How fortunate we are to be atheists at a time like this. The unprecedented meeting last Friday between the Obama administration and the Secular Coalition of America, along with many of it’s member organizations, marks an important milestone in our cultural development. The first time high ranking officials of the United States government actually sat down and talked to us! Wow! Some have argued that not enough was accomplished and that this should be the norm, not an exception. To people like that I say, “Wake up!” We live in a country that is currently dominated by superstitious dogma, by religious zealots who obfuscate reality and cause pain and suffering to millions. The fact that the event happened at all is a clear signal to theists, that, yes, we are a real force in this country. And, yes, we are getting the attention of those in power. What’s more, the ignorant theistic majority has labeled atheists as hostile, disruptive, unpleasant people (some would even argue we are not people at all). Check out the report on Hemant  Mehta’s blog and look at the smile on David Silverman’s (American Atheists) face. Does he look angry and disruptive? Quite the contrary. Collectively we are ecstatic to have an audience with the administration. It is long overdue, but now that it’s here, we embrace it. Hopefully this will mark the beginning of a turning point in the perception of non-theistic groups in this country. Do not let this opportunity pass. Now, more than ever, is the time to stand up and be counted. Now is the time for all of you closet atheists to come out and publicly embrace reason and denounce the dogmatic hypocrisy and hatred of religion.

Despite what we hear from Glenn Beck or Sarah Palin, we’re in a stage in history where millions upon millions of Americans share a secular perspective on American public policy. We think the real ‘silent majority,’ if you will, is the Americans who say, ‘Enough of this religious and even theocratic nature to American policy.’

—Sean Faircloth
—Executive Director of the Secular Coalition of America