Red Alert: More Religiosity in the US of A
Listening to: The same...
Reposted from an email from the Secular Coalition of America...
"Action Alert: Tell the DNC to include Nontheists in their Opening Ceremony" [For Americans only, but good for Canadians to know about...]
Dear X,
Nontheists cover the entire political spectrum and are active in many different political parties. However, if you are receiving this action alert and are a supporter of the Democratic Party, we strongly encourage you to take action immediately.
For the first time in the history of the Democratic Party, the Democratic Convention will begin with an Interfaith Gathering. This is also the first official event of the 2008 Democratic National Convention and signals an opportunity for all those in the faith-community to unite around the faith and values they share as Democrats.
But what about Democrats who do not have a faith? What will they do at a gathering that DNC Convention CEO Leah Daughtry declared "is a time of celebration of various religious traditions" in the Democratic Party?
The Secular Coalition asks that you and your friends and family in the secular community.
Join us in writing to Leah Daughtry and tell her that you are part of a constituency worthy of being included in any unity event that the Democratic Party holds.
In a recent interview with the Associated Press, Daughtry said that because she has received a letter from a secular group she is considering including an address from an atheist at the interfaith gathering. Tell her that this would be a step in the right direction, but that this whole situation could be avoided if no interfaith gathering existed at all.
Daughtry has also been vocal about her desire to make the Democratic Party more faith-oriented. In an interview this month with The New York Times, she said that her mission is to "make religious believers-particularly ardent Christian believers-view the party and its candidates as receptive to, and often impelled by, the dictates of faith. She sparked this crusade, both to transfigure the party's image as predominantly secular and to take enough votes from the Republicans to win this year's presidential election…."
No political party should feel it necessary to change their image because secular people are seen as active participants. Attempts to "transfigure" a party to avoid the appearance of having many secular Americans creates the impression that secularism is a negative when it is not.
In addition, this interfaith unity event is not supposed to be a one-time-only event. Daughtry has publicly stated that she hopes starting the Convention with a religious service becomes a "hallmark" of the convention for years to come.
Best wishes,
Lori Lipman Brown, Director
Secular Coalition for America
Reposted from an email from the Secular Coalition of America...
"Action Alert: Tell the DNC to include Nontheists in their Opening Ceremony" [For Americans only, but good for Canadians to know about...]
Dear X,
Nontheists cover the entire political spectrum and are active in many different political parties. However, if you are receiving this action alert and are a supporter of the Democratic Party, we strongly encourage you to take action immediately.
For the first time in the history of the Democratic Party, the Democratic Convention will begin with an Interfaith Gathering. This is also the first official event of the 2008 Democratic National Convention and signals an opportunity for all those in the faith-community to unite around the faith and values they share as Democrats.
But what about Democrats who do not have a faith? What will they do at a gathering that DNC Convention CEO Leah Daughtry declared "is a time of celebration of various religious traditions" in the Democratic Party?
The Secular Coalition asks that you and your friends and family in the secular community.
Join us in writing to Leah Daughtry and tell her that you are part of a constituency worthy of being included in any unity event that the Democratic Party holds.
In a recent interview with the Associated Press, Daughtry said that because she has received a letter from a secular group she is considering including an address from an atheist at the interfaith gathering. Tell her that this would be a step in the right direction, but that this whole situation could be avoided if no interfaith gathering existed at all.
Daughtry has also been vocal about her desire to make the Democratic Party more faith-oriented. In an interview this month with The New York Times, she said that her mission is to "make religious believers-particularly ardent Christian believers-view the party and its candidates as receptive to, and often impelled by, the dictates of faith. She sparked this crusade, both to transfigure the party's image as predominantly secular and to take enough votes from the Republicans to win this year's presidential election…."
No political party should feel it necessary to change their image because secular people are seen as active participants. Attempts to "transfigure" a party to avoid the appearance of having many secular Americans creates the impression that secularism is a negative when it is not.
In addition, this interfaith unity event is not supposed to be a one-time-only event. Daughtry has publicly stated that she hopes starting the Convention with a religious service becomes a "hallmark" of the convention for years to come.
Best wishes,
Lori Lipman Brown, Director
Secular Coalition for America