Secular America: Growing numbers with too little political clout

The Secular Coalition for America will hold a “strategic summit” conference this weekend in Washington (I will be one of the featured speakers) and this seems an appropriate moment to ask why Americans with a secular orientation—whether they call themselves atheists, agnostics, freethinkers or simply refuse to join any church—do not possess political influence commensurate with their growing numbers.

The exact number of Americans whose values—especially regarding public affairs—are largely secular is open to debate but no one disputes that this is the fastest-growing “religious” demographic in the nation. Estimates range from a low of 12 percent by the Pew Research Center. to a high of 20 percent by the Institute for the Study of Secularism in Society and Culture at Trinity College.

But there is no question that the ranks of the nonreligious have doubled during the past 25 years and that secularization is spreading most rapidly among Americans under 35. Nor is this trend likely to change. Contrary to popular myth, people do not become more religious as they age: the reason why those over 65 are more religious than younger Americans is not that the old have “seen the light” but that they are more likely to have been raised in a strong faith tradition and been religiously observant throughout their lives.

The American population is still overwhelmingly Christian but by any estimate, secular Americans make up a much larger segment of the public than any religious minority. Nevertheless, secularists do not begin to exert the influence wielded by religious organizations—whether they represent small minorities like Judaism or or large Christian denominations. If one accepts the 20 percent estimate, for example, the number of Americans with a secular orientation is not far below the number of Catholics. Nevertheless, the idea of offering the same respect to a secular organization as, say, to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops would be considered ludicrous by most politicians—even though the bishops do not speak for all Catholics any more than one secular organization speaks for all of the nonreligious.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/spirited-atheist/post/secular-america-growing-numbers-with-too-little-political-clout/2011/05/18/AFHPGX6G_blog.html

I think a big part of the problem is that most secular folks left the church to avoid the organizational politics of it all, so understandably many aren't exactly eager to join new organizations just because they no longer believe.

I don't think atheists will ever be as organized as the religious folks are, with their constant ideological and political reinforcement from the pulpit, during their weekly church sermons.

Its going to take non-believers achieving much greater numbers here in America before it translates into any real political clout, I'm afraid.

In contrast to religious, social or political groups, what is the tie that binds nonbelievers into a cognizable group? Is there one?

The government is de jure and de facto secular. If it acts according to this, and if all communities, secular, religious, or otherwise, insist on it and advocate for it, since it is ultimately in everyone's interest, it should not be a sectarian - or nonsectarian - issue.

This weekend's conference should be interesting in establishing whether a common platform, rooted in nonbelief, is possible or necessary.

I must have missed the memo. Are secular humanists getting together somewhere for a meeting? Another Atheist Convention perhaps?

The Secular Coalition for America Biennial Strategic Summit is your chance to have a genuine impact on the future of our movement as we work to bring reason into (and take religious bias out of) government. This is a one of a kind participatory meeting of leaders, activists and thinkers all from within our secular movement. You will collaborate, network, and strategize with them to improve our Secular Decade plan.

When: May 19 - May 21
Location: Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill
400 New Jersey Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20001

https://www.secular.org/2011Summit

It was stated right in that article, and I glossed right over it. LOL.

Interesting, it will be curious indeed to see what sorts of pronouncements they make.

Politics is the art of who gets what. Religion makes people feel good. When they vote their religion they get what they vote for - a good feeling. That opiate allows their pockets to be easily picked.

or lack of one.


The political clout of religion should be diminished to match that of the secular, then we can move on to the business of actually governing this country. More than HALF the Republican/conservative ideology is based on religious beliefs, or IOW, controlling peoples behavior based on religious beliefs.

pundits are coming up for air here and there. George Will, for instance. And we ought not ignore the dark side, either. Karl Rove.