What does the Congressional Freethought Caucus do?
The Congressional Freethought Caucus’s mission is to:
- Promote public policy formed on the basis of reason, evidence, science, and strong moral values;
- Protect the secular character of our government by adhering to the strict constitutional principle of the separation of church and state;
- Oppose government discrimination against atheists, agnostics, humanists, seekers, religious and nonreligious persons, and to champion the value of freedom of thought and conscience worldwide; and
- Provide a forum for members of Congress to discuss their moral frameworks, ethical values, and personal religious journeys.
Why is it important for Members of Congress to join?
Our Founders prohibited governmental “establishment of religion,” protected the individual’s “free exercise” of religion, banned religious tests for public office, and protected the freedoms of speech, press, conscience and assembly in our Constitution.
Our Founders separated state and church to protect a pluralistic democracy and human rights, as well as to advance science and technology and to guard the rights of individual conscience and worship. The Congressional Freethought Caucus’ mission is to uphold these values.
The presence of the Caucus reflects the acknowledgment of a wider trend in American society: Non-religious Americans — the so-called “Nones” — are the fastest-growing demographic by religious identification, now making up more than a quarter of the country, but are vastly underrepresented in our legislatures.
Caucus Members
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Rep. Jan Schakowsky | District: IL-9 | ||
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Rep. Jared Huffman | District: CA-2 | ||
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Rep. Jamie Raskin | District: MD-8 | ||
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Rep. Steve Cohen | District: TN-9 | ||
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Rep. Pramila Jayapal | District: WA-7 | ||
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Rep. Hank Johnson | District: GA-4 | ||
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Rep. Dan Kildee | District: MI-5 | ||
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Rep. Zoe Lofgren | District: CA-19 | ||
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Rep. Kevin Mullin | District: CA-15 | ||
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Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton | District: DC | ||
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Rep. Mark Pocan | District: WI-2 | ||
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Rep. Susan Wild | District: PA-7 | ||
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Rep. Sean Casten | District: IL-6 | ||
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Rep. Rashida Tlaib | District: MI-13 | ||
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Rep. Don Beyer | District: VA-8 | ||
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Rep. Jimmy Gomez | District: CA-34 | ||
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Rep. Julia Brownley | District: CA-26 |
