The leaders of four of the largest non-theistic groups in the country (American Atheists, the American Humanist Association, the Center for Inquiry, and the Secular Coalition for America) are condemning the Trump administration for lack of outreach to their communities. They openly expressed their condemnation to the 45th president of the US and its administration, which treats them as the citizens of the second order. The four leaders also pointed out that almost 5 months later, they still don’t have any response to their joint letter to the White House which is welcoming Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States.
They made this letter public for the first time and the part of it reads:
“The purpose of this letter is to inform you of the changing demographics in the United States and to introduce you to the nontheistic community… Today, 25% - fully one-quarter of Americans – do not identify with any religion…
We seek to stress the importance of including religiously unaffiliated Americans in the policy making process and offer our organizations as a resource to you and your Administration.”
In closing, the four signatory organizations urge President Trump to call upon them as a resource so they can work together to "ensure religious freedom and inclusion for all Americans throughout your tenure as President of the United States."
Nontheists issue joint statements calling for dialogue with Trump Administration which says:
“After nearly five months, the White House has yet to respond to the letter or offer any formal recognition to the one-quarter of Americans who identify as nonreligious. Over the same time period, the Trump Administration has pursued a policy agenda that blatantly privileges religion and is overtly hostile to the separation of church and state. These actions include: issuing an Executive Order calling for the IRS to relax the ban on churches engaging in electoral politics, instituting a religiously-discriminatory travel ban, appointing an Attorney General who explicitly slandered secular Americans during his confirmation hearing, and, as recently as Wednesday, repeating a frequently used campaign talking point that implies patriotism requires belief in a God.
Because of these policies and continued incendiary rhetoric, the four signatories to the letter are again calling on the White House to meet with them and speak to the concerns of nonreligious Americans, the single largest "religious group" in the United States.”
President of American Atheists, David Silverman’s statement, signed on to the letter, reads:
"Despite divisive campaign rhetoric, many humanists were willing to give President Trump a chance to establish an inclusive Administration, but his refusal to meet with the nontheistic community and his administration's open hostility to the separation of religion and government is profoundly disturbing. President Trump holds an office that isn't a platform for promoting a particular faith and he has an obligation to represent all Americans."
Photo Credits: Dutch Review
