Atheist voters are not a monolith, but in general, we tend to agree on the basics of upholding the constitutional principle of separation of religion and government.

First, we agree that religious beliefs should not be used as the primary justification for any policy. Just as religion can be used to justify good things (such as serving the hungry with a soup kitchen or building homes with Habitat for Humanity), it can be used to justify terrible acts of discrimination (denying LGBT couples the right to marry or taking away a woman’s right to control her own body). For that reason, all public policies should be based on the best scientific evidence available to policymakers and humanistic principles which cross lines of religious beliefs. 

Second, we agree that religious beliefs do not entitle people to special treatment under the law. Laws which carve out exemptions on the basis of religion can be overly broad and give preferential treatment to certain religions or religious beliefs over others. Exempting people and businesses from non-discrimination laws on the basis of their religious beliefs allows people who wish to discriminate a legal excuse for their religious bigotry.

Third, we agree tradition is a terrible reason to allow Christian ideology to remain part of government practices. From seeing the word “God” on our money to having “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance to having “In God We Trust” as the national motto, being forced by the Christian majority in the United States to accept its god as part of our everyday lives is a violation of our constitutional rights of conscience and freedom from religion.

Below are several other issues we believe many atheists will also agree on. Please urge your elected officials to support atheists and our concerns in this mid-term election and going forward in all public policy issues.