(Photo: Paul Fidalgo)
At the Atheist Alliance International Convention in Burbank, California Friday night, Sean Faircloth, executive director of the Secular Coalition for America made a stirring case for stripping religion and religious institutions of the special status they hold in American politics and policy. Citing several examples of where an institutional bias toward religion's anachronisms and faith claims have proven dangerous and even deadly, Faircloth rallied the nonbelieving attendees to take a more active role in opposing religious influence on society.
Faircloth mentioned several cases in which the welfare and health of children have been put into danger, not just because of outdated religious beliefs, but because of the legal loopholes and allowances given to religious institutions, citing specifically differing standards for child care organizations; some religious child care organizations in certain states not being held to the same standards of caregiver-to-child ratio, leading to accidents and deaths. Heightening the concern, asserted Faircloth, was that many of these religiously based groups were funded in part by supposedly secular tax dollars.
Raising the example of laws that allow for parents to forgo medicine for their ailing children due to religious restrictions, Faircloth said, "If it were faith healing, I'd be for it--it's faith killing," and called these loopholes and exceptions "unconscionable. . . they're the real death panels."
But denunciation was not the thrust of Faircloth's address to the assembled freethinkers. Upon citing some of the more egregious examples of religious overreach and governmental approval of that overreach, Faircloth asked the crowd, "Where were we? Where were we in this room?"
Faircloth called upon fellow atheists to look to fellow nonbelievers and doubters like Thomas Jefferson, Albert Einstein, James Madison and Mark Twain for inspiration, and noted how they would find difficulty being as open about their religious doubt today as they were in their own times. "All we're asking," said Faircloth, "is that Mark Twain be included in the American discussion."
Youthful and energetic, Faircloth--a former member of the Maine House of Representatives leadership--perfectly looks and acts the part of the head of a lobbying organization, but displays a sincerity and passion that is rare in those whose business it is to move Congress to act (or not act) in their favor. He is self-effacing, funny, and yet still shows some of the trappings of the most polished of politicians (most notably the Clintonesque "thumb point" gesture).
"The light of justice has to bend to ever increasing inclusion in American society," promised Faircloth. "We have justice and the [demographic] trends heading in our direction." But even with this heartfelt message of hope, Faircloth made certain to dole responsibility to those in attendance. "Our efforts are not yet worthy" of the "grand visions" of luminaries like Jefferson and Madison, he told them, and that atheists and freethinkers need to become involved, to make alliances with sympathetic religious people, and to woo "apatheists"--those for whom religion is not an issue and would disapprove of its intertwining with government.
Declared Faircloth, "I'm devoting my life to this cause."
Related Secularism Examiner Articles:
- Center for Inquiry in DC celebrates Blasphemy Day with heretical art show
- Secular Examiner heads to the Atheist Alliance International Convention
- Ted Kennedy on the vital necessity of the separation of church and state, 1983
Comments
"atheists and freethinkers need to become involved, to make alliances with sympathetic religious people"
Atheists do not respect any religion, consider all religious people to be delusional and would like to see the end of religion. Alliances? How is that going to happen?
A number of Quakers are open to the idea that religion really shouldn't be a public matter. Since most are vegetarians - not because their religion orders it but because they are ethically required to follow their own conscience - they are very much against such things as forcing hamas meat on unwilling/unknowing school children.
There are also a number of atheist religions, who follow the golden rule because it is a good working rule, not because of mathew.
We can also emphasis that conscience = With Science, not with god.
Tim Stroud, I think you make a rather sweeping generalisation.
BrokenH, I would gladly admit that I was wrong if I had more evidence to the opposite. But lately all I see is the radicalization of atheism, intolerant atheism, even angry atheism. And I do not see anywhere that more thoughtful, moderate atheists are speaking out against this intolerance.
Tim, the same can be said of either side of the issue. We don't see the moderate Christians speaking out against the intolerance of Christian radicals, but I know the moderates are out there. The fact is in a forum such as this or the religious equivalents, few moderates feel the need to post, and when they do, it's because somebody hit a particular nerve (usually causing them to sound less moderate).
The fact of the matter is that in real life, you may know a few moderate atheists that you've never suspected as atheists at all. mostly they avoid bringing attention to their atheism out of fear of how they'll be treated by Christians once they come out. This is the reason for most of the bus ads atheists have been putting up: dispelling the fear.
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