>>> THEY'RE CLAIMING IT'S THE 
BIGGEST GATHER OF NONRELIGIOUS 
PEOPLE IN HISTORY.
EI
ATHEISTISM IS ON THE UPRISE.
YET AMAZINGLY NOT A SINGLE 
CURRENT MEMBER OF CONGRESS 
ADMITS TO BEING AN ATHEIST.
WHEN BARNEY FRANK CAME OUT AT 
ONE TO BILL MAHR, IT WAS A 
BIGGER SECRET THAN BEING GAY OR 
A POT SMOKER.
>> WHICH POT SMOKING ATHEIST ARE
YOU TALKING ABOUT HERE?
>> YOU ARE LIBERATED.
>> AMONG MANY SPEAKERS AT THE 
RALLY, BILL NYE THE SCIENCE GUY 
AND MY NEXT GUEST WHO YOU'LL 
REMEMBER FROM "SATURDAY NIGHT 
LIVE," JULIA SWEENEY.
JULIA, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
IF A QUARTER OF AMERICANS ARE 
SECULAR, YOU KNOW THERE ARE 
ATHEISTS IN THE CONGRESS .
WHY THIS REMAINING TABOO?
>> I DON'T KNOW.
THE CULTURE REQUIRES YOU TO SHOW
YOU HAVE TO BE PART AVERAGE.
SOMEHOW THE CONGRESS IS WAY 
BEHIND THE AMERICAN PUBLIC.
>> OR MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE NO ONE 
HAS REALLY TESTED THIS.
MAYBE NO ONE HAS STOOD UP AND 
SAID, LOOK, I'M A PERSON OF 
MORAL FOUNDATION, I DON'T DERIVE
THAT MORAL FOUNDATION FROM ANY 
PARTICULAR BOOK BUT HERE I AM 
AND I'M PUTTING MYSELF OUT 
THERE.
>> I THINK SO, TOO.
I ACTUALLY THINK IT'S GOING TO 
HAPPEN IN OUR LIFETIME AND IT'S 
GOING TO HAPPEN RAPIDLY.
I OPTIMISTIC ABOUT IT.
>> WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WANT FROM
THE RALLY?
>> I WANT PEOPLE WHO DON'T 
IDENTIFY WITH ANY RELIGION, WE 
CALL OURSELVES THE NONES, THAT'S
ANOTHER WAY TO DESCRIBE IT, 
WE'RE 25% OF THE PUBLIC AND I 
THINK IT MAY BE DOUBLE THAT IF 
PEOPLE JUST ADMITTED TO 
THEMSELVES WHAT THEY REALLY 
FELT.
I WANT OUR LAWS OF THE LAND AND 
OUR CONGRESS TO NOT BE SO 
INFLUENCED BY THE CULTURE OF 
CONSERVATIVE RELIGIOUS THOUGHT, 
WHICH HAS AN OUTSIDE INFLUENCE, 
THE CONSERVATIVE RELIGIOUS 
PEOPLE IN CONGRESS AND IN THE 
LAWS OF THE LAND AND I REALLY 
THINK IT NEEDS TO CHANGE.
AND THIS RALLY I THINK CAN 
REALLY HELP BRING A FOCUS TO THE
PEOPLE WHO DON'T IDENTIFIED WITH
A RELIGION AND DO NOT BELIEVE IN
GOD.
>> ARE WE MORE ACCEPTING TODAY 
OF GAYS AND LESBIANS AND TR
TRANSGENDERS THAN WE ARE 
ATHEISTS?
>> ABSOLUTELY, WHICH REALLY 
SHOCKS ME BUT THAT SEEMS TO BE 
THE CASE.
>> FINALLY, I WONDER IF THERE'S 
A SEM ANTIC ISSUE HERE.
>> I THINK THAT'S TRUE.
THERE WAS A WORD, BRIGHTS, THAT 
DIDN'T SEEM TO WORK.
MY PARENTS DIDN'T BELIEVE IN GOD
BUT WHEN I SAID I WAS AN 
ATHEIST, THEY WERE VERY UPSET 
AND THEY WOULDN'T SPEAK TO ME.
I THINK IT BRINGS UP IDEAS OF 
THE COLD WAR
