Imo, they CAN ONLY oppress us IF we sit back, do nothing and ALLOW it to happen.
They, the Religiotards, have tried doing just that for Centuries and yet we are still here and, these days, we are growing stronger and stronger.
Now, imo, the boot IS truly on the other foot and where once they saw themselves as being the waves from the Oceans eroding away the sands of the shore-line, the roles are being reversed and they are beginning to fear us where we once feared them.

The decline of religion will naturely alarm those who cling to the belief and likely spur them to more fervent behavior to attempt to salvage the privilege they have enjoyed being the majority.

Fortunately for us, the Puritans had a lot of influence back in the day. They fled here seeking religious freedom because they got shat on by the other religions (for good reason). And looky, that showed up in the constitution.
That is not to say that we are in the clear. Something can always go wrong and there are those that are trying to help that along. Heinous fuckery most foul is afoot (I don't care what this site says "fuckery" is a word dammit).

I just LOVE these articles. It’s just proof that the religious asswads days are coming to an end.

I just can’t wait to retire to move to North Carolina and busting some of these out......it will drive them nuts.......

Separation of church and state is implied by the First Amendment to the Constitution (part of the Bill of Rights, established in 1791) by the words:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

The way that is written, the First Amendment seems to defend any religious belief more than non-belief. Maybe atheists, etc. need to: 1) say that non-belief (or freedom of conscience) is a religion, or else, 2) they/we need to petition the government to edit the First Amendment to define separation of church and state in very clear language. Until either or both of those two actions happens, there will probably be a lot more bigotry and fighting by religious bigots against non-believers. Religious bigotry will continue the argument forever, until it is made legally clear that they cannot win the argument.

Why do so many ignore the Treaty of Tripoli 1797? It sets the record straight.
*"Article 11

One of the most important parts of the Treaty of Tripoli has very little to do with the treaty's outcome. Article 11 of the treaty states:

'As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion, - as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Musselmen, - and as the said States never have entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mehomitan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.' "*

Oh please, PLEASE let those scumbags try their shit with me.

The religious scumbags of America are implacable in their determination to impose their delusions on everybody else. They are the Islamic State of the United States.

Classical liberal and libertarian atheists are branded as "right-wing" (conservative) and are harassed on this site.

"Those who say that religion has nothing to do with politics do not know what religion means"
Gandhi

Scary times

Unfortunately. that is correct. the more that religious belief among Americans declines, the more desperate and devious that evangelicals will become in trying to depress and denounce non-belief.