Secular group urges lawmakers to stay away from prayer caucus

A secular group is urging freshmen lawmakers to refrain from joining the Congressional Prayer Caucus, arguing the group discriminates against “non-religious Americans.”

In a letter sent to all the newly elected members of Congress, The American Humanist Association bashed the prayer caucus, specifically pointing legislation that re-affirmed “In God We Trust” as America’s motto and a resolution that “rejects, in the strongest possible terms, any effort to remove” references to America’s religious foundations from public places.

{mosads}“One in five Americans now identifies as nonreligious, and the numbers of nonreligious, atheist and humanist individuals in this country continue to grow,” Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the American Humanist Association, said in a statement.

“When members of Congress publicly endorse public prayer and religion, they alienate the increasing population of Americans who are good without a god as well as Americans of minority religions.”

The Association’s letter says the daily prayer in the House and Senate “relegates non-religious Americans and others who don’t pray to the status of second-class citizens.” It sent a similar letter after the 2012 elections.

The Congressional Prayer Caucus is a group of more than fifty lawmakers that exists to recognize the “vital role that prayer” plays, discussing prayer “as a fundamental and enduring feature of American life.” The group also promotes laws to support prayer.

Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.) started the caucus in 2005.