The group wants conservative leaders to consider doing the unthinkable and not leading with their faith. “If they come out with ‘We’re a Christian nation,’ that’s akin to saying I’m somehow less of an American. So why should I vote for that?” Silverman asks. “If somebody comes out and says, ‘I can’t trust people who don’t pray,’ well, I don’t pray. So when the conservatives come out, instead of saying we’re for small government, and responsible gun rights, and a strong military, they’re saying all of that after they say I’m a second-class citizen.”
Silverman thinks this would be a win-win, benefitting both atheists and the GOP. Republicans would gain access to tens of millions of secular voters who agree with them on the issues already—and right-leaning nonbelievers would get a real choice. Right now, “atheists by and large only have one party for which to vote,” he says. “We’re voting Democrat in huge numbers, but it’s a defensive move. It’s not because we agree with the policies, it’s because atheists are afraid of Republicans, because Republicans are overtly hostile to us. And that’s wrong.”
Bey, speaking to attendees at the organization’s booth, is warm and welcoming. She describes American Atheists as a “First Amendment group,” says “I love this country and I love this Constitution,” and insists, “We’re not here to hurt anyone or tell anyone that they’re not free to worship or believe. We are just here to say, you can’t say in order to believe in small government, you have to believe in Jesus. In order to believe that an American child should be well-educated, you’ve got to give the glory to God. That’s all we’re saying.”
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