According to new data from the Pew Research Center, a majority of U.S. adults now say it is not necessary to believe in God to be moral and have good values (56%), up from about half (49%) who expressed this view in 2011. This is the first time a majority of poll respondents have ever affirmed that people can be good without believing in God.
This is a landmark moment in the fight for the inclusion and acceptance of nontheistic Americans. A common accusation leveled against the nonreligious is that they cannot be good without a belief in God. This stigma prevents lawmakers from reaching out to the secular community, it stops politicians running for office from openly identifying themselves as nontheists, and it stops the media from seeking the out the secular perspective on a broad range of issues.
The mission of the Secular Values Voter is to educate lawmakers and the public about nontheistic Americans and our secular values. This new data is promising start to our campaign.
