Resources Archives - American Atheists

New Report Forecasts Christian Nationalist Movement’s Strategic Actions in 2022

American Atheists — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 15:15:11 +0000

Washington D.C.—Today, the religious equality watchdog American Atheists sounded the alarm on Christian nationalists’ likely strategy for 2022. This warning draws on the large body of research and trends published today in the organization’s 2021 State of the Secular States report. Now in its fourth annual edition, this report provides the most comprehensive review ever of statewide laws and policies affecting church-state separation and religious equality in all 50 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. “Overall, 2021 was the worst state legislative session for civil rights in more than a decade,” said American Atheists’ Vice President of Legal and Policy Alison Gill, who authored the report. “Unless the media and advocates shine a light on white Christian nationalists’ unprecedented attacks on our democracy, this extremist movement’s momentum will only increase in 2022.” Based on the state legislative data from 2021, American Atheists anticipates the continuation of at least three dangerous trends: 1) a wave of harmful state-level Religious Freedom Restoration Acts (RFRAs), 2) denial of health care legislation, and 3) legislative attacks on public schools. From 2016 until 2020, not a single state RFRA became law. Public opinion was largely against RFRAs for targeting LGBTQ people’s rights. Last year, legislative activists took advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to rebrand RFRAs as necessary to “protect” churches from limitations on in-person gatherings. Yet these laws are virtually indistinguishable from those introduced in previous years—and just as discriminatory. In 2021, three states—Arkansas, South Dakota, and Montana—passed RFRAs. Since these bills succeeded, American Atheists forecasts attempts to pass even more RFRAs in 2022. Also in 2021, two states—Arkansas and Ohio—passed bills that allow hospital CEOs, hospital boards, employers, and even insurance companies to deny any health care service based on personal religious beliefs. In the past, state legislatures had passed denial of care bills that only focused on specific services, such as abortion or contraception. American Atheists anticipates a flurry of dangerously broad denial of care bills in 2022. The organization also predicts increasingly sophisticated legislative attacks on public schools. For example, hybrid bills that combine anti-trans youth policies with religious denials of health care have appeared. Similarly, Florida passed legislation focusing on “parental rights,” grouping together such disparate items as 1) preventing schools from requiring masking or vaccination 2) forcing teachers to “out” LGBTQ students to their parents and 3) preventing the teaching of any material of which a parent religiously disapproves. “White Christian nationalists may not physically attack the Capitol again, as on January 6. But the movement is assaulting the rights of atheists, racial and religious minorities, LGBTQ people, and many others with their extremist legislation,” said Nick Fish, president of American Atheists. “Now that we know their strategy, advocates, the media, and lawmakers must shine a light on these attempts to wield religion as a weapon. Our democracy is on the line.” View the full report at www.atheists.org/states or in pdf format. Image credit: lev radin / Shutterstock.com

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Nonreligious Young People Helped Put Biden in the White House. New Research Explores Who They Are.

American Atheists — Tue, 08 Dec 2020 15:00:50 +0000

Washington, D.C.—Today, the nonreligious advocacy organizations, American Atheists and the Secular Student Alliance, released The Tipping Point Generation: America’s Nonreligious Youth. The report, which draws on survey responses from nearly 34,000 nonreligious participants, including 3,421 nonreligious 18-24 year olds, provides an in-depth analysis of who nonreligious young people are, the issues they face, and their priorities. Nonreligious voters are likely the reason Joe Biden won the election, finds Ryan P. Burge, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Eastern Illinois University. And according to recent research from the Cooperative Congressional Election Study and the Barna Group, today’s 18-24 years olds are the most nonreligious generation in the history of the United States. The Tipping Point Generation explores this important and growing subset of young people, who overwhelmingly supported Joe Biden. “We are at a tipping point in this country. With nearly half of today’s young people religiously unaffiliated, the Religious Right’s hold on power is slipping away. Both the Democratic and Republican parties will have to adjust and increasingly appeal to nonreligious voters. To do so, they will need to understand who nonreligious young people are,” said Alison Gill, Vice President for Legal and Policy at American Atheists. The Tipping Point Generation report found that there was a high rate of political involvement among the nonreligious youth surveyed, with more than four in five (82.7%) being registered to vote. The top policy priorities identified by these nonreligious youth were maintaining secular public schools, protecting youth from religion-based harm, and protecting the environment and addressing climate change. The report also found that nonreligious young people face significant stigma and discrimination. 33.6% of participants faced discrimination in education, 20.8% in volunteer work, 20.4% in mental health services, 15.4% in employment, 13.3% in accessing public services, and 12.2% from public businesses. “Unless you consider the nonreligious aspect of Generation Z’s identity, as well as the discrimination these young people face, you cannot fully understand who they are and what we need to do in our society to help them,” said Kevin Bolling, Executive Director of the Secular Student Alliance. The report found different levels of discrimination according to an area’s level of religiosity. For example, nearly half (48.9%) of nonreligious young people surveyed faced education discrimination in very religious communities—concentrated in the South and the Midwest—compared to only one fifth in less religious communities, primarily located in the Pacific West and Northeast. “The religious oppression that nonreligious youth encounter in very religious communities has a lifelong impact and shapes who these youth are and how they think about religion,” added Gill. In very religious areas, nonreligious young people face an especially high level of family rejection, the report found. Among youth whose parents were aware of their beliefs, more than one third (37.5%) reported that their parents were somewhat or very unsupportive. In very religious communities, more than three quarters (77.9%) reported negative experiences with their families because of their nonreligious beliefs. Youth participants with very unsupportive parents were 45.4% more likely to screen positive for depression than those with very supportive parents. “To correctly serve his nonreligious youth constituents, Joe Biden must take into account their needs and priorities. Given […]

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Nearly Half of U.S. States Fail to Protect Religious Equality, American Atheists’ Report Finds

American Atheists — Tue, 07 Jan 2020 17:10:22 +0000

Washington, D.C.—Today, American Atheists released the 2019 State of the Secular States report. By assessing more than 40 categories of statewide laws and policy measures affecting religious equality in all 50 states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico, this study represents the most comprehensive analysis on the subject. The 2019 State of the Secular States report classifies states into three categories according to how well they protect religious equality. Only ten states, including California, New Jersey, and Nevada, were assessed as having strong protections for religious equality, such as constitutional guarantees for religious freedom, protections against religious harm, and few religious exemptions. “It’s surprising that just 20% of all U.S. states actively support religious equality by protecting residents from religious loopholes that allow discrimination against women, LGBTQ people, atheists, and religious minorities, as well as from harmful religious practices, such as conversion therapy, female genital mutilation, and forced child marriage,” said Alison Gill, American Atheists’ Vice President for Legal and Policy, who authored the report. “Even more alarming, 42% of states fail to provide the most basic level of religious equality.” Indeed, 21 states like Arkansas, Texas, and Florida have religious exemptions that undermine equality. These may include provisions that instill Christian Nationalism into the law and indicate a lack of explicit protections to ensure the separation of religion and government. Another 19 states, including Massachusetts, Iowa, and Michigan, ensure the basic separation of religion and government but provide few protections against religious harm. American Atheists’ report is being released as Christian Nationalists continue to pour resources into Project Blitz, a concerted legislative campaign to weaponize religion and undermine equality in state capitals across the country. In 2019, 10 Project Blitz-related bills were signed into law. “The 2019 State of the Secular States examines how Project Blitz affects state law and shows multiple opportunities where advocates and lawmakers can turn the tide,” said Gill. “Our report provides a roadmap to fight Christian Nationalism and promote religious equality. We hope that activists and legislators make use of this powerful resource in 2020 and beyond.”

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