AHA Moves Headquarters to U.S.’s Most Religious City
Nashville, TN This post appeared in our 2015 April Fools’ Day edition.
The American Humanist Association announced today that it would be moving its headquarters from Washington, DC, to Nashville, Tennessee, which the Public Religion Research Institute reported to be the most religious metro area in the United States.
Leadership at the American Humanist Association expressed optimism that relocating would bring the positive message of humanism to a city known as “the buckle of the Bible Belt.”
“Since Nashville is home to some of the largest Christian businesses, it has the greatest need for a strong, secular voice,” said Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the American Humanist Association. “If we’re going to encourage godlessness in America, we need to go directly into the hub of the religious right.”
Only fifteen percent of Nashville’s population reports no religious affiliation, while the largest percentage of the city’s residents identify as evangelical Protestants. The city is also the headquarters of the Christian music and publishing industries. By relocating to the country’s most religious city, the AHA expects that it will better be able to fulfill its core mission of promoting separation of church and state, raising awareness about discrimination against nontheists, and generally irritating self-righteous Christian fundamentalists.
Staff members expressed mixed feelings about transferring to Nashville.
“I’m really looking forward to the lower cost of living, but I’m afraid that all the country music is going to drive me crazy after a while,” said Rachael Berman, AHA’s grassroots and celebrant program coordinator.
“I eat at Lauriol Plaza for lunch every day. Where am I going to eat now?” bemoaned Maggie Ardiente, AHA’s director of development and communications, referring to the popular Mexican restaurant directly across the street from the AHA’s current office in Washington DC.
“They just legalized weed in the District and we’re leaving?!” shouted a middle-aged guy in a bathrobe coming out of the conference room carrying a pillow and a toothbrush. No one on staff was sure who he was or what he was doing there.
The move will take place later in the spring. The AHA’s first order of business in its new location will be to advocate for the repeal of a statute that prevent atheists in Tennessee from holding public office.