The good news: California’s 13th district Representative Pete Stark has worked with the Secular Coalition for America to reveal himself as the first openly non-theist in the United States Congress ever. That takes a lot of courage, especially when there are many Americans who openly acknowledge that they will discriminate against any non-religious candidate for public office.

The bad news: Not a single other member of Congress was even willing to acknowledge in private to the Secular Coalition of America to not being a theist.

About ten percent of Americans in general are non-theists. A even higher rate than that among educated professionals - the sort of people who get into Congress - are non-theists.

So, we can be very confidence that there are a lot more non-theists in Congress than just Pete Stark. However, they’re too intimidated by American religious bigotry to admit it.

In these days when the Religious Right has bullied American liberty into a corner, we all suffer from their intimidation.

Thank you, Pete Stark, for showing them the way.