Edwina Rogers
Executive Director Edwina Rogers Discusses the Secular Coalition for America’s Lobbying Efforts
Despite the pervasive religious privilege and influence in American culture and politics, the secular community is growing. The PEW Research Center recently reported that 19 percent of Americans identify with no religion. The Secular Coalition for American lobbies for this constituency in Washington D.C., led by Executive Director Edwina Rogers, who was hired in May. Rogers discusses the coalition’s 50-state expansion goal, the current presidential race, and her republican party affiliation and past, among other topics.
The Friendly Atheist has a good take on the initial reaction to Ms. Rogers’ appointment.
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2012/05/08/cautiously-pessimistic-greta-christina%E2%80%99s-interview-with-edwina-rogers/
Ms. Rogers appointment haled the beginning of the end for the Secular Coalition of America. Hiring marginally knowledgeable hacks with a history of working for politicians and organizations whose policies are the antithesis of secular free-thought is the death knell.
Her song and dance about how the Republic Party and their policies historically support the separation of church and state makes one nauseous.
To provide a quote to prove that this woman is nothing but a clueless, hired gun who will work for anyone with a buck, here a portion of her interview with Hemant Mehta:
“You have an extensive political resume… with the GOP. You worked for Senator Trent Lott when he was Majority Leader. You handled health policy for Senator Jeff Sessions. You were a General Counsel to the National Republican Senatorial Committee in 1994 (the year Newt Gingrich made headlines for his role in the Republican takeover of Congress). Put very bluntly, you’ve worked for the “other side” for decades.
Why should we trust you now to work for us after a career spent working for people who seem to be actively against us?
Answer from Ms. Rogers:
“I think it’s a misconception that the majority of Republicans are lined up against the secular movement. As someone who has been an insider within the Republican Party, I’m certain it’s not the consensus of the majority of Republicans to have an [overt] influence of religion on our laws. Having said that, no one agrees with everyone they work with on every single issue. In these roles I never worked on anything having to do with issues of religion — I worked primarily on economic issues.”
Maybe, or actually in my opinion, the rest of the republicans (I’, talking about politicians here, not the masses)are just like Ms. Rogers: they will go where they feel they can win. When the non-religious in this country become more powerful, the republican politicians will swear they never heard of Jesus or christianity at all.
Interesting Stat: 18% unaffiliated with any church. It would be misleading to think that this means that they are not religious however. Many religious people don’t belong to churches, but still believe in God. The percent of people who say they are atheists, as you note, is only 6% – and that includes agnostics.