Barry Duke, the Angry Atheist

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   You get drivel about aliens, abduction etc from all sorts of people, not just Christians – there are atheists, agnostics…

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   […] last time I had had occasion to write about Rowan County clerk Kim Davis, above, was three years ago…

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   Whatever is presented on the BBC, and I must admit I do not watch the TV, the fact is that…

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   “The curriculum had already drawn tensions among the county’s religious parents, with some worrying about appropriateness and arguing the material…

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   As someone who produced dozens of nativity plays as a teacher and a Sunday School leader, that title ‘A Gay…

DONALD Trump has said, aloud and in public, that “Christians are the most important people.” He embraces extremism, spreads disinformation, spews hate, and sows division and distrust. He has surrounded himself with zealots who have overtly and repeatedly proclaimed war against secular Americans and the values and institutions we care about the most.

These are the words of Nick Fish, above, President of American Atheists, who issued a statement in response to Trump’s victory which left millions across the globe reeling in disbelief.

The statement continues:

The incoming President and his allies have told us exactly what they’re planning to do with the power they will soon wield. Those plans are laid out in excruciating detail in Project 2025. And with nearly unchecked power over the White House, Congress, and federal courts, I fear that those plans will have devastating effects on millions of Americans.

Project 2025, according to Americans United For Separation of Church and State:

Is a plan for restructuring the federal government so that Christian Nationalists can make everyone follow their narrow religious beliefs. Right in the introduction to Project 2025 it calls for ‘deleting’ LGBTQ+ equality, reproductive freedom, and diversity, equity and inclusion from every federal rule, agency regulation, contract, grant, regulation, and piece of legislation that exists.

Fish’s statement continues:

Christian nationalist candidates, fueled by culture war propaganda, may have prevailed this election cycle, but their policies did not. In seven of the ten states with abortion-related ballot measures, Americans chose to protect or expand access to reproductive health care. In Kentucky and Nebraska, voters yet again soundly rejected school privatization measures that would use public dollars to fund religious schools. And in California, Colorado, and Hawaii, voters affirmed their support for LGBTQ rights.

Support for these and other ballot measures makes it clear the majority of Americans continue to oppose policies which elevate the beliefs of certain religious groups over the rights, wellbeing, and equality of all. For more than 60 years, American Atheists has fought against efforts to destroy our public schools, to rewrite our uniquely secular history, and to take away our constitutionally guaranteed liberties. This election only reinforces the urgency and necessity of our work — fighting in all fifty states and in communities all across the country, and building bridges with partners and allies who share our commitment to pluralistic, secular democracy.

No matter how many times Donald Trump or the extremists he’s aligned himself with repeat the lies they tell about religion in America, the facts are still the facts: the United States is and has always been a secular nation, founded not on the Bible but a deliberately secular Constitution that American Atheists will proudly and vigorously defend.

In an email to supporters, Fish wrote:

I expect hindsight will reveal the true impact of disinformation campaigns and culture war propaganda, but hindsight comes too late. We are, today, forced to confront the reality that the incoming administration considers itself at war with our secular community and the values that unite us. But it’s those values that will guide us through what’s to come. 

On Saturday, I promised you American Atheists will be here to fight back against the rising tide of religious dominionism. I meant it. We’ve been around for 61 years, and we’re going to do everything in our power to stay here through the next four and well beyond. 

Doing so will not, by any measure, be easy. But I can assure you we’re not going to make it easy for the religious extremists either. 

The very first organizational value we identified in our recent strategic planning process was boldness. We promised to be “fearless and unrelenting in our advocacy efforts to confront barriers to civil rights of atheists, never wavering in our commitment to effect real change.”

That promise weighs heavily on us today. For women, for LGBTQ people, for immigrants, for nonreligious and religious minorities, this is a scary and incredibly sad time. It is understandable to fear what this all means for ourselves, for our loved ones, and for the future of our democracy. 

But remember, too, that authoritarian regimes are fueled by those feelings of fear, despair, and isolation. In the coming days and weeks — and looking forward to 2025 and beyond — our work must continue together.

Naturally, far-right extremists in the UK were delighted with the outcome of the election, not least the detestible Tory MP Suella Braverman, who took to Facebook to share a picture of her and Trump.

She delusionally declared:

Congratulations President-elect Trump on your election victory. America is our closest ally: your success is our success. At this time of global insecurity, you can now lead the fight for democracy, prosperity & peace around the world.

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