so for years we've had Christians in
America
dominate politics in terms of their
money spent the time the energy the
boats they could marshal
and politicians are scared to death of
crossing that
significant voting bloc and significant
lobby
in america well now there's a new
packin tap and it's actually
an atheist back its a a little broader
than that it's
put together by the Center for humanist
I activism
activism I can say and they put together
the freethought
equality Fun Pack that does sound like
fun
so who do they represent well they were
present a
first what twenty percent of the public
is an amazing 20 percent the public
is unaffiliated with any religion
there's APS in there
there's a eight not six in there and
they're people who simply say
I'm spiritual or not spiritual but I
don't prescribe 21
religious so that's that huge percentage
other
population I how many people in congress
now admit to being a group
kind ok 1 there are no official APS I
get to that in a second
but Chris the cinema is unaffiliated at
least
she's in a row congresswoman at Arizona
so this new
ATS pack will represent AVS
humanists and other free thinkers so
those are all
different categories obviously there in
the category of
people who don't believe in religion
fame it obviously if yes don't believe
there's a god
union and all the different distinctions
now what wanting to share in common
undoubtedly is that they are secular and
they believe a sec us
to which I say: ironically thank God
I am deeply secular I happen to be
enough stick
and every because themselves different
things but I think this has been a long
time coming in
it's about damn time that we went and
actually represented
this huge chunk of the american
population and
I I love how the right wing like Bill
O'Reilly
for sneered to recive Lee at people who
call themselves
secular humanists key specs secular few
minutes
both the for church and state shouldn't
mix I
obviously you should look at how well
its working in Saudi Arabia
any humanist you like human beings
what's wrong with you
well finally we were packed assist yeah
yeah we like human beings
I would like for Congress to represent
that revolutionary
so a Maggie a at
edge or dnt ok with free thought says
quote
whether we recognize it or not americans
are held captive the will
the religious right leaders who remind
us a far inferior position
by using the power of government to
enforce laws that put truth claims about
religion
in front of us at every turn to this is
really important
this is not just a matter of them saying
hey it's a Christian nation
and so you have this theoretical debate
they certainly do then ignore others got
a scoop you warm Christmas and all that
stuff but it actually has political
ramifications
time after time they try to pass laws
and influence
policies in that direction whether it's
silly things like putting under God in
the Pledge of Allegiance which they did
back in 1954 and obviously
republicans and and most a congress
supports now or really important things
like
the religious right in this country
saying that they do not want a pathway
to peace
they do not want to see solution in the
Middle East
for Palestine and Israel be literally
say that so
that has deadly serious consequences
and it's great to have logical people
fighting back on that now
today issue how little support they have
in congress
at least outwardly even Chris to set
them up
who is the one person who is
unaffiliated in congress
refuses to say that she is an atheist
me. this is the last so you know
discrimination
that apparently we have enormous trouble
getting beyond effect before tell us:
Mika let me tell you amazing fact
did you know that Barney Frank who of
course was the
ra house representatives from
massachusetts congressman
a surfer or incredibly long time just
recently retired
just fine with after retirement came and
said oh by the way yes
I don't believe in a witch he admitted
to being gay
20 five years ago he apparently thought
at least his own voters in Massachusetts
were ready here
that he was gay in 1987 and personal
representa-
but they weren't ready here that he
didn't believe in God
isn't that amazing so even cinema still
her folks say
she prefers a secular approach that she
does not consider herself a member of
any faith community
and she's called a student of all
cultures in her community
I know they're partitions and look over
all this a good thing
at least she's taken one step forward
book go I
saying it's okay come out of the closet
and by the way these groups believe that
there's at least 27 members of congress
who are in the closet about being
atheist or not believing religion at all
and I think twenty-seven is a very
concerned over you think those
cook so-called Christian right guys in
congress
actually believe in their Bible if they
did what they do
any other things that they've done I
don't think they even believe in fact I
think they believe the least
alright it turns out though there's a
reason why politicians don't do this
because only 54 percent of Americans
say that they would vote for a
well-qualified atheist
presidential candidate apparently nearly
half the country say
I don't care how qualified yes I'm not
gonna vote for an atheist
under any circumstance atheists
ranked lower then gays or
muslims Americans were more likely
to vote for a well-qualified Muslim
Kennedy for president
than they were and atheist for president
that's
amazing and finally
fifty percent of Americans in a poll
said that they believe atheism
is threatening cover I
alright well all represent the community
for the
this umbrella for the mall being and on
behalf of all
atheists and freethinkers I say to you
blue
ok well instead go if there is no God
well then you lose nothing if there's a
God you win
why are you scared of us we're not
saying you're gonna go to hell we're not
threatening you with eternal damnation
or torture
I guess you're scared the were right and
that were come
