Tell Your Representative to Join the Congressional Freethought Caucus
With fifteen ballots to elect a Speaker, the 118th Congress rolled out to an interesting start. In this new Congress, the American Humanist Association (AHA) and its political and advocacy arm, the Center for Freethought Equality (CFE), will continue to defend civil liberties and secular governance, build relationships, and advance priorities in the policy realms of education, democracy, racial justice, and more.
Founded in 2018 and co-chaired by Representative Jared Huffman (D-CA) and Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD), the Congressional Freethought Caucus is an official Congressional Member Organization. The caucus has four stated goals:
1) promote public policy formed on the basis of reason, science, and moral values;
2) protect the secular character of our government by adhering to strict Constitutional principle of the separation of church and state;
3) oppose discrimination against atheists, agnostics, humanists, seekers, religious, and nonreligious persons and to champion the value of freedom of thought and conscience worldwide; and
4) provide a forum for members of Congress to discuss their moral frameworks, ethical values, and personal religious journeys.
Members of the CFC identify as humanist, nonreligious, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, and Christian. Among other activities, the CFC has collectively supported the NO BAN Act, spoken out against faith-based regulations that weakened first amendment rights, denounced two Supreme Court Justices’ efforts to weaponize religious liberty to revoke rights from LGBTQ people, and sponsored presentations for their colleagues on important issues like the threat of White Christian Nationalism.
Congress needs leadership that values the contributions of science, works to protect the secular character of our government, and advances evidence-based public policy. Please take a moment and tell your Representative to join the Congressional Freethought Caucus today!