On Thursday, May 2nd, KOOP Radio will observe The National Day of Reason as one of our special recognition celebration events.
The National Day of Reason is a secular celebration for humanists, atheists, freethinkers, and the non-religious. The day is celebrated annually on the first Thursday in May, in response to the statutory observance of a National Day of Prayer in the United States, which many atheist and secular groups deem unconstitutional.
A 2023 survey of over 11,000 Americans by the Pew Research Center reported that 28% of them – a growing proportion – classify themselves as non-religious. The survey also revealed that atheists and agnostics tend to participate in civic life at rates matching or exceeding religiously affiliated people.
This trend towards secularism echoes a sentiment that was beautifully encapsulated by the late, great skeptic, Carl Sagan, who famously stated “Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.“
In 2023, Representative Jamie Raskin introduced House Resolution 356, which supported “the designation of a National Day of Reason to encourage a focus on the central importance of reason, critical thought, the scientific method, and free inquiry to resolving social problems and promoting human welfare.”
First observed by the American Humanist Association and the Washington Area Secular Humanists in 2003, The National Day of Reason was created in response to the perceived unconstitutionality of the National Day of Prayer, which they feel “violates the First Amendment of the Constitution because it asks government entities to set aside tax dollar supported time and space to engage in religious ceremonies.”
Please join KOOP Radio this Thursday, May 2nd as we recognize and celebrate The National Day of Reason.