Today, Representative Jared Huffman (D-CA) made history as the second sitting Member of Congress in history to come out as a nontheist. Huffman said he was inspired to be honest about his secular identity because of the “negative ways” the Trump Administration was using religion. In the Washington Post, Huffman explains:
“I don’t believe in religious tests, and I don’t believe my religion is all that important to the people I represent, and I think there’s too much religion in politics….I don’t believe my religion is necessarily relevant to the work I do. But I do think it doesn’t quite feel right to just take a pass on the question, because your religious views can speak to your moral and ethical framework on the world. And that is something I think the public is entitled to know.”
In response to Rep. Huffman’s announcement we released a statement applauding him for his honesty and his courage:
“I want to thank Rep. Huffman for his honesty, his integrity, and his courage. Every lawmaker who is open about their nontheistic identity helps to combat the stigma we face and bring visibility toward the nonreligious community, the largest and fastest growing religious demographic in the country. We are patriotic Americans who live by our deeply held secular values. We are your neighbors, your coworkers, your friends, and, increasingly, your lawmakers. It is our hope that Rep. Huffman’s example will give more elected officials the courage to be open about who they are and inspire more openly nontheistic Americans to run for office.”
