American Atheists, the largest body in the US representing the views of secular humanists and non-religious people, has firm historical corrections for those people who try and cast the USA as some kind of Christian republic. Their head, Nick Fish, writes
"This year will mark 250 years of the “American Experiment,” a radical attempt to forge a constitutional republic of, by, and for the people. Our nation’s founders boldly rejected the traditional models of monarchic and theocratic rule in favor of an unprecedented one guided by the secular Enlightenment principles of human rights and individual liberties. They set out to prove a pluralistic nation could organize itself not around any one dogma or despot but within a representative democracy working to advance the common good.
Their experiment has lasted this long only because each generation chose to defend it for the next. That choice is before us again in 2026 with new urgency, and we must rise to meet the challenges ahead with even more resolve.
For nearly a year, we have watched this Trump Administration repeatedly violate the First Amendment, fusing sectarian language with state power to divide and dehumanize. In the past couple weeks alone:
>> The Vice President espoused Christian Nationalist views at a Turning Point USA event, saying: “Christianity is America’s creed” and “religious liberty is a Christian concept.”
>> The President and First Lady urged “every American” to "celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” and promised “we will always remain one Nation under God.”
>> The Department of Homeland Security issued official Christmas messages saying, “We are blessed to share a nation and a Savior” and, “Rejoice America, Christ is born!” The Department of Labor wrote, “Let Earth Receive Her King.” Education Secretary Linda McMahon posted about “the birth of our Savior.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote about “the hope of Eternal Life through Christ.” And the head of the Justice Department’s civil rights division shared a message for “Christians nationwide” about using “religious liberty” to "protect Christians" (and did not mention any other faith groups).
This isn’t just a “War on Christmas” thing either. Especially as part of its America250 campaign, this White House continues to recast national milestones from the Emancipation Proclamation to the Pledge of Allegiance (“a solemn and glorious oath that unites every citizen under one God”) as "evidence" that our country belongs to a single faith and that progress is foreordained rather than hard-fought by regular people.
The administration's use of overtly Christian rhetoric is not without consideration or consequence. It's a deliberate and dangerous campaign to normalize a Christian Nationalist worldview that elevates one narrow sectarian identity to lord over all others. Leading up to the U.S. Semiquincentennial, we can expect this language to intensify, and its message is unmistakable: Theocracy, not democracy.
True American history tells a different story. The Emancipation Proclamation was not inevitable divine intervention (“by the hand of Almighty God”), but the relentless work of abolitionists advancing dignity and equality under the law. And when Francis Bellamy penned the Pledge of Allegiance in 1892, he did so as a staunch supporter of nonsectarian public education, an advocate for the absolute separation of church and state, and only one year after being expelled from the pulpit for his anti-capitalist sermons. The phrase “under God” is not some sacred inheritance of yore as the White House would have us believe. It was added in 1954 by religious lobbyists and politicians that would’ve blacklisted Bellamy for his socialist views.
The truth is progress in our country has always resulted from ordinary people insisting on expanding democracy and achieving liberty, equality, and justice for all. This New Year, American Atheists is recommitting to that work and choosing to continue fighting with renewed resolve.
To defend the separation of religion and government in 2026 is to defend the very foundation of democratic equality for years to come. It’s not just a niche concern for us atheists alone, but a critical effort to protect and advance the freedoms of all people. We must reject fear-based narratives and insist instead on a vision of democracy that is rooted in pluralism and the common good. In the year ahead, with your continued support, American Atheists will:
>> Expose and challenge efforts to replace secular government with sectarian power.
>> Empower communities to respond effectively to attacks on our civil rights.
>> Build broad coalitions that remind policymakers there is no democracy without dissent.
As we approach this experiment's 250th anniversary, please remember our greatest strength has never been conformity but our shared commitment to the still-unfinished project of building a democracy big and free enough for all of us and all our differences.
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