In 2007, the number of people in America who categorized themselves as a “none” when it came to religious affiliation was about 16 percent. This figure increased to 22.8 percent in 2014. Almost one-quarter of the people in the United States admit that they do not have religion or are not affiliated with any religious group. Thirty-five percent of the nones are Millennials who are now all of voting age and can take advantage of this status in the upcoming Presidential election. One organization is making efforts to unify the nones to give them more voting power.
Who Are the Nones?
According to the Pew Research Center, data has shown that the nones are not just atheists or humanists. More than half, 61 percent, of this group believe in a universal spirit or God. Younger Millennials, those born from 1990-1996, make up the biggest percentage of nones. The number of Baby Boomers in 2014 who classified themselves as a none was 17 percent, which is an increase from previous years. Within the Silent generation, those born from 1928-1945, which is traditionally one of the most religious groups, 11 percent identify as a none.
The Secular Coalition for America
The Pew Research data identifies the nones as the largest religious group among Democrats. With 28 percent of Democrats identifying themselves as unaffiliated, they’ve passed the number of Catholics and Evangelical Protestants, the next two largest identities. Although there are many watch groups which focus on constitutional freedoms for everyone, no organization has really focused on the voting power of this group. The Secular Coalition for America (SCA) seeks to change that.
According to its website, the SCA is a 501(c)(4) organization based in Washington, D.C., made up of 18 voting member organizations such as:
- American Atheists
- American Humanist Association
- Freedom From Religion Foundation
- Hispanic American Freethinkers
- Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers
- Black Nonbelievers, Inc.
- Ex-Muslims of North America
The mission of SCA is to strengthen the “secular character of our government” and to increase awareness of all viewpoints in the United States, including those of atheists, agnostics, freethinkers and humanists. There are state chapters, but the primary focus is at the federal level.
Who Is the Head of the Secular Coalition?
Just days ago, The Washington Post announced that the new executive director of the SCA is Larry Decker. Interestingly, Decker identifies as an “unaffiliated Christian.” The SCA has been plagued by scandals and issues prior to the announcement of his tenure. Decker has a lot of experience bringing together organizations that have had difficulty working together. Litigation surrounding the outgoing director has stalled the SCA’s objectives in recent years. It’s hoped that Decker can pull the nones together as a political statement. He has the connections in Washington, D.C., but he needs the members behind him to boost his lobbying activities.
Current Activities at the SCA
The SCA has an extensive website about voter activities and resources to increase visibility within individual communities. There’s a great section with information about what’s happening at both the federal and state levels. Although the information is a bit outdated, Decker should be bringing the organization back to its pre-scandal days quickly, before the primaries get too far underway.
It will be interesting to see what Decker can bring to the table. Bringing together these organizations into a voting block for political power could definitely impact not just the 2016 U.S. Presidential election, but the activities of the government for years to come. Hopefully, the SCA can change the climate in government to make things friendlier to everyone, no matter what their beliefs are. Some are concerned that Decker is outside the community of nonbelievers, but overall there’s a good deal of anticipation to see what he can do.