Speeches at the State Capitol

April 30, 2025

Minnesota Atheists Associate Chair, August Berkshire – Emcee

Introduction:

Good afternoon. My name is August Berkshire and I’m the Associate Chair of Minnesota Atheists. Welcome to the Day of Reason, our alternative to the Day of Prayer. We have been hosting a Day of Reason celebration here at the Capitol almost every year since 2006. This year’s theme is: “Rally for Secular Government.”

240 years ago, in 1785, James Madison wrote:

“What influence, in fact, have ecclesiastical [church] establishments had on Civil Society? In some instances they have been seen to erect a spiritual tyranny on the ruins of the Civil authority; in many instances they have been seen upholding the thrones of political tyranny; in no instance have they been seen the guardians of the liberties of the people.“

Today we are “blessed” to have a number of great speakers, who I will introduce one by one.

Closing:

I would like to thank all of our speakers and all of you all for coming today. This concludes our Day of Reason event, but it’s only the beginning of our “Rally for Secular Government.”

President of Minnesota Atheists, Heather Hegi

Thank you for coming out today. It is so easy to be wrapped up in our own individual lives and not worry about things happening at the government. It’s hard to follow it all. I tend to gather a little information here and there rather than follow things closely. However, the things that have been occurring lately have become alarming and require closer following.

I have been alarmed by the measures being taken against the press and public broadcasting. Project 2025 has called for the stripping of government funding from NPR and Public television because they “hate the Lord.” The Trump administration has drafted a memo to Congress outlining its intent to end nearly all federal funding for public media, which includes NPR and PBS.

This is a clear case of wanting to suppress the freedom of speech and discriminate against any programming that is critical of the administration and doesn’t promote a Christian Nationalist agenda. These programs serve a public good and have earned their federal funding. That funding shouldn’t be pulled for illegitimate reasons.

I attended the American Atheists National Convention which was held in Minneapolis a week and a half ago.

The first main speaker was Eddie Tabash, a Constitutional Attorney who has followed separation of church and state issues for years. He spoke about the Supreme Court and began with saying that this is the greatest threat we have ever faced. He mentioned a selection of cases that the Supreme Court is planning to hear, cases which they have no business hearing because the lower courts made the correct judgment call. This is alarming.

I just watched the movie “Bad Faith” which was a great summary and explanation of everything we have been witnessing. One thing I think we tend to lose sight of is that Trumpism isn’t necessarily about Trump. They don’t think he is infallible. The Christian Nationalists see Trump as a Pagan King who will make way for a Christian government. He is an instrument, a wrecking ball, that will break down our current systems to make way for their theocracy.

This might sound a little far-fetched, but you must look no further than the Department of Government Efficiency he created which is slashing government agencies with no regard to the effects.

While they are cutting programs, they are letting churches continue to be tax exempt despite endorsing candidates. Recently, the IRS has abandoned its investigation into a Christian church that endorsed a candidate for political office in 2022.

They want to outright allow tax-exempt churches to endorse political candidates with the “Free Speech Fairness Act”. This bill would approve electioneering if done through “regular and customary activities in carrying out its exempt purpose.” Endorsements would qualify as too insignificant to go after under the bill.

Minnesota Atheists takes the position that tax laws for churches should be the same as those for secular charitable and educational non-profit corporations. While churches and non-profits may take positions on public policies, we support the Johnson Amendment which forbids 501c3 tax-exempt organizations to engage in electoral campaigns, and prevents them from shielding political donations from taxes.

Another bill in Congress, the “Educational Choice for Children Act”, would expand school vouchers, creating a massive federal tax shelter while funneling taxpayer dollars into religious indoctrination.

Minnesota Atheists opposes voucher programs because they provide government support for church schools which drain public school funding.

So I’ve talked about the Federal Government, but we are here in the halls of the State Capitol. I think we are doing pretty good here in Minnesota. We have an Attorney General, Keith Ellison, who stands up for our rights. He even spoke at the American Atheists convention about Secular Democracy. I am also grateful for our legislators who value secular government, and especially for those who are a part of the Secular Government Caucus.

I was talking to someone from North Carolina at the American Atheists convention about some of the bills in Minnesota that we are for and against. She made a comment that there are actually bills being put forward that we are in favor of! Yes, there are!

Some bills I would like to highlight that we support are:

• HF 2588 / SF 3462 – this is a bill establishing transparency requirements for deceptive religious organizations, that masquerade as health insurers. Health care sharing ministries are tax-exempt religious organizations that pretend to offer products better than real health insurance, with promises of low costs and caring for the “whole person”. These ministries have zero obligation to reimburse any medical expenses. One enrollee in a health care sharing ministry called about an unpaid $60,000 bill after he had a stroke. He was told, “we’ll pray for you”.

• HF 2575 / SF 271 – is a bill to require that secular recovery options be made available to those who are mandated to undergo substance abuse treatment. We don’t want people pushed into twelve step programs that refer to religious concepts like a Higher Power or a God. Secular, evidence-based treatment, should be made available, benefiting everyone who needs this help, whether religious or not.

• And there is the End of Life Options Act we would like to see passed, HF 2998 / SF 3215 which would offer people with terminal illnesses, who meet certain qualifications, to have the option to peacefully pass on their own terms.

Of course, there are some bad bills that get put forward too, such as one to mandate the posting of Ten Commandments in every public classroom, SF 2280. I don’t think it will gain much traction, but we must be vigilant and make sure our senators and representatives hear from us. There are indeed people out there who want to make this a Christian Nation. So we must stand up to that and protect our Secular Government.

Secular Government Caucus Co-chair, Representative Athena Hollins (DFL) District 66B

Good Afternoon Friends! And Happy Day of Reason!

As one of the co-chairs of the secular government caucus, I have a critical message for you.

We are standing at a dangerous crossroads in our history. Across the nation — and yes, right here in the heart of the Midwest — we see the rise of movements that threaten the very fabric of our democracy. Fascism whispers through our institutions. Autocracy creeps in under the guise of “order.” And white Christian nationalism — an ideology built not on faith, but on exclusion and dominance — marches boldly into our politics, our schools, and our laws.

Let’s be clear: this is not about religion. This is about power. This is about a minority trying to seize control — not through persuasion, not through unity, but through fear, through division, and through a toxic blend of theology and nationalism that has no place in a free society.

That is why secular government — true, unapologetic secular government — is not just important. It is urgent.

Here in Minnesota, we pride ourselves on our diversity. From the Somali communities in Minneapolis to the Scandinavian Lutheran traditions of the Iron Range, from the Ojibwe and Dakota nations to the vibrant interfaith coalitions in the Twin Cities — we are many, we are different, and we are stronger for it. That strength only holds when no one religion is given special favor by the state.

Secularism is the common ground that protects all beliefs — Christian, Muslim, Jewish, atheist, Indigenous spirituality — and protects us from those who would hijack religion for political gain.

It is not an attack on religion — it is the firewall that keeps the cross from becoming a cudgel, the Bible from becoming a ballot, and prayer from being twisted into policy.

We know the danger. We’ve seen politicians weaponize “God and country” to ban books, erase queer identities, demonize immigrants, and strip women of their reproductive rights. We’ve seen school boards infiltrated by extremist groups who want to rewrite history and science to fit their ideology. And we’ve seen attempts — even in our own state — to chip away at the wall between church and state.

But Minnesota does not back down. We are not neutral in the face of injustice. We are not silent when liberty is threatened.

Secular government is not just a constitutional principle — it is a moral one. It is the only way to ensure freedom of religion and freedom from religion. It’s what lets us all live together in dignity, without fear that someone else’s god will become our ruler.

So if they come waving crosses like swords and dressing hatred up as “values,” we say this: Not in our state. Not on our watch.

We will fight for a democracy that belongs to everyone, not just those in the pews of the loudest churches. And we will keep Minnesota a place where freedom isn’t just preached — it’s practiced and it’s protected.

So stand proud today — in this day of reason. Not just in resistance, but in commitment. Stand for your neighbor’s right to worship or not worship. Stand for your child’s right to learn facts, not dogma. Stand for a government that answers to the people — not to preachers.

This is not just our fight — it is our duty. Because the moment religion and government become one, freedom dies.

Thank you.

Minnesota Atheists Director-at-Large, Steve Petersen

As we gather here today for our annual Day of Reason, we reflect on lawmakers who all love to talk about freedom and how they are for freedom for the individual. However, not all declarations of freedom are the same. Christian Nationalists want the government to enact their narrow religious perspective as established law of the land and use government to limit the rights of many of us at this rally. We say NO!

We wish to educate lawmakers that freedom and equality under the law are the only way to enable each of us freedom to be ourselves. Timothy Snyder in the book On Freedom makes the point that freedom comes from each of us and not the government. “When I see people who are atheists, secular humanists, and all the different religious believers — even those I disagree with — I see freedom. When I see people of different sexualities freely expressing and embracing their sexuality, I see freedom.” Snyder goes on to say that if freedom comes from “we the people,” what then is the role of government? Well, it is to provide a safe place for individuals to express their freedoms. We want to tell lawmakers not to pick sides by favoring one narrow religious view, making them the government’s preferred citizen. All of us are preferred citizens and should be treated with equality, fairness and respect. The role of the secularist is to enable individual freedoms by not granting privileges for one group over another.

Those of us at this rally disagree with the Christian Nationalist perspective. The ironic part is, while Christian Nationalists want to suppress our views through government decree, we, who support secular governing, do not want to suppress differing perspectives. All views, even those we disagree with, have a right to be heard. We would like to educate those who do not know us or understand us or who are afraid of us, to understand that all of our viewpoints should have equal standing under the law. Discussions about religion, sex and politics are difficult, but we need these discussions to find our common ground and find a way to remove narrow-minded thinking. Diversity is our country’s unique and special power. We need more voices not less, we need more openness not less.

I am a heterosexual male and with my partner we have attended Pride events for years. Why? Because these events are safe places for so many to fully express their sexuality in a safe and protective environment. Pride events are an example of freedom in action. Our atheist booth is mixed in with the religious booths. Attendees can stop and talk with any of us, and guess what? We all get along. At Pride events love is in the air, in our minds and attendees can freely express their love for one an another in a nonjudgmental atmosphere.

With our national political structure in chaos — the abyss of the unknown, it is up to each of us, as individuals, to step up and make our voices heard. Legislators separate your personal religious beliefs from your rational governing, and our individual freedoms, as those freedoms are ours and ours alone. And if they are highjacked for political reason we will hold you accountable.

Minnesota Atheists Public Policy Committee Chair, George Francis Kane

Minnesota Atheists normally confines its political expression to opposition to government violations of the religion clauses of the First Amendment. These violations are now more widespread, severe and pervasive throughout government than at any time since Minnesota Atheists was founded. There is plenty for us to complain about.

But in the current push to expand the authority and power of the Executive branch of the federal government, religious freedom is not the principal target. All civil rights are under siege, to squelch any opposition to presidential demands.

We are seeing billions of dollars in federal grants being withheld to extort private universities to surrender their rights over curriculum, admissions and the hiring and firing university staff. We are seeing the Department of Justice initiate suits to punish and silence law firms that have opposed the administration in court. We are seeing the government threaten to terminate the tax-exempt status of nonprofit organizations that have criticized federal actions.

The targets of this last threat include the national secularist organizations, such as the Freedom from Religion Foundation, American Atheists, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the American Humanist Association. These organizations have discussed joining in a mutual defense network, but no one knows if the administration might even initiate legal actions designed to shut down the state level secularist organizations, such as Minnesota Atheists and Humanists MN. We must, therefore, be ready to move the focus of our concern for government abuses away from the religion clauses to threats to our existence based on political positions disfavored by this administration.

The local organizations take care to avoid electoral endorsements, as required by the Johnson Amendment. Ironically, the administration is trying to rescind the Johnson Amendment so that churches will be able to launder campaign donations through their tax-exemptions. But Humanists MN advocates for political issues that conform to their Humanist values, and Minnesota Atheists advocates for strict observation of the Establishment Clause, and so we find ourselves in political opposition to conflicting government policies. We may be required to fight for our rights to constitutionally protected speech. We are confident in this fight in the support of you, our members.