Editor’s Note: This week “The Wall of Separation” blog continues to recount the top 10 church-state stories from 2023. Today we look at Americans United’s “One nation, all beliefs” pledge and its campaign to urge Americans to publicly declare their support for separation of church and state.
“One nation, all beliefs.”
That simple – but profound message – is the rallying cry around a new campaign launched by Americans United this year to urge Americans to declare their support for separation of church and state and the religious freedom it gives us.
In the wake of recent, devastating Supreme Court decisions, AU President and CEO Rachel Laser declared an urgent need for a national recommitment to church-state separation. “Americans who value freedom and equality must rededicate themselves to reestablishing the separation of church and state across the United States,” Laser said in June 2022 on the heels of the decision in AU’s Kennedy v. Bremerton School District case.
The “One Nation, All Beliefs” pledge, which you can read and sign here, was launched this year as a simple yet powerful way people can signal their commitment to this foundational principle. The pledge – which thousands have signed – makes it clear that church-state separation does more than protect our right to worship, or not, as we see fit. It also safeguards reproductive freedom, LBGTQ+ rights, secular public education that welcomes all, and so much more.
On AU’s site, you can find resources to promote the pledge on social media and watch a video featuring Laser interview actors Bradley Whitford and Amy Landecker, both of whom have signed the pledge.
The pledge is just a start. It’s part of AU’s broader call for a national recommitment to the separation of church and state, which you’ll be hearing about a lot in the coming months and years.
For now, please sign the pledge and share it with family and friends. Be proud to let everyone know that you support separation of church and state!
