By James Haught
Americans who say their religion is “none” delivered the White House to the Biden-Harris Democratic ticket in the 2020 election.
That’s the conclusion of a top socio-political researcher, Dr. Ryan Burge of Eastern Illinois University.
“I think that Joe Biden should thank the ‘nones’ for being the president-elect right now,” Dr. Burge wrote for the Religion in Public website.
“Nones” generally hold compassionate social values, thus they’ve become the largest faith segment in the Democratic Party base. Dr. Burge outlined how they’re a powerhouse progressive-liberal political force in America.
“Half of white liberals today identify as religiously unaffiliated,” he said. He said atheists and agnostics gave about 80 percent of their votes to Biden-Harris in key battleground states. Those who say their faith is “nothing in particular” went Democratic by two-to-one.
Of course, in any election, victory can be attributed to several voting blocs. Biden-Harris also couldn’t have won without black votes, or labor union votes, or Hispanic votes, etc. But it’s significant that the churchless now are a mighty political machine.
“We represent maybe 30 percent or so of Democratic voters,” says Harvard and MIT humanist chaplain Greg Epstein, who headed Humanists For Biden-Harris, sponsored by Secular Democrats of America. Other skeptic groups also pushed get-out-the-vote efforts among the godless.
Ever since The Enlightenment, Western progress has hinged on liberal reformers defeating entrenched conservatives — wiping out slavery — letting women vote — letting couples use birth control — giving Social Security pensions to retirees — providing unemployment compensation to the jobless — halting segregation of blacks — creating Medicare for retirees and Medicaid for the poor — halting persecution of gays — etc.
Will this progress continue? Will universal healthcare become a human right for everyone? Will college become affordable without monstrous debt? Will climate disaster be averted? Will white police be restrained from killing unarmed black men? Will women’s right to choose remain secure? Will the rest of the progressive agenda be attained?
Much depends on whether churchless “nones” continue rising as a major left-wing force in America. We in the secular community should pursue this goal in every way possible.
Meanwhile, it’s heartening to see the 2020 Democratic victory attributed to Americans who have no religion.
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*Associates and resources listing last updated May 31, 2020.*
Canadian Atheist Associates: Godless Mom, Nice Mangoes, Sandwalk, Brainstorm Podcast, Left at the Valley, Life, the Universe & Everything Else, The Reality Check, Bad Science Watch, British Columbia Humanist Association, Dying With Dignity Canada, Canadian Secular Alliance, Centre for Inquiry Canada, Kelowna Atheists, Skeptics, and Humanists Association.
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Other National/Local Resources: Association humaniste du Québec, Atheist Freethinkers, Central Ontario Humanist Association, Comox Valley Humanists, Grey Bruce Humanists, Halton-Peel Humanist Community, Hamilton Humanists, Humanist Association of London, Humanist Association of Ottawa, Humanist Association of Toronto, Humanists, Atheists and Agnostics of Manitoba, Ontario Humanist Society, Secular Connextions Seculaire, Secular Humanists in Calgary, Society of Free Thinkers (Kitchener-Waterloo/Cambridge/Guelph), Thunder Bay Humanists, Toronto Oasis, Victoria Secular Humanist Association.
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Other International/Outside Canada Resources: Allianz vun Humanisten, Atheisten an Agnostiker, American Atheists, American Humanist Association, Associação Brasileira de Ateus e AgnósticoséééBrazilian Association of Atheists and Agnostics, Atheist Alliance International, Atheist Alliance of America, Atheist Centre, Atheist Foundation of Australia, The Brights Movement, Center for Inquiry (including Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science), Atheist Ireland, Camp Quest, Inc., Council for Secular Humanism, De Vrije Gedachte, European Humanist Federation, Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations, Foundation Beyond Belief, Freedom From Religion Foundation, Humanist Association of Ireland, Humanist International, Humanist Association of Germany, Humanist Association of Ireland, Humanist Society of Scotland, Humanists UK, Humanisterna/Humanists Sweden, Internet Infidels, International League of Non-Religious and Atheists, James Randi Educational Foundation, League of Militant Atheists, Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers, National Secular Society, Rationalist International, Recovering From Religion, Religion News Service, Secular Coalition for America, Secular Student Alliance, The Clergy Project, The Rational Response Squad, The Satanic Temple, The Sunday Assembly, United Coalition of Reason, Union of Rationalist Atheists and Agnostics.
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Image Credit: James Haught.