Openly Secular Allies with Interfaith Alliance

The Openly Secular campaign is honored to announce that Interfaith Alliance is now an official allied organization. Interfaith Alliance was founded in 1994 to celebrate religious freedom and to challenge the bigotry and hatred arising from religious and political extremism infiltrating American politics. Today, Interfaith Alliance has a membership representing more than 75 faith traditions, as well of those of no particular faith tradition.

Interfaith Alliance joins the American Civil Liberty Union (ACLU), People for the American Way, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation and others as allies. The addition of Interfaith Alliance brings new religious voices to this conversation about secularity.

“We are thrilled to welcome Interfaith Alliance, as an ally,” said Openly Secular Director Robyn Blumner. “Its mission, to protect the right of Americans to worship — or not worship – as their conscience dictates and alleviate misunderstanding among people of various faiths or no faith at all, dovetails with Openly Secular’s mission to eliminate discrimination and increase acceptance of secular people. We look forward to working together to advance our shared agenda to create a more inclusive nation.”

Along with its 20-plus years of fighting against religious discrimination and working to keep religious ideology from intruding in government and politics, Interfaith Alliance has taken up the cause of the nonreligious as well. By opposing school prayer and school vouchers, and demanding reform to the Faith-Based Initiative and the way the government contracts with religious organizations, Interfaith Alliance has worked to ensure that a person’s access to government services, schools and the public life is never dependent on their willingness to express a religious belief.

Rabbi Jack Moline, the Executive Director of Interfaith Alliance, said that forming an alliance with Openly Secular made sense on many levels.

“I am proud to live in a country where I can practice my Jewish faith freely and without hesitation,” said Rabbi Jack Moline. “I do so knowing that not so long ago that was a right denied to many Jews like myself in this country. Sadly that anxiety and fear is still all too present for those who consider themselves secular, atheist, humanist or agnostic. My faith commitments are not diminished by the free will choices of others; indeed, we are all more secure when every matter of conscience is honored.  Interfaith Alliance stands with Openly Secular because we understand that if religious freedom is to be a concept worth defending, than its promise must extend to every American regardless of their faith or belief.”