An Atheist’s Letter to the Democratic Party & Barack Obama

| Sat 8 Sep 2012 | 11 Comments | 2074 Views

Author Zach Lorentz

Zach is the current Director of Public Affairs of the Secular Student Alliance at Missouri S&T. His interests include sexual freedom, reproductive rights, LGBT equality, and advocating for proper scientific education and understanding.

To the Democratic Party and President Barack Obama,

I would like to facetiously thank you for making me feel invisible, if not unwanted, at your recent convention. In the three areas of platform, proselytizing, and language, you impressed upon me a distinct air of disdain. Your actions made me, a lifelong Democrat and liberal, feel disowned from the party I have loyally supported.

The most noticeable transgression was the reinsertion of a “faith” clause into your platform. After pressure and derision from people who will not vote for you anyway, you forced a glad-handing adulation back into the platform. Yes, forced is the correct word; despite a voice vote that was not conclusive and definitely not two-thirds conclusive, your leadership carried on with an unspoken dictate to pass the motion. This divisive part marred an otherwise unifying and inspiring convention.

That voice vote, however, will have to contend for worst with the choice of Cardinal Dolan for the benediction. I would advise that you never ask him to speak again, or that you heavily edit and proofread his remarks before he takes the stage.  When not directly reprimanded against, clergy will not hesitate to insert political statements into prayer. He turned what could have been an unnecessary pleading for divine favor into a subversive ‘pro-birth’ spiel; this directly undermined the fight for Women’s choice, ably advocated for Keenan, Richards, Fluke, and even Obama.  His prayer became a prime example of religious political arm-twisting.

Hurtfully, Dolan and almost every other lofty speaker directly excluded nonbelievers and even non-Christians. Every mention and citation of scripture, every affirmation of “faith,” and every implicit omission or damnation of non-believers pushed me and others back into the unlit wings of your party. Wasn’t one of the memes at the convention something about Democrats “growing a backbone?” Where was that backbone when you left atheists, agnostics, humanists, and others in the cold? Despite claims that Obama does not look at polls or purely consider the political implications of his actions, this omission and abandonment of my entire constituency rings loudly of political cowardice.

Most saddening, the Democratic Party knows it can afford to ignore and reject our support. You know that, considering the opposition that directly and unabashedly aims to install a Christian theocracy. You know that we will begrudgingly accept your cold shoulder over that alternative. However, the secular activists will not be ignored for much longer. Similar to LGBT and women’s activism, the seculars will grow so loud and numerous, and their issues will be so pertinent, that you can no longer deny the Secular Juggernaut in front of you. That day will come, and hopefully it will be within my lifetime. Someday I hope that I or another might be able to stand onstage at the DNC and proudly state my non-belief with the great acceptance of the party I have always supported.

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  • Tommy

    Yes, the prostlytizing for the religious vote was glaring but nothing new but I look at it this way; this even being a controversy with the platform is the start rather than going backwards. Ten years back their wouldn’t be any discussion about this. I’m not satisfied with it but baby steps forward is better than two steps forward, one step back.

    • http://www.atheistrev.com/ vjack

      Had the voice vote actually been used, which would have kept the god language out of the platform, I’d agree completely. It would have been sad that they tried to put it back in, but it would have been a positive step. By holding the vote (3 votes actually) and then ignoring the results, I think it may have actually been somewhat worse than not voting at all. Perhaps the most positive way to look at it would be to say that the fact that there were so many no votes was cause for some optimism.

  • Mark Pogue

    Yes, again we were ignored. However, there will come a time when our closeted friends come out and the number of us will be so great that it will be almost impossible to overlook us.
    Pres. Obama is a politician. As we grow in numbers, so will our recognition.

  • http://www.atheistrev.com/ vjack

    Thanks for posting this. I share your disappointment with the god language and Dolan. If the Democratic Party continues to push religion and marginalize atheists, they are going to lose a significant portion of their base. But honestly, I’ve reached the point where I can no longer support this corporate party now that they’ve turned their back on accountability, giving passes to the Bush/Cheney torture regime and Wall Street. In my case, even if the convention slights hadn’t happened, I don’t think I’d feel differently.

    • AmyLou Wilkins

      Does this mean that all of you will not vote for Obama? I doubt you will turn and vote Republican so will you vote at all? Frankly I am praying that no matter the outcome of this election that our Nation will be able to heal financially, economically but most importantly that all who will, will turn from their godlessness and embrace Jesus Christ, accept Him and seek his forgiveness and will for their lives. May God bless you and reach you all.

      • http://www.atheistrev.com/ vjack

        I will certainly vote, but it will not be for Romney and probably not for Obama either. Fortunately, I have more than two choices.

      • Mary Hartery

        Ma’am, those of us who consider ourselves atheists do so without hesitation, and while it might make you feel better to apply your belief system on those of us who worship NO deity, it is pretty much a slap in our faces to make the kind of comment you did to us. You have insulted OUR belief (or LACK of belief) system with your words. Not everyone needs or wants a prayer to save their soul–in fact, I, and others like me, are quite happy with the souls we might have without the oppression of religion to weigh us down.

        In addition, the US is not, and has never been a “Christian” nation, despite the propaganda by the religious right. The Constitution of the US has, as its first Amendment, the right to freedom OF and FROM religion, and that doesn’t mean by Xtian denomination–that means for Jews, Muslims, Christians, Wiccans, Hindi, Buddhists, Native American beliefs, or so on. We’re supposed to all be free to worship as we choose.

        In addition, neither the words “under god” in the Pledge of Allegiance, nor the “In God We Trust” on our currency were put there by the founding fathers–they were added in the 1950s.

        I’m sure you meant well, but it’s because of comments like yours that atheists, agnostics, humanists and secularists get angry over, because they are not made with any sign of inclusion in them. The US has always been called a “melting pot” but there is no melting pot if not all people feel welcomed.

        Who is to say that atheists and others haven’t been as patriotic as those from the Christian faith? And by the way, we can’t forget all the Jewish people in this country, the Muslims who have lived their entire lives in the US, or those who follow some other religion? If this country allows those on the religious right to bully this country and force it to exclude those with other faiths, what is to say that these people won’t keep on going until everyone’s faith is excluded except their own? Who will be able to fight for the rights of ALL others then? The founding fathers knew what they were doing when they removed the religious clause as a test of citizenship. They were sculpting a work of art to a free democracy instead of one where religion imposed limits on the growth of the fledgling nation.

        Now, having said all that, to turn to the atheists on this thread. The ability to post as atheists and be out and proud if it is still a new thing. One hundred years ago, you could be shot, hung or pilloried for less than that. Things must be taken in short increments–shorter than they are now. Atheism was considered worse than satanism. Madalyn Murray O’Hair was considered the most reviled person in the country when she fought for atheist rights in 1963. Do you really think it would take such little time to be out and about when it took 100 years for civil rights? Less time to allow women to be considered as equals to men? Hell, we’re fighting for women’s rights even NOW! And don’t forget how long the GLBT community has sought basic human rights over the years!

        Atheists shouldn’t get cocky about getting any better treatment as most of these groups got in their time. The US’s power structure is still rich, arrogant, greedy white men. And mostly, rich, arrogant, greedy, white CHRISTIAN men. That’s not going to change until EVERYONE changes it. But let’s face it: being in the party of Barack Obama and the Democrats is STILL better than being in the party of the extreme religious right, and if we allow them to win, we’re all going to hell–THEIR version of it–in life, if not in death.

        Most people just needed to be shown atheists aren’t the enemy. If we continue to throw hissy fits and tantrums when we’re not included in something, the reputation we’ve had for so long is never going to get any better. Being antagonistic is never the answer. Having a spine and being assertive and insistent is one thing, but downright belligerence is not the answer, either.

        If we can’t get along, no one will want to see a future together. If someone wants to be miffed at the state if things, fine, go it alone. I’d rather work with people within the Democratic Party with other like-minded ideals than face an onslaught of nasties in the party of Romney and Ryan, and their “brethren” of assholes, whiners, babies, powerful jerk-offs and tons of bigoted rednecks who are voting for their guns and NOT for their own best interests. Wasting your votes on those bastards is akin to not voting at all, and we all know how THAT went in 2000, especially in the state of Florida.

  • Eli Tripps

    We need a Secular Candidate with an actual plan ..how many swing voters are really just non-believers that really just dont think democratic ideals of government dictating political correctness and socialism (good in theory) is the right way to go. Just think of a politician that was using the best scientists/economists/professionals solve problems like population/quality of life/education instead of religion.

  • http://www.facebook.com/stephen.leete Stephen J. Leete

    The best solution would be for both parties to recognize the full citizenship of all Americans regardless of religious affiliation or belief, and we could all choose party affiliation based on real issues instead of being distracted by fighting along party lines over things that should not be dividing us. We need to tear down the walls of the Republican and any other party. Being more numerous and louder will help. What would be analogous to Log Cabin Republicans? Ayn Rand Republicans? That kind of puts a chill down my spine, so we need to keep thinking along those lines.

  • Reason_Being

    Great post Zach. You highlight much of what I felt regarding the god language and Dolan. This whole scenario makes me incredibly uneasy. I will vote Dem, but not necessarily because I support all that they do, but rather, out of my dislike for more or less all that the GOP stands for.

    In truth, I consider myself a liberal, atheist, independent. I cannot count myself as a Democrat, when scenarios like the convention continue to play themselves out.

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Category: Activism, Church-State Separation, Politics