After 9/11, suspicion landed on millions of Muslims who had nothing to do with the attacks. But when Timothy McVeigh bombed Oklahoma City, nobody suggested we couldn’t tell the good Christians from the bad ones. That’s the asymmetry, and it reveals everything about our selective national memory.
Atheists advocate for religious freedom not due to belief in religion, but to uphold the rights of all individuals to choose their beliefs. Atheists understand that government favoritism can lead to discrimination against minorities, including themselves. This neutrality protects everyone’s freedom, emphasizing the importance of separating church and state for true liberty.
The current debate in American education highlights a contradiction: state laws mandate the display of the Ten Commandments while erasing uncomfortable historical lessons on slavery and racial violence. This selective narrative promotes a sanitized Christian heritage, sidelining the complexities of America’s past and the reality of oppression linked to both religion and history.
When Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted a video of himself reciting the Lord’s Prayer over military footage, ending with the words “Department of War,” it wasn’t faith, it was theater. This companion essay explores how Christian nationalism turns devotion into propaganda, why scripture contradicts it, and what history warns about when religion and state power fuse.
By Mike Gonzalez | Oct 18, 2025 | Atheistville | Heathen Hotline: (224) 307-5435 I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how movements gain power. Not the obvious kind of power. The rallies, the speeches, the viral moments. I mean the quiet kind. The kind that builds in courtrooms and think tanks and church basements….
The article discusses the critical importance of church/state separation as outlined in the First Amendment, emphasizing that this principle protects religious freedom for all. It warns against recent trends undermining this separation, notably through initiatives like Project 2025, which seeks to intertwine religion with government policy and erode constitutional protections.
On October 7, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court heard Chiles v. Salazar, debating whether Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy for minors violates First Amendment rights. Kaley Chiles, a counselor, argues the law infringes on her religious beliefs. The case raises questions about professional accountability, free speech, and child protection amidst conflicting viewpoints and scientific evidence.
A Colorado counselor argues her beliefs allow her to counsel LGBTQ+ minors against their identities, while the state deems this harmful pseudoscience. The Supreme Court will evaluate this case, Chiles v. Salazar, highlighting the conflict between evidence and belief, law and faith, and the implications for professional standards.
In this episode of Mike Drop, host Mike Smithgall takes on the Supreme Court case Chiles v. Salazar, a challenge to Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy for minors. The case asks a dangerous question: can “sincerely held belief” excuse professional harm? Mike breaks down what’s at stake, how religious arguments are being used to undermine…
Mike discusses Florida’s decision to remove school vaccine mandates, highlighting the intertwining of religion and politics that aggravates vaccine hesitancy. The episode reveals how political identity misrepresents genuine faith, impacting public health and children’s safety. It critiques the hypocrisy of “my body, my choice” rhetoric amid strict abortion regulations.
