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American Humanist Association

Advocating progressive values and equality for humanists, atheists, and freethinkers

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May 22, 2013 Action Alerts, News

Arizona Humanists: Thank State Rep. Juan Mendez For Coming Out As An Atheist!

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May 22, 2013 Action Alerts, News

Dear Friend,

Exciting news! During the daily invocation before the Arizona House of Representatives, Rep. Juan Mendez instead quoted Carl Sagan and came out as a secular humanist.

Mendez said, “This room in which there are many challenging debates, many moments of tension, of ideological division, of frustration. But this is also a room where, as my Secular Humanist tradition stresses, by the very fact of being human, we have much more in common than we have differences.”

This brave move by Rep. Mendez is worthy of recognition by his constituents, not only because he opened himself up to criticism from members of the Religious Right, but because he showed people all across the nation that nonreligious government officials exist.

Show Rep. Mendez just how grateful we are for his courageous actions and thoughtful words before the Arizona House of Representatives. Click here to send a thank you message to Rep. Juan Mendez for coming out as a nontheist.

Being a nonreligious politician in America is challenging, especially in a conservative state like Arizona. What he did took strength, and his example will no doubt serve as a light in the darkness to other closeted atheists, agnostics, humanists, and freethinkers in government.

Please take a moment to thank Rep. Mendez for coming out as a secular humanist and supporting Arizona nonbelievers.

Sincerely,

Roy-signature.png 

Roy Speckhardt

Executive Director

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