,000 comments opposing the Trump administration’s changes, and the organization joined a broad coalition of civil rights and religious equality advocacy groups that filed suit to stop their implementation. Gill noted, “The previous administration’s rules not only undermined Americans’ constitutional rights but also made it unnecessarily burdensome for some of nation’s most vulnerable populations to access essential, taxpayer-funded programs and services – from shelters for the unhoused and survivors of domestic violence to food banks, job training, education programs, and elder care.” In 2023, American Atheists submitted comments in support of the regulations proposed by the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships and offered amendments to further strengthen nondiscrimination protections for nonreligious Americans, writing, “American Atheists believes that government programs should be inclusive and accessible to people regardless of their religious beliefs or lack thereof.” Jointly issued by nine federal agencies, the final rules will require government-funded social service providers to inform beneficiaries of their legal rights to be free from religious-based discrimination and forced participation in prayer or other religious programming. “We are relieved and grateful the Biden administration has affirmed that religion is not a license to discriminate,” said Nick Fish, President of American Atheists. “Whether they are faith-based or not, any organization that receives taxpayer dollars should never be in the business of discriminating, denying care, or forcing Americans to participate in religious programming in order to access essential services to which they are entitled.” The final rules will take effect on April 3, 2024.

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Atheists Urge Supreme Court to Protect Free Speech Rights on Social Media

American Atheists — Thu, 06 Jul 2023 16:48:55 +0000

Washington, D.C.—The nonreligious civil rights watchdog organization American Atheists is urging the Supreme Court to protect the free speech rights of atheists—and all Americans—to challenge Christian nationalist lawmakers and other government officials on social media. “Atheists are the most politically active group in America, and we have just as much of a right to challenge Christian nationalist lawmakers online as we do in person,” said Geoffrey T. Blackwell, Litigation Counsel for American Atheists. “Yet time and time again, government officials deny us our freedom of speech when they block us from their official social media accounts or delete our comments challenging their views.” More specifically, American Atheists is asking the Justices to establish a clear standard for determining whether a government official’s social media posts are personal or governmental, as the organization laid out in its amicus brief on Lindke v. Freed. The lower-level circuit court rulings are contradictory and have established different criteria for when to consider social media posts private or official, the brief explains. Currently, American Atheists and other free-speech defenders, as well as government officials themselves, must go through burdensome litigation to know whether a post creates an official government forum for free speech purposes or not. “People should be able to know, when they speak, whether or not that speech is protected by the First Amendment,” said Blackwell, who wrote the amicus brief. “The current situation is confusing, unworkable, and chills free speech.” In 2016, American Atheists filed a free speech lawsuit against Bradley County, Tennessee, and the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff told a local newspaper that he planned to use his position as sheriff to proselytize. After the sheriff’s office posted the newspaper article on its governmental Facebook page, commenters began criticizing the sheriff’s statements. The sheriff and employees of the department began blocking critics and deleting negative comments while keeping favorable comments on the Facebook page. Ultimately, Bradley County agreed to settle the lawsuit, paying a total of $15,000 in damages to American Atheists and the local plaintiffs, Joshua Stevens and Jane Doe, for interfering with their right to freedom of speech, as well as $26,000 in attorney’s fees. In 2019, American Atheists filed another free speech lawsuit, this time against Christian nationalist lawmaker Jason Rapert, an Arkansas state senator at the time. The organization represented its members in Arkansas, including four individual plaintiffs, whom Rapert unconstitutionally blocked from his official Facebook and Twitter accounts after they criticized his positions on several issues, including abortion and government endorsements of Christianity. In 2022, American Atheists announced a successful settlement against Rapert. As part of the agreement, the state of Arkansas paid American Atheists more than $16,000, and Rapert was forced to immediately unblock the plaintiffs from his official social media accounts. “Blocking atheists from official government forums created on social media is discrimination, pure and simple,” said Alison Gill, Vice President for Legal and Policy at American Atheists. “When officials use their social media to conduct government business and create forums to receive feedback from constituents, those forums must be open to everyone, not just those who agree with the officials’ religion […]

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Atheists: Supreme Court’s 303 Creative Ruling Uses Fabricated Case to Allow Religious Bigotry Against LGBTQ People

American Atheists — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 15:43:55 +0000

Washington, DC—Today, the religious equality organization American Atheists condemned the Supreme Court’s 6–3 ruling in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, allowing a designer to discriminate against same-sex couples in the creation and sale of wedding websites. “This disastrous decision puts business owners’ religious beliefs above the basic human dignity of LGBTQ people and other vulnerable groups,” said Geoffrey T. Blackwell, Litigation Counsel for American Atheists. “Fifty years ago, the Court rejected the argument that the free speech rights of bigots trump nondiscrimination laws,” added Blackwell, referencing the 1976 case, Runyon v. McCrary, which upheld civil rights laws prohibiting racial discrimination. “Protections against racial, religious, and gender discrimination are all at grave risk after today’s decision. This corrupt Court is dismantling decades of hard-won advances.” The plaintiff in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, Lorie Smith, is a would-be wedding website designer from Colorado. She claimed she would face punishment for her opposition to gay marriage because the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act requires that her business, a public accommodation, provide the same services to all people and treat all couples with the same level of dignity and respect. American Atheists joined the Freedom From Religion Foundation, the Center for Inquiry, and the American Humanist Association in an amicus brief to the Supreme Court. The organizations pointed out that the plaintiff had never actually designed wedding websites nor been subject to sanctions under the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act, and therefore did not have standing to sue. On Thursday, June 29, Melissa Gira Grant at the New Republic reported that this lawsuit is even more problematic. Smith claimed that a same-sex couple, “Stewart” and “Mike,” had requested her services via an inquiry form. Yet as Grant found, the “Stewart” in question said he never submitted the inquiry form and was married to a woman at the time. “Somebody’s using false information in a Supreme Court filing document,” he told her. “The 303 Creative case is built off a pack of lies. It was manufactured by the Religious Right for the express purpose of allowing widespread discrimination against LGBTQ people,” said Nick Fish, president of American Atheists. “This out-of-control Supreme Court has once again ignored the facts of a case and decades of precedent to do the bidding of its white Christian nationalist backers.” In last year’s Kennedy v. Bremerton decision, the six religious extremist Justices similarly disregarded the facts of the case in order to arrive at their preferred conclusion. The majority opinion claimed that the plaintiff Kennedy, a Washington State football coach, had engaged in a “quiet, personal prayer.” In her dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor included pictures of Kennedy preaching to students following a game. “The six conservative Justices keep showing that they’re less interested in upholding the law than acting as Christian nationalist politicians,” added Fish. “The Supreme Court is fundamentally broken. The only way to fix this problem is to reform and expand the Court.”

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Atheists: Supreme Court Again Widens Gulf Between Rights of Religious and Nonreligious Workers

American Atheists — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 16:05:54 +0000

Washington, D.C.—Today, the religious equality organization American Atheists criticized the Supreme Court’s decision in Groff v. DeJoy for siding with a religious litigant while ignoring how religious “accommodations” will impact others in the workplace, particularly the nonreligious. “While today’s decision doesn’t give religious employees carte blanche in the workplace, it certainly continues this Court’s recent practice of expanding loopholes, accommodations, and ‘rights’ for the religious while shifting more burdens onto atheists, humanists, and the nonreligious,” said Geoffrey T. Blackwell, Litigation Counsel at American Atheists. “With the number of nonreligious Americans in the workplace on the rise, the idea that the government can force a business to favor religious employees over their nonreligious coworkers is deeply troubling.” The plaintiff in Groff v. DeJoy, Gerald Groff, is a former employee of the U.S. Postal Service who was hired specifically to work evening, weekend, and holiday shifts. He later refused to work Sunday shifts, citing his Christian beliefs. Management made every attempt to accommodate his wishes in his four-person post office. However, after an employee was injured and a replacement could not be found, Groff began skipping those shifts entirely, forcing his coworkers to pick up the slack. After being disciplined, he resigned and sued USPS in federal court, arguing the Postal Service refused to provide “reasonable accommodations” for his religious beliefs. American Atheists joined the Center for Inquiry in an amicus brief to the Supreme Court. The organizations made four key arguments. First, giving Groff a religious exemption that forces his co-workers to bear the brunt of his absence would be unconstitutional. Second, weekends are vital to the health and lives of all Americans, and religious workers should not receive priority. Third, forcing only nonreligious employees to carry the burden of religious accommodations is discriminatory and unfair. Finally, giving automatic priority to religious claims in the workplace is unworkable and rife for abuse. Nonreligious people already face heightened rates of stigma and discrimination in the workplace. A national survey of nearly 34,000 nonreligious Americans found that one in five (21.7%) has experienced employment discrimination because of their nonreligious beliefs. “For the past few years, the Supreme Court has been experiencing a legitimacy crisis. Americans are increasingly questioning why Christian extremists are allowed to remake society in their image,” said Nick Fish, president of American Atheists. “And while today’s decision was not the complete victory hoped for by the Christian nationalist groups who funded this litigation, it is yet another example of how our legal system is willing to give special treatment to one class of people, the religious, at the expense of equality.” “Ultimately, today’s decision means that employers, facing uncertainty around costly litigation and a Court that seems willing to side with any Christian litigant who comes to them with a grievance, will have to grant more religious ‘accommodations’ that will increase costs, disrupt their workplace, and shift burdens onto nonreligious members of their teams,” added Fish.

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American Atheists Praises Biden Administration for Protecting Public School Students’ Religious Freedom

American Atheists — Mon, 15 May 2023 22:14:21 +0000

Washington, DC—Today, the civil rights organization American Atheists praised the Biden Administration for working to protect the religious freedom of families whose children are in the public school system. The Department of Education released guidance instructing school staff to refrain from praying with students. “Time and time again, Christian nationalists have shown that they want to transform our public schools into indoctrination centers. The wave of state bills this legislative session injecting religion into schools are an attack on the religious freedom of both students and parents,” said Alison Gill, Vice President for Legal and Policy. “The Biden Administration’s guidance is very much needed. It will help to protect public school students from unwanted religious indoctrination.” The Biden Administration released this guidance following the 2022 Supreme Court decision in Kennedy v. Bremerton. According to the Supreme Court’s majority decision, a coach gave a short, quiet, personal prayer at the end of a football game while students were otherwise occupied. As such, the Kennedy decision is limited to this narrow situation. Nonetheless, some Christian nationalists and their lawmaker allies have incorrectly claimed that Kennedy allows teachers to indoctrinate students in conservative Christianity. The Department of Education guidance clarifies that such efforts are wrong and remain unconstitutional. “We’d like to thank the Biden Administration for standing with families of all religions and none,” added Gill. “Public schools are for education, not religious indoctrination.” “We all see through Christian nationalists’ lies. They constantly scream ‘indoctrination’ whenever LGBTQ students affirm who they are. Yet they are actively seeking to indoctrinate students in their hateful ideology,” said Nick Fish, president of American Atheists. “The Biden Administration’s guidance protects families from Christian nationalists’ hypocritical attempts to foster coercive religious exercise in schools.”

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American Atheists Announces Acquisition of OnlySky Media

American Atheists — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 14:00:00 +0000

Cranford, NJ — Today the national civil rights organization American Atheists announced the acquisition of OnlySky Media, a digital media platform dedicated to protecting America’s secular democracy through journalism, storytelling, and commentary. Launched in 2022, OnlySky Media brought together more than 100 atheist, humanist, and other secular writers from diverse backgrounds and perspectives to tell the stories of the fastest growing religious demographic in the United States: the nonreligious. “American Atheists has supported OnlySky’s vital work from launch,” said Nick Fish, president of American Atheists. “Telling the stories of the people who make up our community is the single most impactful way for us to end stigma, fight harmful stereotypes, and build long-term political power. We are excited about the opportunity to continue telling those stories.” Over the coming months, American Atheists and OnlySky Media leadership, including Chief Content Officer Dale McGowan and Chief Impact Officer Sarah Levin, will be meeting with writers, subscribers, and other stakeholders to plan the next phase of OnlySky Media’s journey — now as a nonprofit, while continuing to focus on impactful, mission-driven storytelling with purpose. “American Atheists is a natural partner for OnlySky,” said McGowan. “We both believe that it’s vital to embrace the diversity of this community, along with our shared values, to build a better world today—and for those who come after us.” McGowan will continue to oversee content from OnlySky Media writers and creators, including podcasts from Sasha Sagan (Strange Customs with Sasha Sagan) and Dr. Anthony Pinn (Pinn Drop with Anthony Pinn). “I’ve worked with the team at American Atheists for almost a decade and am thrilled to continue that partnership now with OnlySky,” said Levin. “As an advocate, an activist, and an organizer, I know how important stories are when we’re trying to get things done. And that’s what American Atheists is focused on: getting things done for our community.” “I’m pleased that OnlySky will continue its work under the American Atheists umbrella, one of the most effective voices for atheists, agnostics, and the nonreligious in the nation,” said Shawn Hardin, founder and former Chief Executive Officer of OnlySky Media. “I look forward to continuing to advise the team through this transition period, building on our successes, and seeing what comes next.”

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Atheists Decry Federal Judge’s Outrageous Decision to Mandate Religious Exemptions for School Vaccination

American Atheists — Wed, 19 Apr 2023 18:23:02 +0000

Jackson, MS—This week, Judge Halil Suleyman “Sul” Ozerden of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi legislated from the bench, creating a religious exemption from Mississippi’s long standing requirement that children receive certain routine vaccines in order to attend public schools. “States like Mississippi that do not allow a religious exemption to school vaccination laws are among those with the highest rates of vaccination in the country,” said Alison Gill, Vice President for Legal and Policy at American Atheists. “Judge Ozerden has put children at risk in the state of Mississippi by mandating deference to dangerous religious beliefs.” In Tandon v. Newsom, South Bay Pentecostal Church v. Newsom, and Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, the Supreme Court’s conservative Justices carved out new religious exemptions in the law, creating a “most-favored nation” rule for religion. According to this principle, whenever any exemption whatsoever is made in a law or policy, that exemption must also be extended to religion. Similarly, in the Mississippi case, Judge Ozerden ruled that because of the existence of a medical exemption, a religious exemption must also exist. “This Mississippi case is a stunning example of where the Supreme Court’s recent vague and unworkable rulings regarding religious exemptions have taken us,” added Gill. “It’s absurd to think that the mere lack of a religious exemption violates the rights of religious people. That’s what the plaintiffs successfully argued, and it will lead to abuse and unfairness in other areas of the law.” Mississippi, California, Connecticut, Maine, New York, and West Virginia are the six states that, up until this week, have not offered a religious exemption from vaccine mandates. As a result of this and similar rulings, those protections are under threat. “In order to have a functional society, states must be able to set rules that apply to everyone, regardless of whether or not they are religious,” said Nick Fish, President of American Atheists. “Religious extremist rulings endanger public school vaccine requirements in states throughout the country, including in progressive states like California and New York. Children will be at risk for disease like never before—and it’s the fault of the Supreme Court and activist judges.” Image by James Case under CC BY 2.0

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National Atheist Convention in Phoenix Fights Christian Nationalism and Feeds the Hungry

American Atheists — Fri, 31 Mar 2023 16:42:46 +0000

Phoenix, AZ—On Easter weekend, April 6–9, hundreds of atheists will gather in Phoenix for the 2023 American Atheists National Convention. The event will focus on supporting atheist activism, serving local communities, and fighting back against the rising threat of Christian nationalism, especially in states like Arizona. American Atheists is pleased to welcome two nationally recognized experts on the threat of Christian nationalism: Dr. Bradley Onishi and Andrew Seidel. Onishi is the author of Preparing for War: The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism—and What Comes Next and also co-hosts one of the most listened-to religion and politics podcasts in the country: Straight White American Jesus. Seidel, a renowned constitutional lawyer, recently released American Crusade: How the Supreme Court Is Weaponizing Religious Freedom. “Arizona has a Christian nationalism problem, and we must work together to stop it,” said Jeanne Casteen, Secular Coalition for Arizona’s executive director. “We are pleased that the American Atheists National Convention is coming to Phoenix. This is an opportunity to strengthen our movement.” Many Arizona politicians have embraced white Christian nationalism. In February 2022, Christian extremist State Senator Wendy Rogers spoke at a white supremacist event. In November, failed gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake welcomed Rogers on the campaign trail. Before losing her election, Lake compared her supporters to Jesus. Following her loss, her supporters reenacted the biblical Battle of Jericho, blowing horns as they marched around the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center in Phoenix. “Our 2023 National Convention will energize and empower atheists from Phoenix and all across our country to come together and take action,” said Nick Fish, president of American Atheists. “In Phoenix and elsewhere, Christian nationalists want to force their theocratic vision on everyone. We cannot allow them to succeed.” American Atheists’ convention will include activist workshops and training sessions, plenary talks, and panels focused on a range of issues confronting Arizonans, including threats to public education, abortion access, and LGBTQ equality. Speakers include Arizona State Senator Juan Mendez and Arizona State Representatives Athena Salman and Stephanie Stahl-Hamilton, who have dealt with Christian nationalism first hand in the Arizona State Legislature. On the last day of the convention, Easter Sunday, attendees will come together for the “Two Hands Working” Service Project. This volunteer project is named after Madalyn Murray O’Hair’s famous quote, “Two hands working can do more than a thousand clasped in prayer.” During the event, attendees will pack 25,000 meals for people in need in the Phoenix area. Tickets are available at the door. Area residents can receive a special discounted admission rate of $99 for the weekend. For more information, visit convention.atheists.org. Journalists and photographers interested in attending the event are encouraged to contact Tom Van Denburgh for press passes at tvandenburgh@atheists.org.

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American Atheists’ Statement on NYC Mayor Adams

American Atheists — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 00:26:50 +0000

In response to comments at an interfaith gathering today by New York City Mayor Eric Adams and his advisor Ingrid Lewis-Martin attacking church-state separation and denigrating the nonreligious, American Atheists President Nick Fish released the following statement: The separation of church and state protects the rights of Christians, Buddhists, Jews, Hindus, and atheists alike. Over the past few years, Christian nationalist politicians and Supreme Court Justices have increasingly undermined this important principle, forcing their personal religion on all Americans. Mayor Adams’ comments today were indistinguishable from those of the extremists who struck down Roe v. Wade and are working to ban abortion in states across the country, dehumanize and threaten our LGBTQ friends and loved ones, and treat religious minorities — including the nonreligious — like second-class citizens. Mayor Adams’ and Ms. Lewis-Martin’s apparent views about church-state separation are dramatically out of step with the views of the overwhelming majority of Americans. Blaming nonreligious people and increasing secularization for issues ranging from increased crime to low student test scores is an insult to the millions of nonreligious New Yorkers Mayor Adams claims to represent. And for Mayor Adams to claim that government-mandated, coercive prayer is necessary in our public schools to prevent mass shootings is an intolerable statement from any elected official. Mayor Adams should issue an immediate apology and make himself available to meet with representatives from the atheist community. He leads one of the most diverse cities in the nation — he should start acting like it. Image by Metropolitan Transportation Authority under CC BY 2.0.

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Statement from American Atheists Board Chair Regarding Board Member Mandisa Thomas

American Atheists — Mon, 19 Dec 2022 21:52:20 +0000

Today, American Atheists Board Chairperson Jennifer Scott released the following statement: The American Atheists Board of Directors has been made aware of concerns raised in a public letter by former members and affiliates of Black Nonbelievers regarding the conduct of BN founder and president, and American Atheists board member, Mandisa Thomas. In keeping with our internal policies, our board ethics committee and members of leadership have begun the process of reaching out to those individuals and to Ms. Thomas. We take these concerns seriously and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment for our more than 200 affiliates nationwide, including groups representing Black atheists. If anyone has concerns about the conduct of our board members, leadership, staff, or volunteers, I encourage them to reach out to me directly (jenscott@atheists.org) or to the chair of our ethics committee, Kathleen Johnson (kjohnson@atheists.org).

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