Happy National Day of Reason 2026!

Now, more than ever, America needs a Day of Reason.

With Christian nationalist influence in Congress, and with the threat to our judiciary looming large, it has never been so important to affirm our commitment to the constitutional wall of separation between religion and government, and to celebrate reason as the guiding principle of our secular democracy.

During the past year we have witnessed the intrusion of religious ideology into all spheres of our government, with assaults on the wall separating church and state that include the following:

• Faith-based initiatives in federal agencies that give preferential treatment to religious organizations which proselytize and employ discriminatory hiring practices;
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• Restrictions on important scientific research on the basis of religious objections;
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• Attempts to introduce biblical creationism and its alter-ego “Intelligent Design” into our public school science curricula;
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• The appointment of judges who willingly place their religious beliefs above our laws;
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• Battles over the display of the Ten Commandments and other overtly religious icons in schools and on courthouses;
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• Religiously motivated restrictions on access to reproductive services and information; and
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• The push to place chaplains in public schools.
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• Increased attacks on access to abortion, IVF, and other reproductive healthcare across the states
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• Ramped up repression of the rights LGBTQIA+ people, particularly trans* youth, and their families

As in previous years, this year’s National Day of Reason occurs in close proximity with the congressionally mandated and federally supported National Day of Prayer. We thank all who value the separation of religion and government & join us in commemorating this year’s Day of Reason, and in building awareness for this important cause.

What can you do to demonstrate your support for a Day of Reason?

• Plan a special event to commemorate the NDoR, such as a teach-in, special lecture, or social gathering;
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• Host a Lobby Day at your state capitol;
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• Work to have a Day of Reason proclaimed by your state or local government;
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• Hold a press conference for your local media to promote respect for the separation of religion and government, and to draw attention to the many breaches of that principle during recent months;
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• Organize a letter-writing campaign urging your elected officials to support the separation of religion and government;
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• Write op eds or letters to the editor to spread awareness;
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• Visit the National Day of Reason website to view planned events and read media coverage from previous years.

We invite individuals and organizations to submit information about their plans to commemorate the National Day of Reason and their efforts to educate the public about the important underlying issues. Those conducting events, activism or outreach in their communities will be featured on this site so that activists can readily identify opportunities to organize and participate in local events.

There is great potential this year to give voice to our shared concerns about the serious threats to the wall separating church and state. We hope that you will visit our site, and we look forward to hearing about your plans to observe the National Day of Reason.

For more information about The National Day Of Reason, visit the website:
http://nationaldayofreason.org/

Happy National Day of Reason 2025!

Celebrated the first Thursday of every May, today is the National Day Of Reason. It is more important now than ever to promote reason and truth; we (our country, our government, and Democracy itself) barely survived the last administration which has returned to destroy the fabric of our lives. There is a large segment of the citizenry who don't care about facts or reality or obvious consequences such as spreading a deadly pandemic. We need Reason, Logic, and Action, not thoughts and prayers.

The National Day of Reason was created by the American Humanist Association and the Washington Area Secular Humanists in 2003. In addition to serving as a holiday for constitutionalists and secularists, the National Day of Reason was created in response to the perceived unconstitutionality of the National Day of Prayer.

The National Day Of Reason site says:

NOW, MORE THAN EVER, AMERICA NEEDS A DAY OF REASON.

With the religious right’s influence in Congress, and with the threat to our judiciary looming large, there has never been as important a moment in which to affirm our commitment to the constitutional separation of religion and government, and to celebrate reason as the guiding principle of our secular democracy.

During the past year we have witnessed the intrusion of religious ideology into all spheres of our government, with such assaults on the wall separating church and state as:

Faith-based initiatives in federal agencies that give preferential treatment to religious organizations which proselytize and employ discriminatory hiring practices;

Restrictions on important scientific research on the basis of religious objections;

Attempts to introduce biblical creationism and its alter-ego “Intelligent Design” into our public school science curricula;

The appointment of judges who willingly place their religious beliefs above our laws;

Battles over the display of the Ten Commandments and other overtly religious icons in schools and on courthouses;

Religiously motivated restrictions on access to reproductive services and information.

As in previous years, this year’s National Day of Reason occurs in close proximity with the congressionally mandated and federally supported National Day of Prayer. We thank all who value the separation of religion and government & join us in commemorating this year’s Day of Reason, and in building awareness for this important cause.

For more information about The National Day Of Reason, visit the website:
http://nationaldayofreason.org/

Happy National Day of Reason 2024!

Celebrated the first Thursday of every May, today is the National Day Of Reason. It is more important now than ever to promote reason and truth; we (our country, our government, and Democracy itself) barely survived the last administration which is threatening to return and destroy the fabric of our lives. There is a large segment of the citizenry who don't care about facts or reality or obvious consequences such as spreading a deadly pandemic. We need Reason, Logic, and Action, not thoughts and prayers.

The National Day of Reason was created by the American Humanist Association and the Washington Area Secular Humanists in 2003. In addition to serving as a holiday for constitutionalists and secularists, the National Day of Reason was created in response to the perceived unconstitutionality of the National Day of Prayer.

The National Day Of Reason site says:

NOW, MORE THAN EVER, AMERICA NEEDS A DAY OF REASON.

With the religious right’s influence in Congress, and with the threat to our judiciary looming large, there has never been as important a moment in which to affirm our commitment to the constitutional separation of religion and government, and to celebrate reason as the guiding principle of our secular democracy.

During the past year we have witnessed the intrusion of religious ideology into all spheres of our government, with such assaults on the wall separating church and state as:

Faith-based initiatives in federal agencies that give preferential treatment to religious organizations which proselytize and employ discriminatory hiring practices;

Restrictions on important scientific research on the basis of religious objections;

Attempts to introduce biblical creationism and its alter-ego “Intelligent Design” into our public school science curricula;

The appointment of judges who willingly place their religious beliefs above our laws;

Battles over the display of the Ten Commandments and other overtly religious icons in schools and on courthouses;

Religiously motivated restrictions on access to reproductive services and information.

As in previous years, this year’s National Day of Reason occurs in close proximity with the congressionally mandated and federally supported National Day of Prayer. We thank all who value the separation of religion and government & join us in commemorating this year’s Day of Reason, and in building awareness for this important cause.

For more information about The National Day Of Reason, visit the website:
http://nationaldayofreason.org/

Happy National Day of Reason 2023!

Celebrated the first Thursday of every May, today is the National Day Of Reason. It is more important now than ever to promote reason and truth; we (our country, our government, and Democracy itself) barely survived the last administration and there are still huge groups who continue to believe in bizarre conspiracy theories that threaten the fabric of our lives. There is a large segment of the citizenry who don't care about facts or reality or obvious consequences such as spreading a deadly pandemic. We need Reason, Logic, and Action, not thoughts and prayers.

The National Day of Reason was created by the American Humanist Association and the Washington Area Secular Humanists in 2003. In addition to serving as a holiday for constitutionalists and secularists, the National Day of Reason was created in response to the perceived unconstitutionality of the National Day of Prayer.

The National Day Of Reason site says:

NOW, MORE THAN EVER, AMERICA NEEDS A DAY OF REASON.

With the religious right’s influence in Congress, and with the threat to our judiciary looming large, there has never been as important a moment in which to affirm our commitment to the constitutional separation of religion and government, and to celebrate reason as the guiding principle of our secular democracy.

During the past year we have witnessed the intrusion of religious ideology into all spheres of our government, with such assaults on the wall separating church and state as:

Faith-based initiatives in federal agencies that give preferential treatment to religious organizations which proselytize and employ discriminatory hiring practices;

Restrictions on important scientific research on the basis of religious objections;

Attempts to introduce biblical creationism and its alter-ego “Intelligent Design” into our public school science curricula;

The appointment of judges who willingly place their religious beliefs above our laws;

Battles over the display of the Ten Commandments and other overtly religious icons in schools and on courthouses;

Religiously motivated restrictions on access to reproductive services and information.

As in previous years, this year’s National Day of Reason occurs in close proximity with the congressionally mandated and federally supported National Day of Prayer. We thank all who value the separation of religion and government & join us in commemorating this year’s Day of Reason, and in building awareness for this important cause.

For more information about The National Day Of Reason, visit the website:
http://nationaldayofreason.org/

Happy National Day of Reason 2022!

Celebrated the first Thursday of every May, today is the National Day Of Reason. It is more important now than ever to promote reason and truth; we (our country, our government, and Democracy itself) barely survived the last administration and there are still huge groups who continue to believe in bizarre conspiracy theories that threaten the fabric of our lives. There is a large segment of the citizenry who don't care about facts or reality or obvious consequences such as spreading a deadly pandemic. We need Reason, Logic, and Action, not thoughts and prayers.

The National Day of Reason was created by the American Humanist Association and the Washington Area Secular Humanists in 2003. In addition to serving as a holiday for constitutionalists and secularists, the National Day of Reason was created in response to the perceived unconstitutionality of the National Day of Prayer.

The National Day Of Reason site says:

NOW, MORE THAN EVER, AMERICA NEEDS A DAY OF REASON.
With the religious right’s influence in Congress, and with the threat to our judiciary looming large, there has never been as important a moment in which to affirm our commitment to the constitutional separation of religion and government, and to celebrate reason as the guiding principle of our secular democracy.

During the past year we have witnessed the intrusion of religious ideology into all spheres of our government, with such assaults on the wall separating church and state as:

Faith-based initiatives in federal agencies that give preferential treatment to religious organizations which proselytize and employ discriminatory hiring practices;

Restrictions on important scientific research on the basis of religious objections;

Attempts to introduce biblical creationism and its alter-ego “Intelligent Design” into our public school science curricula;

The appointment of judges who willingly place their religious beliefs above our laws;

Battles over the display of the Ten Commandments and other overtly religious icons in schools and on courthouses;

Religiously motivated restrictions on access to reproductive services and information.

As in previous years, this year’s National Day of Reason coincides with the congressionally mandated and federally supported National Day of Prayer on Thursday, May 6, 2022. We thank all who value the separation of religion and government & join us in commemorating this year’s Day of Reason, and in building awareness for this important cause.

For more information about The National Day Of Reason, visit the website:

http://nationaldayofreason.org/

Happy National Day of Reason 2021!

Celebrated the first Thursday of every May, today is the National Day Of Reason. It is more important now than ever to promote reason and truth; we (our country, our government, and Democracy itself) barely survived the last four years of the last administration yet there are still huge groups who continue to believe in bizarre conspiracy theories that threaten the fabric of our lives. There is a large segment of the citizenry since who don't care about facts or reality or obvious consequences such as spreading a deadly pandemic. We need Reason, Logic, and Action, not thoughts and prayers.

The National Day of Reason was created by the American Humanist Association and the Washington Area Secular Humanists in 2003. In addition to serving as a holiday for constitutionalists and secularists, the National Day of Reason was created in response to the perceived unconstitutionality of the National Day of Prayer.

The National Day Of Reason site says:

NOW, MORE THAN EVER, AMERICA NEEDS A DAY OF REASON.
With the religious right’s influence in Congress, and with the threat to our judiciary looming large, there has never been as important a moment in which to affirm our commitment to the constitutional separation of religion and government, and to celebrate reason as the guiding principle of our secular democracy.

During the past year we have witnessed the intrusion of religious ideology into all spheres of our government, with such assaults on the wall separating church and state as:

Faith-based initiatives in federal agencies that give preferential treatment to religious organizations which proselytize and employ discriminatory hiring practices;

Restrictions on important scientific research on the basis of religious objections;

Attempts to introduce biblical creationism and its alter-ego “Intelligent Design” into our public school science curricula;

The appointment of judges who willingly place their religious beliefs above our laws;

Battles over the display of the Ten Commandments and other overtly religious icons in schools and on courthouses;

Religiously motivated restrictions on access to reproductive services and information.

As in previous years, this year’s National Day of Reason coincides with the congressionally mandated and federally supported National Day of Prayer on Thursday, May 6, 2021. We thank all who value the separation of religion and government & join us in commemorating this year’s Day of Reason, and in building awareness for this important cause.

For more information about The National Day Of Reason, visit the website:

http://nationaldayofreason.org/

Happy National Day Of Reason 2020!

Celebrated the first Thursday of every May, today is the National Day Of Reason. It is more important now than ever to promote reason and truth since we seem to be living in a time when so many don't care about facts or reality or obvious consequences.

The National Day of Reason was created by the American Humanist Association and the Washington Area Secular Humanists in 2003. In addition to serving as a holiday for constitutionalists and secularists, the National Day of Reason was created in response to the perceived unconstitutionality of the National Day of Prayer.

The National Day Of Reason site says:

NOW, MORE THAN EVER, AMERICA NEEDS A DAY OF REASON.
With the religious right’s influence in Congress, and with the threat to our judiciary looming large, there has never been as important a moment in which to affirm our commitment to the constitutional separation of religion and government, and to celebrate reason as the guiding principle of our secular democracy.

During the past year we have witnessed the intrusion of religious ideology into all spheres of our government, with such assaults on the wall separating church and state as:

Faith-based initiatives in federal agencies that give preferential treatment to religious organizations which proselytize and employ discriminatory hiring practices;

Restrictions on important scientific research on the basis of religious objections;

Attempts to introduce biblical creationism and its alter-ego “Intelligent Design” into our public school science curricula;

The appointment of judges who willingly place their religious beliefs above our laws;

Battles over the display of the Ten Commandments and other overtly religious icons in schools and on courthouses;

Religiously motivated restrictions on access to reproductive services and information.

As in previous years, this year’s National Day of Reason coincides with the congressionally mandated and federally supported National Day of Prayer on Thursday, May 7, 2020. We thank all who value the separation of religion and government & join us in commemorating this year’s Day of Reason, and in building awareness for this important cause.

For more information about The National Day Of Reason, visit the website:

http://nationaldayofreason.org/

Happy National Day Of Reason 2018!

Celebrated the first Thursday of every May, today is the National Day Of Reason. It is more important now than ever to promote reason and truth since we seem to be living in a time when so many don't care about facts or reality or obvious consequences.

The National Day of Reason was created by the American Humanist Association and the Washington Area Secular Humanists in 2003. In addition to serving as a holiday for constitutionalists and secularists, the National Day of Reason was created in response to the perceived unconstitutionality of the National Day of Prayer.

The National Day Of Reason site says:
"A consortium of leaders from within the community of reason endorsed the idea of a National Day of Reason. This observance is held in parallel with the National Day of Prayer, on the first Thursday in May each year. The goal of this effort is to celebrate reason—a concept all Americans can support—and to raise public awareness about the persistent threat to religious liberty posed by government intrusion into the private sphere of worship. The National Day of Reason website is co-sponsored by the American Humanist Association and the Washington Area Secular Humanists. The Day of Reason also exists to inspire the secular community to be visible and active on this day to set the right example for how to effect positive change. Local organizations might use “Day of Reason” to label their events, or they might choose labels such as Day of Action, Day of Service, or Rational Day of Care. The important message is to provide a positive, useful, constitutional alternative to the exclusionary National Day of Prayer."

And to celebrate National Day Of Reason, here is a lovely video of José González (previously here, here, here, and especially here) singing his song "Leaf Off/The Cave" live at a Sunday Assembly meeting in Gothenburg, Sweden.
The Sunday Assembly website says:
"The Sunday Assembly was started by Sanderson Jones and Pippa Evans, two comedians who were on the way to a gig in Bath when they discovered they both wanted to do something that was like church but totally secular and inclusive of all—no matter what they believed.

The first ever Sunday Assembly meeting took place on January 6th 2013 at The Nave in Islington. Almost 200 people turned up at the first meeting, 300 at the second and soon people all over the world asked to start one.

Now there are over 70 Sunday Assembly chapters in 8 different countries where people sing songs, hear inspiring talks, and create community together.

Why do we exist? Life is short, it is brilliant, it is sometimes tough, we build communities that help everyone live life as fully as possible."

So, as Sanderson Jones says in the video, let's "live better, help often, and wonder more" today and every day!

Let the light lead you out
Let the light lead you out

Why can't you take the leaf off your mouth
Now that you have the facts on your side?
Take a moment to reflect where you're from
Let reason guide you
See all tracks lead you out from the dark
See all tracks lead you out to the stars

Why can't you take the leaf off your mouth
Now that you have the facts on your side?
Take a moment to reflect where we're going
Let reason guide you
See all tracks lead you out from the dark
See all tracks lead you out to the stars

Let the light lead you out
Let the light lead you out

Why can't you take the leaf off you're mouth
Now that you have the facts on your side?
Take a moment to reflect who we are
Let reason guide you
See all tracks lead you out from the dark

How the light feeds life
What makes up you and I
What it takes to thrive
What we need to survive
How we flourish and die
What it means to be alive
What it means to be alive

Let the light lead you out
Let the light lead you out

For more information about The National Day Of Reason, visit the website:
http://nationaldayofreason.org/

For more information about Sunday Assembly and to find a chapter near you, visit:
http://www.sundayassembly.com/

And to learn more about Jose, visit:
http://jose-gonzalez.com/