A Reasonable Rally

It is time to come out of the closet, dispel stereotypes, and continue fighting oppressive legislative inequality. Same-sex marriage is important, but on March 24th, atheists, agnostics, and secular humanists throughout the country will gather on the mall in Washington D.C. to celebrate what we’re told will be “the largest secular event in world history.” The eagerly anticipated 2012 Reason Rally will commence near the Washington Monument with the intent to “unify, energize, and embolden secular people nationwide, while dispelling the negative opinions held by so much of American society.” The focus is positive. The event will feature musicians, advocacy representatives, inspirational speakers, actors, poets, and even the high-schooler from Rhode Island who sued because of her school’s prayer poster.

This great camp meeting is a call for all those who are living a god-free lifestyle to join their comrades for support and appreciation: You are not alone. Indeed, reports the Reason Rally website (citing a 2008 American Religious Identification Survey), “the percentage of people with no religion affiliation grew in all fifty states.” How much? Who cares; it grew. And Richard Dawkins is coming.

To be fair, the website tries to say that this is not an anti-religious event, and reminds readers that theists are quite capable of political representation. But equally fair, it seems, is the question: What exactly is being celebrated if not freedom from the supposed oppression of religion and its vigorous opposition in the public square?