Our Non-Christian Nation: How Atheists, Satanists, Pagans, and Others Are Demanding Their Rightful Place in Public Life. By Jay Wexler

Abstract

In this book, law professor and humorist Jay Wexler argues that the Supreme Court has moved toward a looser understanding of the separation of church and state, now cemented with the appointments of Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh; and that, in response, religious minorities have increasingly come forward demanding their place alongside the Christian majority in the public square through such activities as requesting to give prayer invocations before city council meetings, attempting to place religious monuments on government property, receiving school vouchers and other forms of federal money, and organizing religious clubs that meet in public schools. Wexler’s primary purpose is simply to explain and explore this wave of public activity from minority religions. To research this book, he travelled the country and conducted participant observation with Muslims, Pagans, Satanists, and even Summum, a little-known new religious movement based in Salt Lake City. Wexler notes that when these minority religions claim the same rights as Christians, the response from the religious majority has frequently been “distressingly hostile, ignorant, and hateful” (8). In several cases, government bodies decided to close open forums to religion entirely rather than allow Satanists or other maligned religions to participate. Wexler concludes that as the Supreme Court loosens its interpretation of the Establishment Clause, it is now more important than ever for religious minorities to demand equal footing with Christians. He writes, “Only by insisting on exercising these rights can Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Atheists, and everybody else ensure that the Court’s new religious jurisprudence does not result in a public space occupied exclusively by Christian messages and symbols. At stake is nothing less than our national public life” (10).