A congressman recently proclaimed he doesn’t “believe in God” while addressing a secular activist group’s annual convention.
Rep. Jared Huffman – a Democrat from California declared his atheism during pretaped remarks before the Freedom From Religion Foundation’s recent convention.
Huffman reportedly said, “I feel like I have sort of become the surrogate representative for countless folks across the United States that identify as nonreligious. As many of you know, I am the token humanist in Congress.”
The congressman said others tend to be “coy” about where they stand on faith, but he said he’s “come right out and said it.” Then, Huffman made his position clear.
“I’m a humanist and I don’t believe in God,” he said.
This revelation isn’t entirely surprising considering past statements and advocacy. A 2017 article proclaimed Huffman wasn’t “sure” if there was a God. He said he used to ignore questions about his faith but has changed course in recent years.
Huffman certainly isn’t the first member of Congress to express his non-theism, as former Rep. Pete Stark, who died in 2020 and served in the House until 2013, was also open about his nonbelief.
FFRF co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor believes Huffman’s remarks could spark others in Congress to do the same.
She said in a statement, “There are more members of Congress who hold the same view as tens of millions of Americans about the nonexistence of God. We have no doubt that others will be following in his footsteps in the near future.”