* Atheism on the Rise, Almost Doubling AAI Membership

In America, Nonbelievers Find Strength in Numbers

By Jacqueline L. Salmon

Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, September 15, 2007; Page A14

A legion of the godless is rising up against the forces of religiosity in American society.

"People who were ashamed to say there is no God now say, 'Wow, there are others out there who think like me, and it feels damned good,' " said Margaret Downey, president of the Atheist Alliance International, whose membership has almost doubled in the past year to 5,200. It has a 500-person waiting list for its convention in Crystal City later this month.

* Putting to Rest the "Christian Nation" Myth

David R. Koepsell
Associate Editor of Free Inquiry

"The Council for Secular Humanism, its spokespersons, and Free Inquiry's editors and authors are often forced to respond to theists enraged over court decisions and legislation that aim to ensure the separation of church and state. Consistently, we have sought to uphold the establishment clause of the First Amendment in its most literal sense. Our arguments in favor of the clear separation of church and state are based upon sound constitutional and historical grounds. The opponents of separation have often focused on two claims: (1) that the United States is a "Christian nation" because it was "founded by Christians" and (2) that the United States is a Christian nation because its civil and criminal laws are "Judeo-Christian in origin." Both claims are illogical and historically inaccurate. Our Constitution only refers to religion where it seeks to actively exclude it from the government. The secular nature of the United States is clear. Continue ...

David R. Koepsell is the executive director of the Council for Secular Humanism and an associate editor of Free Inquiry. This Op-Ed is from Free Inquiry magazine, Volume 25, Number 3.

Freedom From Religion Foundation

* Informed Voting ~ Track What the Candidates are Saying

FAITH 2008

"Will faith play the role in the 2008 election that it did in 2004? How will candidates articulate their personal beliefs? How will they relate them to public policy issues ranging from education and social policy to terrorism and the war in Iraq?

"The Faith 2008 database is designed to address these questions. It tracks references to religion in the speeches and statements of the major candidates of both parties. Users can filter results by party and topic, compare statements across candidates, and explore the evolution of controversies over time.

"The database is now in a start-up phase."

"Faith and..." topics: Church/State, Education, Foreign Affairs, Morality, Social Policy, Tolerance

Georgetown University's Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs

* An Atheist for President? by Jacques Berlinerblau

The God Vote

Jacques Berlinerblau is program director and associate professor of Jewish Civilization at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. He is the author of "The Secular Bible: Why Nonbelievers Must Take Religion Seriously" and the forthcoming "Thumpin’ It: The Use and Abuse of the Bible in Today’s Presidential Politics." The God Vote is a critical look at the religious rhetoric, activity and theology behind the 2008 presidential campaign. Full bio »

The God Vote | Georgetown/On Faith Archives | On Faith Archives | Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs | Georgetown

Posted on September 20, 2007

An Atheist for President?

As a means of improving the political fortunes of American Nonbelief , permit me to make a helpful suggestion: I propose that the godless of our great nation nominate their own candidate for a 2008 presidential run. More ...

*Provided by Prof. D. Showley