Here's how to help keep religion out of government
Getting Started
Be "out" and open about your atheism, humanism, or secularism whenever possible. Most importantly, advocate vocally for keeping religion out of government. Explain how it benefits everyone.
Support local freethought organizations in your area. Here is a list of groups in Central Florida. Here is a list of groups across the state. And here is a tool you can use to find groups around the country.
Educate yourself and know where to go for help with questions about possible violations. We recommend the Freedom From Religion Foundation, American Humanist Association, and Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. They are all fantastic organizations who are passionate about the work they do. If you have a special interest in schools as we do, here is a succinct guide on the major public school issues and here is an excellent (and free) book for a deeper dive into the issues with citations from case law.
Remember that the Establishment Clause protects citizens from government. Elected officials and employees of government agencies sometimes assume they are in the role of citizen while at work. In some ways they are, but when they interact with the public, even passively, they are in effect "the State." If they promote religion in their official capacity, they may have violated the State’s and U.S. Constitution's Establishment Clauses.
Some of the organizations listed above cannot work on criminal cases, family law, workplace, or private discrimination or harassment. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) might be a good place to start for help in these areas.
Simple Tasks
Be on the lookout for the promotion of religion on official web sites and social media pages. There are several ways to do that described below. Be particularly watchful for religious organizations and houses of worship which rent public/government spaces. If you are suspicious of religious entanglement or just want to confirm that the agency is properly charging rent, request records from the agency including invoices and cancelled checks. Religious organizations and houses of worship should generally pay the same rental rates as other 501(c)(3) organizations.
Team Projects
Do you have a few people who can work together on some bigger issues? Try these ideas:
Focus on a known violator. Whether a county sheriff, a local school, or a particular agency, if they have demonstrated a lack of regard for the Establishment Clause, you may find additional violations.
If a violation is related to a scheduled event that may occur again later (monthly, yearly, etc.) mark your calendar so you can check back to see if it happens again.
Use a schedule to follow up and track recurring events (see recurring events list below). Don't assume that because you have sent a complaint and received a promise that the issue won't come up again in the future.
Educate your members and friends. Schedule workshops and discussion events to share what you know and make a list of all of the questions the group has. Get those questions answered so everyone is on the same page.
Educate the public, in the ways most appropriate for your group, about the need to keep religion out of government . Have a table or booth at a local event.
Work with other organizations with the same goals. You may be able to divide the work you're doing and share the load.
Consider forming a chapter or affiliating with a national organization. Check out the list on our Allies page.
Sources:
Who to watch
Government offices and agencies (all departments)
Courts (all levels)
Law enforcement (city, county, state)
Public schools (K-12 and college)
Athletic and academic teams, music and theater groups, JROTC, student-led clubs
PTA / boosters / alumni organizations
Renting organizations (churches and religious after-school care)
Churches who have a record of using government resources
Religious organizations with missions that bring them into government spaces
Prior offenders who have demonstrated an ignorance of or disregard for the law
Have other ideas for us? Let us know on our Contact page.
Methods:
Here's how to be "Pro-active"
The people you know and those who follow the work of your organization
Social media accounts of the sources above
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Vimeo, & Instagram are the most common
There may be multiple accounts in each municipality, school, etc. and there may be multiple types of social media platforms used
Follow the accounts and pages that those pages are following
Create Google Alerts for all keywords (see below) to harvest information for your area
Browse websites of the sources above including new pages, announcements, calendar events
Use the site's own search for keywords
Google Advanced Search techniques
Google Custom Search engine creation for targeted searches
Subscribe to eNewsletters of the sources above, your allies, and your foes
News media
Get to know local journalists
Look for keywords in local media (use Google Alerts with site search techniques)
Drive-by & drop-in to government sites and events
Government meeting participation
Conduct secular invocations
Got other ideas for us? Let us know on our Contact page.
Keywords:
Search for these
In no particular order:
[your organization name]
[your parent organization name]
[names of your spokespersons]
Creationism
Creationist
Evolution
Baccalaureate
Invocation
Prayer
Pray
Chaplain
Atheism
Atheist
Humanism
Humanist
Freethought
Freethinker
Parochial
Voucher
“Inspirational message”
“Team chaplain”
“Freedom of religion”
“Religious freedom”
“Religious liberty”
“Blue law”
“Establishment clause”
“Free Exercise clause”
“First amendment”
“See you at the pole”
“Church bulletin discount”
“National day of prayer”
“Team prayer”
“Pregame prayer”
“Post-game prayer”
“Alcoholics anonymous”
“Ten commandments”
“Fellowship of Christian Athletes”
“Good News Club”
“Child Evangelism Fellowship”
Recurring Events:
Mark your calendar
Martin Luther King Day - 3rd Mon in Jan.
National Day of Prayer - 1st Thu. in May
Memorial Day - Last Mon. in May
Patriot Day - Sep 11th
See You at The Pole - 4th Thu. in Sept.
Bring your bible to school day - 1st Thursday in Oct.
Veterans Day - Nov 11th
Pulpit Freedom Sunday - In the weeks preceding election day - More here adf.org
Locally-important anniversaries/events
Annual awards events in your area
Swearing in/Oath of office ceremonies
Graduation & baccalaureate season
Sports seasons
Religious holidays