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With the percentage of non-believers in the United States approximately equivalent to the African American population, the Atheist movement is hoping for the same influence in light of the new administration. Recently they got the chance to meet with White house officials to discuss according to ABC news: "religiously based child abuse issues, so-called faith-healing" and religious child care being exempt from some health and safety laws; the "pervasive" religious atmosphere in the military and ways in which troops "with non-theistic views are made to feel unwelcome"; and faith-based initiatives".
The groups was excited to for the briefing with Tina Tchen and Paul Monteiro, the director and associate director of the White House Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs; Bryan H. Samuels, Commissioner of the Administration on Children, Youth and Families at Health and Human Services; and Mazen Basrawi, Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the Department of Justice. They also pointed to the President's inaugural speech in which he includes non-believers in the patchwork that makes America a great nation.
Even though this their first meeting with representatives of the Obama administration, according to ABC news the Coalition has approached the Education Department to ensure that "non-theistic" children are included in the Safe Schools Act, which works to make sure children in American public schools don’t feel threatened by their environment, and to express concern about organizations "like the Good News Club," which allows adults to proselytize to public school students on school grounds.
-O.Lucius
