Are you an atheist, anti-theist, secular humanist, skeptic, and/or freethinker? Do you live in the United States or have some other reason to be invested in what happens here? Are you interested in preserving the separation of church and state and making sure our democracy remains secular? Would you like to see an erosion in Christian privilege and the eventual disappearance of anti-atheist bigotry? Are you tired of having your rights restricted based on others' religious beliefs?
If you answered in the affirmative to these questions, I'd encourage you to consider joining at least one of the following secular organizations:
- American Atheists
- American Humanist Association
- Americans United for Separation of Church and State
- Center for Inquiry
- Freedom From Religion Foundation
- Secular Coalition for America
These groups differ to some degree in their mission, priorities, and the manner in which they present themselves; however, all have track records of promoting secularism. All have been working on our behalf to preserve the separation of church and state for some time. Admittedly, none of these organizations are perfect. I expect all of them have done or said things with which some of us disagreed. Still, it seems like all are doing enough good that they deserve our support. They do not have to be perfect in order to have value.
If you cannot afford membership in one of these organizations or would prefer not to join for other reasons (e.g., most will sell your contact information to other charitable organizations), consider using whatever platform(s) you may have to amplify their messages. This could be a blog, a YouTube channel, a podcast, or any number of social media platforms on which you are active. Follow their social media accounts, and share their content. By sharing their content and informing others about their work, we can help to grow their membership and expand their influence. Because they are working to advance our interests, doing so benefits all of us.
It is important to recognize that the largest of these secular organizations is still tiny when compared with many of the fundamentalist Christian groups working against the separation of church and state. It is time for that to change. We need to strengthen these organizations so they will be more effective in advocating for our interests.
