I was happy to see the DNC’s quick apology to Bernie Sanders and the entire Democratic Party for the violation of their mission by plotting against Bernie Sanders. These things happen in organizations of any kind, and apologizing was the right thing to do.
What I did not see was an apology for what people in the upper echelon of our party found to be an acceptable method of attack on Senator Sanders: using hatred of non-religious Americans as a weapon.
When it was revealed that the DNC’s Chief Financial Officer, Brad Marshall, had suggested calling Sanders an atheist in order to undermine his character and morality with religious people, the media was quick to point out that Sanders had expressed his religious beliefs in an interview.
Democrats have been very supportive of those of minority religions, but apparently any religion is better than none. It is still unacceptable for an atheist or non-religious American to run for office. When Bill Clinton passed the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA, which you may recognize from its current incarnation in several states allowing people to discriminate against LGBT Americans based on their faith), it made it clear once again — any religion is better than none. Tonight at the convention, I heard speaker after speaker telling me that it didn’t matter *how* I prayed, or which religion I belonged to, leaving me again to tacitly assume that everyone should be praying or part of a religion.
I have no choice in the matter. I understand why you might want to believe in a religion. Humans do what humans do, in my world, and for every person who won’t socialize with me because of my lack of faith, there’s another who values me for being a good friend. My religious friends can always find things to talk about other than religion when we sit down to enjoy each other’s company. But I can’t believe in things that have no evidence, or that contradict things I understand. My brain doesn’t work that way. When I sat through cellular biology, science allowed me to understand what life was, what I was. In social sciences, I learned there were good people, evil people, and very different rituals and cultures all around the planet. I didn’t need any supernatural explanation for any of it, and didn’t feel the need to crusade around the planet to tell the what my views were.
Atheism/non-theism, or whatever forced word you want to call a lack of religion, does not indicate anything about my morality, my way of life, or the way I treat others. I have friends of all belief systems, and the only time I end up “crusading” for atheism is when someone yet again tries to oppress me for not being part of their club.
I’m used to being shunned and an embarrassment to Democrats. But for them to actively plot using stereotypes and fear of my designation as a political tool requires more than a small apology.
Just imagine they angry reaction that would have ensued if they would have tried to say Sanders was Muslim to scare people. It would not have been simply, “Mr. Sanders isn’t a Muslim,” there would have been long screeds in the press denouncing the use of “Muslim” as a pejorative by the Democratic Party.
I hear crickets.
All most atheists want is to be left alone. We don’t want schools telling our kids that our view of the universe is wrong, as our kids are likely going to be like us. We don’t want people saying we have no basis for morality, that we’re evil, not to be trusted. We don’t want religious sects claiming our government as their own in order to continue oppression in the name of their religions.
The non-religious are the fastest growing philosophical segment in the US. The DNC owes me and every other atheist a deep apology, and owes us the same recognition and inclusion afforded to every other philosophical position.