When governments treat vaccine rejection as a harmless expression of individual autonomy, they abdicate their responsibility to protect public health. The cost of their callous disregard for science is borne by all of us and especially the most vulnerable.
A government that privileges one faith and suppresses another is not defending secular democracy or religious freedom for all; it’s advancing sectarian supremacy that threatens us all.
At a time when most had only known monarchies, theocracies, and despots, Thomas Paine introduced to the world the very concept of democracy as a common good.
To defend the separation of religion and government in 2026 is to defend the very foundation of democratic equality for years to come. It’s not just a niche concern for us atheists alone, but a critical effort to protect and advance the freedoms of all people.
