Maryland State Senator Jamie Raskin believes that it is possible to lead an ethical life without living in fear of an all powerful, supernatural being.
While this hardly seems like a radical idea, the state legislator, a Democrat, may make history in November if he is elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Why?
Because if he does win the seat, he will be the first openly atheist member of Congress.
Senator Raskin is not shy about his beliefs. He is a member of the non-profit group the American Humanist Association. He is also well known, especially among progressives, for a statement he made in 2006 as he testified in support of marriage equality. Addressing a Maryland state senator, Raskin said:
Elected officials “place their hand on the Bible and swear to uphold the Constitution. They don’t put their hand on the Constitution and swear to uphold the Bible.”
Raskin won his state’s primary and will face a Republican opponent in the fall. With Maryland’s history of voting Democrat, Raskin is favored to win, according to the Huffington Post. While other members of Congress have admitted to not believing in God, none has yet won a seat while labeling himself as a nontheist.
The current Congress is unusually diverse in terms of gender, race, and ethnicity. But according to the Pew Research Center, there is far less religious diversity. This is especially true of the Republicans on the Hill, whose membership includes 300 Christians and 1 Jew. No other religions are represented on the GOP side of the aisle. Certainly, there are no atheists.
The Democrats are more representative of the country, with a majority of Christians, but also including 27 Jews and a handful of Mormons, Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus. There is one member who claims no religious affiliation, but none have declared themselves atheists.
At a time when the number of atheists is on the rise in the U.S., it is surprising that Washington is not more representative of the people.
If Jamie Raskin gains a seat in the House, those who live by the principles of humanism will finally have a voice.
Featured image by Edward Kimmel via Flickr. Available through a Creative Commons License 2.0
