Representing Secular Americans In Our Nation’s Capital

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1012 14 Street NW Suite 205 Washington, D.C. 20005 (202) 299-1091 www.secular.org Kelly Damerow Executive Director Herb Silverman President Member Organizations American Atheists American Ethical Union American Humanist Association Atheist Alliance of America Black Nonbelievers, Inc. Camp Quest Center for Inquiry Freedom From Religion Foundation Freethought Society Hispanic American Freethinkers Humanist Community at Harvard Institute of Humanist Studies Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers Recovering from Religion Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science Secular Student Alliance Society for Humanistic Judaism UU Humanists Advisory Board Woody Kaplan, Chair Rob Boston Richard Dawkins Daniel Dennett Sam Harris Jeff Hawkins Wendy Kaminer Michael Newdow Steven Pinker Salman Rushdie Hon. Pete Stark Todd Stiefel Julia Sweeney

September 17, 2015 Dear Rep. Young, Today marks the 228th anniversary of the Constitution’s signing. The foundation of our democracy, its authors envisioned it as a living document able to adapt to the changing needs of the country. One thing, however, that has remained constant is the Constitution’s commitment to a secular government. America’s founders established a secular government, leaving religion in a private, protected sphere. This decision was rooted in their experiences with the officially “established” Church of England during the colonial period and the religious violence of the wars triggered by the Reformation and its aftermath. This is reflected in the Constitution, which includes no references to Christianity (or other religions), or to religious concepts, such as God. The only two references to religion are exclusionary: the No Religious Test Clause, found in Article VI, which forbids the imposition of any religious test as a condition for holding a public office or governmental position, and the First Amendment, which establishes the separation of church and state. Current legislation, however, threatens to undermine the protections guaranteed by the First Amendment. The misnamed “First Amendment Defense Act” does nothing to protect religious freedom. Instead, it would allow organizations to continue receiving federal dollars while engaging in discriminatory practices. This would let organizations to fire women who become pregnant outside of marriage, a segment of the population currently protected by federal employment laws. The bill would aIso allow for government employers to refuse to do their jobs if they cite religious beliefs without repercussions. Instead of containing religion to the private sphere like the founders intended, this bill would let religion continue to be used as a justification to deny LGBT Americans access to their full range of civil rights. The secular core of the Constitution has been essential in ensuring that the rights of all Americans are respected. On the Constitution’s anniversary, we ask that you continue to uphold its vision of a secular America and take a stand against the misnamed First Amendment Defense Act. Sincerely, Diana Castillo Legislative Manager