AMERICAN ATHEISTS
RELIGIOUS
EQUALITY
FOR ALL
AMERICANS
www.atheists.org
Te ‘establishment of religion’ clause of the First Amendment means at least this: Neither a state nor the Federal Government can set up a church. Neither can pass laws which aid one religion, aid all religions, or prefer one religion over another.
Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black
Everson v. Board of Education, 1947
AMERICAN ATHEISTS
225 Cristiani St.Cranford, NJ 07016
phone
: (908) 276-7300
fax
: (908) 276-7402 www.atheists.org
Founded in 1963 as a result of the landmark case ending forced mandatory prayer in public schools, American Atheists strives for:
•
Equal treatment by the government for all citizens, regardless of their religious beliefs or lack thereof
•
Freedom for atheists to live openly and without fear of prejudice or discrimination For more than 50 years, American Atheists has been using the court system, outreach campaigns, and education to create a more secular nation in which the religious rights of all Americans are respected and the government gives no special treatment to any one religious group.In addition, we work to raise the profile of atheists and atheism to encourage more Americans to be honest about what they actually believe and normalize atheism in the public discourse.
More than 60 million Americans are
NON-RELIGIOUS.
Since 2007, the number of non-religious Americans has increased by 30%. Te largest growth has occurred among young people, with one-third of Americans age 18–29 identifying as “Nones”.
Atheists, agnostics, and the non-religious are the fastest growing religious demographic in the United States.
Tere are more atheists in the United States than there are Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Mormons, and Hindus combined.
GROWTH OF THE RELIGIOUSLY UNAFFILIATED
Nothing in particular AgnosticsAtheists
Source: Pew Research Center 2012
KEY ISSUES
Atheists are not a political monolith. However, American Atheists strongly advocates for a secular government in which no particular religion, nor religion in general, is given special treatment or privileges. American Atheists believes that all citizens deserve fair and equal treatment from their government and that giving special rights to religious groups is fundamentally incompatible with the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the Constitution.
FAIR TAX POLICY
American Atheists has filed suit against the Internal Revenue Service, demanding that IRS stop giving preferential treatment to churches and religious organizations in the way it processes applications for tax-exempt status. American Atheists and other secular non-profit organizations face lengthy application processes, fees, and yearly reporting requirements. Churches and other houses of worship face no such processes.
Unequal treatment by the government on the basis of religious belief is unfair and unconstitutional and must end.
RELIGIOUS MONUMENTS ON PUBLIC LAND
American Atheists strongly opposes the use of public land to advance one religious perspective over another. We believe, and the courts have consistently held, that such monuments and displays are unconstitutional.Religious monuments and displays such as crosses, decalogues, and nativity scenes give a reasonable observer the impression of government endorsement of religion.
Our preference is that no religious perspective is offered on public land. It is also possible to resolve the Constitutional problem by allowing any group to place a display of similar size and prominence.
In 2013, in Starke, Florida, American Atheists placed a monument to our nation’s secular heritage alongside a en Commandments monument. American Atheists is prepared to place up to 50 more monuments throughout the nation.
RELIGIOUS EXEMPTIONS FROM LAW
Religious freedom should never be used as a weapon to justify discrimination. Nor should it be used to exempt individuals, businesses, or groups from generally applicable laws which do not affect their personal ability to practice their religious tradition.
Religious exemptions should be minimized and, when present, must be narrowly tailored in order to preserve the rule of law.
POLICYMAKING AND RELIGION
Elected officials are free to bring their religious perspective to their lawmaking. However, it is important that they use the best scientific evidence available when making policy decisions, and do not use their office to create laws which impose their personal religious beliefs upon the diverse citizens of our nation.If an elected offical is compelled to act on a particular issue as a result of his or her religious faith, they must also justify their reasoning and actions in language and values which are accessible to people of all faiths, including atheists.
Science and reason ought to be the common language for people of all religious perspectives, and policy must be based upon evidence rather than just faith.
HELP US FIGHT FOR RELIGIOUS EQUALITY FOR ALL AMERICANS
American Atheists relies on the generosity of our members and supporters to carry out our legal work and advocacy on behalf of atheists and everyone who supports a secular government. We need you to stand with us as we fight to ensure equal treatment for all Americans, regardless of their religious beliefs or lack thereof.
Please become a member of American Atheists today by making a tax deductible gift.
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