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Atheists and irreligious people gathered for the Reason Rally on the National Mall

The first Reason Rally was a public gathering for secularism and religious skepticism held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on March 24, 2012.[1][2] The rally was sponsored by major atheistic and secular organizations of the United States and was regarded as a "Woodstock for atheists and skeptics". A second Reason Rally was held June 4, 2016 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Speakers and performers at the first rally included biologist Richard Dawkins, physicist Lawrence M. Krauss, musician Tim Minchin, MythBusters co-host Adam Savage, actor-comedian Eddie Izzard, Paul Provenza, PZ Myers, Jessica Ahlquist, Dan Barker, and magician James Randi, and others.[3] The punk rock band Bad Religion performed and other notables (Rep. Pete Stark, Sen. Tom Harkin, comedian Bill Maher, magician Penn Jillette) addressed the crowd by video link. Participants recited the Pledge of Allegiance, deliberately omitting the phrase "under God", which was added by the U.S. Congress in 1954. Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces were represented, and a retired Army colonel, Kirk Lamb, led veterans in an affirmation of their secular military oaths.[4] Speakers urged those assembled to contact local and national representatives and ask them to support church-state separation, science education, marriage equality for gays and lesbians, and ending government support of faith-based organizations, among other causes.[5]

According to the official website of the first rally, the aim of the Reason Rally was to "unify, energize, and embolden secular people nationwide, while dispelling the negative opinions held by so much of American society."[2] The website had predicted it would be "the largest secular event in world history." The Atlantic said 20,000 people were in attendance.[6] Religion News Service said 8,000–10,000.[7] The documentary The Unbelievers says that over 30,000 people attended the rally.[8] There are no official crowd estimates of events on the Mall.

The second Reason Rally (2016) was billed as "a celebration of fact-driven public policy, the value of critical thinking, and the voting power of secular Americans".[9] The weekend of the Rally included advocacy events and conference sessions, while the crowd attending the rally itself numbered around 15,000 according to organizers.[10][11]

2012 Reason Rally

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Goals and planning

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The rally's official website outlined three main goals:[2]

  • To encourage attendees (and those who couldn’t attend) to come "out of the closet" as secular Americans, or supporters of secular equality.
  • To dispel stereotypes ("there is no one 'True Atheist' "). Participation by non-theists of all political persuasions, ethnicities, genders, and backgrounds was encouraged. The intent was to show that there are secular Americans in every major demographic.
  • Legislative equality. Secular Americans should be permitted to run for public office and adequately represent non-theists, just as theists in office represent their constituents. Non-theists deserve a seat at the table just as theists do; the rally should put secular values "on the radar" of American voters.

David Silverman was the creator and executive producer of the event, and the president of the Reason Rally Coalition. Organizers said the aim of the rally was twofold: to unite individuals with similar beliefs and to show the American public that the number of people who don’t believe in God is large and growing. “We have the numbers to be taken seriously,” said Paul Fidalgo, spokesman for the Center for Inquiry, which promotes the scientific method and reasoning and was one of the organizations sponsoring the rally. “We’re not just a tiny fringe group.”[12]

According to rally spokesman Jesse Galef, diversity with the attendees was a focus this year, he stated 'We can't succeed if we are only coming from one demographic'". Comparing the 2012 rally to the 2002 Godless rally which was mainly over-40 white men, the attendees were "largely under the age of 30, at least half female and included many people of color".[7]

Speaking to NPR prior to the rally, American Atheist president David Silverman stated that this is a coming-of-age event for atheists, "We'll look back at the Reason Rally as one of the game-changing events when people started to look at atheism and look at atheists in a different light".[13]

With goals of bringing unity, energy, and visibility to the secular demographic, the rally can be seen as a manifestation of the secular movement that emerged in America and elsewhere in the first decade of the twenty-first century. Writing for The Guardian Sarah Posner states that the Reason Rally was modeled on the LGBT movement, encouraging people to 'come out' about their non-belief and working to humanize atheism by getting "people to personalize someone they'd always thought of as an 'other.'" Once people realize that their neighbor, co-worker or family member is an atheist it goes a long way towards acceptance. Politics played a large part of the Rally according to Posner; considering that there is only one openly atheist American Congressperson, there is a lot of work to still be done.[14]

Reason Rally crowd
Greg Graffin of Bad Religion sings the National Anthem at the Reason Rally.
Jessica Ahlquist speaks at the Reason Rally

Support

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In the Huffington Post, Staks Rosch praised the rally. He stated that atheists "face a great deal of discrimination and fear of discrimination for being outspoken" and that many "fear having their families disown them, losing their jobs, or simply being harassed by the religious."[15]

David Niose, the president of the American Humanist Association stated that "The secular demographic does not claim to have a monopoly on rationality, but it does feel that it has something to offer. By rallying in Washington, seculars are not whining about some imagined victimization, but rather they are exercising a voice that has been silenced for too long."[16]

Nate Phelps, an atheist and estranged son of Fred Phelps, the founder of the fringe group, Westboro Baptist Church, supported the Reason Rally and was among the event's speakers.[17][18][19]

Criticism

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The Reason Rally elicited criticism for the antitheist rhetoric and tone that some speakers employed. Editorial writers such as Nathalie Rothschild argued that "the combination of non-belief, self-victimisation and religion-bashing make for a pretty negative and weak ground for common identification".[20] Tom Gilson at the Washington Post[21] and Rabbi Brad Hirschfield of the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership[22] wrote pieces critical of the event.

Some notable speakers of the atheist community like Richard Dawkins encouraged mockery and ridicule of religious people in his speech, which elicited a response from others.[23] Though mockery of religion was not the aim of the rally, it happened quite often and was seen more than the positive portrayals of secularism.[24]

Notable speaker quotes

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  • Paul Provenza stated “We're not here today to bash anyone's religion… but, hey, if it happens it happens.”[25]
  • Richard Dawkins spoke about the differences between the US and the UK, which does not have separation between church and state. "The American Constitution is a precious treasure, the envy of the world".[26] He also stated "Mock them, ridicule them in public. Don't fall for the convention that we're all too polite to talk about religion. Religion makes specific claims about the Universe which need to be substantiated and challenged."[27][28][29][30]
  • Mythbuster Adam Savage stated "Everything that we have that makes our lives possible exists because human beings have... made predictions based on those tests and then improved upon them. This is reason: the human capacity to make sense of the world."[31]
  • David Silverman, president of American Atheists stated "If the atheists weren't closeted, it would be harder to hate us, because in the end, you can't hate what you already love."[32]
  • Magician Penn Jillette stated "I can make the argument...that the only ones with true morality are us, the atheists. We are doing good because it's good and are doing right because it's right, and not for reward or punishment. We have love for each other, we have community, we have charity."[33]
  • Bill Maher said, "When it comes to religion, we're not two sides of the same coin, and you don't get to put your unreason upon the same shelf with my reason. Your stuff [religion] has to go over there, on the shelf with Zeus, and Thor, and the Kraken. With the stuff that is not evidence based, stuff that religious people never change their mind about, no matter what happens."[34]

2016 Reason Rally

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The second quadrennial Reason Rally was held June 4, 2016 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Event organizers were targeting an attendance of 30,000 people but the organizers estimated only 15,000 to 20,000 showed up and another source estimated even less actually came to the rally.[10][11]

The 2016 Reason Rally was billed as "a celebration of fact-driven public policy, the value of critical thinking, and the voting power of secular Americans".[9] The weekend of the Rally included advocacy events and conference sessions.

One of the featured speakers at the rally was John de Lancie. Speaking in reference to his Star Trek character Q, de Lancie said:

My name is John de Lancie, and I am a god. At least, I've played one on TV. And I'm here to tell you as a god that I was created by humans. And the words I spoke were written by men and women ... My creators took great care in exalting me to the position I hold today. And just like all the gods before me—Zeus, Baal, Yahweh—my god creators wanted you to believe that I am the omnipotent one. The alpha and the omega… Truth be told… I don't exist any more than the thousands of other gods that humans have created, worshiped, and died for since the beginning of time. But if you insist on believing in me, you do so at your own risk… I will lead you down the path of ignorance, intolerance, and bigotry… All because you believe.[35][36][37]

See also

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References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Reason Rally

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from Grokipedia
The Reason Rally is a series of public gatherings organized by the Reason Rally Coalition, a not-for-profit dedicated to celebrating atheist, humanist, agnostic, freethinking, and secular identities while promoting reason in political . The inaugural event occurred on March 24, 2012, on the in , where organizers estimated attendance at approximately 20,000, though independent reports placed the figure between 8,000 and 26,000. Subsequent rallies, including one in 2016 at the , continued this mission by featuring speakers such as evolutionary biologist and science communicator , alongside musical performances, to demonstrate the size and influence of the nonreligious . These events aimed to counter perceptions of nonbelievers as a negligible minority, energize participants for local advocacy, and pressure policymakers toward evidence-based decision-making, with the 2012 rally dubbed by some as a "Woodstock for nonbelievers." Notable moments included Dawkins urging mockery of religious doctrines, which elicited backlash from faith-based critics, highlighting tensions between secular activism and religious sensibilities. Despite claims of hosting the largest secular assemblies in U.S. history, the movement faced challenges, including internal divisions within atheist communities and no further major events after 2016 amid broader declines in organized secular mobilization.

Background and Conceptual Foundations

Organizational Origins

The Reason Rally was initiated by David Silverman, president of from 2006 to 2018, who served as the event's creator and executive producer for the inaugural gathering. Silverman established the Reason Rally Coalition as a dedicated not-for-profit entity to coordinate the effort, drawing together multiple secular advocacy organizations to amplify the visibility and political influence of atheists, humanists, and skeptics. The coalition's formation preceded the first rally, scheduled for March 24, 2012, on the in , with the explicit goal of countering perceptions of nonbelievers as a marginal group by showcasing their numbers and organizational capacity. American Atheists functioned as the primary organizing body, providing leadership and logistical backbone, while the coalition incorporated sponsors including the Center for Inquiry, , , and Secular Coalition for America. This structure reflected a among groups historically focused on promoting reason, science, and , without a single preexisting dictating terms. The initiative emerged amid rising visibility of secular demographics in U.S. censuses and surveys, such as the American Religious Identification Survey reporting "nones" at 15% of the population, prompting organizers to leverage a high-profile event for mobilization. Subsequent iterations, including the 2016 rally, retained the model but shifted executive roles, with figures like Lyz Liddell assuming directorial duties to emphasize voter . The origins underscored a deliberate pivot from fragmented local toward national , prioritizing empirical demonstration of secular growth over doctrinal unity among participating entities.

Stated Objectives and Ideology

The Reason Rally , established as a not-for-profit , articulates its core mission as organizing major gatherings to celebrate atheist, humanist, and secular identities, while demonstrating the electoral influence of nonreligious and insisting on reason's primacy in public and political affairs. This framework seeks to foster community among diverse nonbelievers—including atheists, agnostics, freethinkers, and skeptics—through events featuring speakers, performers, and political advocates, described by organizers as a "voting bloc party" that blends celebration with mobilization for rational policymaking. Stated objectives across rallies emphasize unification of secular voices, energizing participants to counter stigma against nonbelief, and emboldening public declarations of secular affiliation to advance broader societal acceptance. For the inaugural 2012 event, goals included showcasing the scale of nonreligious demographics to political leaders and promoting secularism's integration into civic life, with an explicit call for attendees to apply rally messages at local and state levels to influence governance via evidence-based voting. Subsequent iterations, such as 2016, reiterated these aims while spotlighting the nonreligious as a potent voting constituency capable of demanding policies grounded in science over faith. Ideologically, the rallies promote a worldview rooted in secular humanism, prioritizing empirical reasoning, scientific inquiry, and causal analysis in decision-making, while rejecting religious authority's dominance in state functions. This entails advocacy for church-state separation, opposition to faith-based public funding, and cultivation of humanist ethics focused on human welfare through rational, non-dogmatic means. Organizers frame the movement as apolitical in essence but geared toward empowering nonbelievers to enforce "good sense" in government, often aligning stated principles with issues like climate policy acceptance and anti-discrimination protections, though core tenets remain centered on elevating reason as the arbiter of truth against unsubstantiated belief.

2012 Reason Rally

Planning and Logistics

The 2012 Reason Rally was organized by , with president David Silverman serving as the primary coordinator and driving force behind the event's conception and execution. The rally formed part of a broader coalition effort involving multiple secular advocacy groups, including the Center for Inquiry as a key sponsor, to consolidate resources and amplify outreach for what was promoted as the largest gathering of nonbelievers in history. Planning began at least by mid-2011, with public announcements of the event date—March 24, 2012—issued in September 2011, allowing several months for promotion, speaker recruitment, and logistical setup on the in . Logistical arrangements centered on securing space on the federally managed , which required obtaining a permit from the for public assembly, though specific permit negotiations or costs were not publicly detailed by organizers. The event was structured as a free, open-access rally to maximize attendance, expecting between 10,000 and 30,000 participants based on pre-event projections from organizers, with provisions for stages, sound systems, and programming including speeches, , and musical performances. Funding derived from sponsorships by participating organizations and likely individual donations, as no government or large corporate backing was reported, aligning with the event's secular advocacy focus. Coordination emphasized inter-organizational collaboration to handle on-site operations, such as crowd management and programming flow, amid anticipated rain which ultimately occurred but did not derail according to post-rally accounts. No major logistical disruptions were noted in contemporaneous reports, reflecting effective pre-planning for a high-visibility public demonstration aimed at visibility and political signaling rather than complex .

Attendance, Speakers, and Programming

The 2012 Reason Rally attracted an estimated 10,000 to 30,000 attendees to the in , on March 24, 2012, despite steady rain throughout the day. Independent estimates from observers placed the crowd between 15,000 and 25,000, while organizers claimed around 20,000 participants. This gathering marked the largest assembly of nontheists in U.S. history at the time, with participants chanting slogans such as "We're here, we're godless, get used to it" to assert their presence. Prominent speakers included evolutionary biologist , who called for ridicule of religious doctrines; magician and skeptic ; comedian and magician ; British comedian ; MythBusters co-host ; and U.S. Representative (D-CA), then the only openly nontheist member of Congress. Additional addresses came from American Atheists president David Silverman, Australian comedian and musician , biologist , blogger , student activist Jessica Ahlquist, and former minister . Programming consisted of sequential speeches, musical performances, and interactive segments promoting secular advocacy, , and toward supernatural claims. The event opened with music and emcee introductions, followed by talks emphasizing political engagement for nontheists, including lobbying for reduced religious influence in government. Entertainment featured punk band , whose vocalist [Greg Graffin](/page/Greg_Graff in) performed the U.S. National Anthem, alongside acts by Minchin and other artists. The rally concluded with collective affirmations of reason and calls for future activism, underscoring the organizers' goal of visible unity among diverse nontheist groups.

Immediate Reception and Media Coverage

The 2012 Reason Rally garnered media attention as the largest assembly of nonbelievers in U.S. history, held on March 24 amid rainy conditions on the . Attendance estimates differed significantly, with organizers asserting around 20,000 participants and independent reports ranging from 8,000 to 10,000 by Religion News Service to higher figures near 20,000 in assessments. Secular-leaning outlets framed the event as a successful show of atheist visibility and political mobilization. The Atlantic covered addressing thousands of enthusiastic fans, emphasizing the rally's role in energizing nonbelievers while acknowledging the movement's ongoing organizational hurdles. Time described it as a unified display of secular , with speakers urging greater among the godless. Coverage in Huffington Post highlighted chants like "We're here, we're godless, get used to it" as emblematic of assertive pride. Critics, particularly from religious perspectives, condemned the rally's antitheist rhetoric as intolerant and mocking. Dawkins' exhortation to ridicule Catholics—stating "mock them, laugh at them, and hold them up for ridicule"—drew rebuke from Catholic News Agency, which cited it as evidence of aggressive secularism. A Washington Post opinion argued the event lacked tolerance, pointing to T-shirts challenging proofs of God's existence and speakers' disdain for faith-based views. Baptist Press portrayed speeches as laden with attacks on Christianity, contrasting the rally's self-proclaimed rationality with its emotional barbs. Such responses underscored divides, with religious media viewing the gathering as more polemical than reasoned.

Specific Criticisms and Backlash

The Reason Rally's promotion of confrontational , including explicit calls to ridicule religious believers, drew criticism from religious commentators who contended that such tactics contradicted the event's emphasis on reason and evidenced intolerance rather than rational discourse. In his March 24, 2012, speech, urged attendees to "mock them [the religious], ridicule them! In public!," a statement highlighted by observers as emblematic of an aggressive posture over substantive debate. Similarly, rally organizer David Silverman advocated for unapologetic mockery of faith as a strategy to advance , which critics argued fostered division rather than persuasion through evidence. Columnist Kelly Boggs, reporting on the event, pointed to attendee signs like "So many , so few lions" and "Obama isn’t trying to destroy … I AM!" as instances of name-calling that belied the rally's rational branding, describing the proceedings as laden with "attacks" and emotional appeals instead of intellectual rigor. Religious outlets such as Baptist Press portrayed the gathering as a platform for , with Boggs noting an irony in an event ostensibly dedicated to reason devolving into militant . Attendance estimates also sparked minor dispute, with organizers claiming around 20,000 participants despite rainy conditions, while some contemporaneous reports pegged the crowd at 8,000 to 10,000, leading to questions about inflated figures for promotional effect. Within broader secular circles, a subset of commentators critiqued the rally's tone for potentially alienating moderate nonbelievers and reinforcing perceptions of as hostile, though such internal pushback remained limited compared to external religious backlash. Philosopher characterized the event as akin to "" rather than genuine reason, arguing it exemplified selective among participants who dismissed opposing views without . These criticisms collectively underscored concerns that the rally's combative style prioritized provocation over the empirical argumentation it professed to champion.

2016 Reason Rally

Evolution in Planning and Focus

The 2016 Reason Rally marked a shift in emphasis from the more confrontational, anti-religious tone of the event toward a broader approach, aiming to build alliances with individuals sharing policy goals rather than framing the gathering as atheists versus the religious. Rally spokesperson Lyz Liddell noted that while speakers included outspoken anti-theists, the 2016 iteration prioritized and inclusivity to appeal to a wider nonreligious demographic. This evolution reflected organizers' intent to position nonbelievers as pragmatic partners in , focusing on evidence-based policies over ideological purity. Planning for the event centered on amplifying the nonreligious community's political influence during the 2016 presidential election cycle, with explicit goals of demonstrating the voting power of secular Americans and urging lawmakers to prioritize reason in decision-making. Held on June 4, 2016, at the , the rally highlighted issues such as acceptance, reproductive rights, and LGBT equality as key areas where secular values intersected with partisan debates. Organizers sought to showcase the bloc's organizational capacity, targeting voter mobilization and post-event local action to influence elections. Unlike the primarily visibility-driven 2012 gathering, the 2016 planning incorporated structured political engagement, including lobby visits to over two-thirds of U.S. members to advocate for secular priorities. The Reason Rally Coalition, comprising groups such as the , , and Secular Coalition for America, coordinated these efforts to foster sustained advocacy. The program expanded to a multi-day format, featuring a Sunday mini-convention with hands-on workshops to equip attendees with tools for , transforming the rally from a one-off into a launchpad for ongoing campaigns. This action-oriented structure underscored the evolved focus on measurable political outcomes, such as and policy advocacy, over mere demonstration of numbers.

Attendance, Speakers, and Key Moments

The 2016 Reason Rally, held on June 4 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., attracted several thousand attendees despite organizers' pre-event projections of up to 30,000 participants. Contemporary reports described the crowd as appearing sparser than anticipated, particularly in comparison to the 2012 event's estimated 20,000 to 30,000, amid hot and humid conditions that may have impacted turnout. No official crowd count was issued by authorities, but visual accounts and media observations consistently placed attendance in the low thousands, highlighting challenges in mobilizing the secular community for a repeat demonstration of political influence. The event featured a lineup of prominent secular advocates, scientists, and entertainers, though some announced participants withdrew. Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins delivered a prerecorded video address emphasizing reason's role in public policy, as he was unable to attend in person. Other speakers included physicist Lawrence Krauss, comedian Julia Sweeney, skeptic James Randi, science communicator Cara Santa Maria, and comedian Kelly Carlin, focusing on themes of scientific literacy, church-state separation, and criticism of religious influence in governance. Musical performances added to the programming, with members of the Wu-Tang Clan performing to broaden appeal across demographics. Actor Johnny Depp, initially slated to speak, ultimately did not participate. Key moments underscored the rally's aim to position nonbelievers as a significant ahead of the 2016 presidential election, with speakers urging advocacy on issues such as , reproductive rights, and LGBT equality. Preceding the main event, attendees participated in lobby days coordinated by the Secular Coalition for America, meeting with to press for secular-friendly policies. The gathering also included exhibitor booths from organizations like the Center for Inquiry and the Foundation, fostering networking among humanists, atheists, and skeptics despite the subdued turnout.

Reception and Political Context

The 2016 Reason Rally garnered media attention for its emphasis on secular political mobilization amid a contentious year. Coverage from highlighted thousands of attendees braving muggy weather on June 4 to advocate for reason and , framing the event as an effort to amplify the voice of non-religious Americans. Similarly, reported organizers' goal of demonstrating to lawmakers the electoral weight of nonbelievers, with expectations of around 30,000 participants to underscore their growing demographic presence. However, actual turnout appeared lower, with estimates in the several thousands rather than tens of thousands, prompting observations of subdued energy compared to the 2012 rally's reported 10,000 to 30,000 attendees. Politically, the rally unfolded against the backdrop of the 2016 U.S. presidential race between and , where religious voters—particularly evangelicals—played a pivotal role in shaping outcomes. Secular advocates positioned to signal the rising "nones" as a demanding recognition, with Religion News Service arguing that politicians risked peril by overlooking this momentum in secular identification, evidenced by Pew Research data showing non-religious Americans comprising about 23% of the population by 2014. Organizers tied the rally to initiatives like "I'm Secular and I Vote," aiming to influence policy on issues such as church-state separation and , though the movement's non-partisan stance limited explicit endorsements. , months before the November election, sought to elevate nontheist concerns in a dominated by faith-based appeals, yet it reflected broader tensions in applying empirical reasoning to partisan divides. Reception within secular circles mixed with introspection; while praised for fostering and efforts, a Vox analysis critiqued the rally's reliance on to supplant religion's social functions, noting unresolved visions for a purely reason-driven society amid internal debates over progressive alignments. Mainstream outlets like portrayed it as a showcase that need not equate to political irrelevance, yet the modest crowd size fueled questions about the movement's sustained mobilizing power. In this context, the rally highlighted secularism's empirical growth but underscored challenges in translating demographic shifts into electoral leverage against entrenched religious influences.

Criticisms and Internal Divisions

The 2016 Reason Rally faced criticism for its comparatively low attendance, estimated at several thousand participants compared to the 10,000–30,000 at the event, with organizers attributing the shortfall to the event's relative novelty wearing off and inadequate promotion rather than ideological shifts. Some observers within the skeptic community blamed insufficient involvement from high-profile atheist figures like and , who were invited but unable to attend, exacerbating perceptions of diminished appeal. A prominent line of critique centered on accusations that the rally had been co-opted by " warriors" (SJWs), with detractors arguing that its emphasis on issues like LGBTQ equality, , and reproductive rights represented away from core secular and atheistic advocacy toward progressive activism. Critics, including online commentators like TheSharpeful, contended that policies such as event conduct rules—perceived as akin to "safe spaces" and trigger warnings—alienated traditional skeptics and contributed to the turnout decline by signaling intolerance for dissenting views on and debates prevalent in the movement. These claims echoed broader fractures in the atheist community, such as the "Atheism+" schism and controversies like Elevatorgate, where some advocated expanding atheism to encompass social justice imperatives while others viewed it as diluting focus on reason and evidence. Organizers and leaders from groups like the rejected these characterizations, with executive director Roy Speckhardt asserting that fewer than 5% of atheists and 1% of humanists aligned with extreme anti-SJW positions, and that the rally's program remained centered on reason and . Blogger similarly defended the inclusion of social issues as inherent to secular values and attributed low attendance to logistical factors like a compressed six-month planning timeline and lack of celebrity draw, rather than ideological repulsion. Ideological diversity among attendees highlighted deeper divisions, with some embracing libertarian emphases on individual liberty and minimal government—exemplified by speaker —while others favored progressive expansions like social safety nets, reflecting uncertainty over whether a post-religious should prioritize or state intervention in areas like education and . This variance underscored a tension between the rally's moderate, inclusion-focused tone—which softened the confrontational "" style of earlier years—and calls for a more unified political bloc, contributing to perceptions of fragmentation that hindered mobilization of the religiously unaffiliated.

Post-2016 Developments and Decline

Absence of Subsequent Events

No further Reason Rallies have been held since the June 4, 2016, event at the in The Reason Rally Coalition, the organizing body, has maintained on its official website that it hosted only two such gatherings—the inaugural 2012 rally on the and the 2016 iteration—describing them as the largest celebrations of secular identity and reason in American history, with no mention of additional events. As of October 2025, the coalition's website remains active but inactive in terms of event planning, with recent updates focused on liquidating merchandise and archiving materials rather than promoting new rallies. Board discussions about potential future events, referenced in older site content, have not resulted in any scheduled or executed gatherings, and public announcements from affiliated secular organizations, such as the or , contain no references to post-2016 Reason Rallies. This absence marks a halt in the rally's format as a major national mobilization for secular advocacy, contrasting with the ambitious scaling attempted between the first two events, where organizers aimed to build on 2012's attendance of approximately 10,000 by drawing larger crowds in 2016, estimated at 6,000 to 20,000 depending on reports. No successor events under the banner have materialized, leaving the series concluded after two iterations.

Factors Contributing to Movement Stagnation

The absence of subsequent Reason Rallies after 2016 reflects broader stagnation in organized secular and atheist activism, driven primarily by deepening internal divisions that fragmented coalitions essential for large-scale events. In the early 2010s, conflicts erupted over issues such as feminism, harassment policies at conferences, and the integration of priorities into atheism, exemplified by the 2011 "Elevatorgate" incident involving and subsequent debates that pitted figures like against progressive activists. These rifts intensified with the emergence of "Atheism+" in 2012, an initiative to explicitly link atheism with progressive politics on gender, race, and inequality, which alienated classical liberals and free-speech advocates within the movement, leading to schisms in organizations like the Center for Inquiry and . By 2016, such divisions had eroded the unified front that powered earlier rallies, with attendees and leaders increasingly polarized, as evidenced by public feuds documented in skeptic community forums and media coverage of event mismanagement. Politicization further contributed to stagnation, as the movement's alignment with left-leaning ideologies distanced potential broader support. New Atheism's leaders, including and , initially appealed across the by critiquing through rationalist and anti-totalitarian lenses, but post-2012 shifts toward endorsing and cultural progressive norms repelled libertarian and conservative-leaning secularists who comprised a significant base. This narrowing was compounded by the 2016 U.S. , which redirected activist energies toward partisan anti-Trump efforts rather than non-partisan secular advocacy, diluting focus on rallies amid perceptions that had become a subset of Democratic politics. Empirical data from Pew Research indicates that while "nones" (religiously unaffiliated) reached 28% of U.S. adults by 2023, self-identified stabilized at around 4%, suggesting growth in passive but failure to mobilize into organized action due to these ideological exclusions. Leadership transitions and resource constraints also played causal roles, as aging pioneers faced scandals or disengagement without effective successors. The deaths of key figures like Hitchens in 2011 and the reputational hits to Dawkins from controversies over and critiques diminished inspirational momentum, while organizations struggled with funding amid donor fatigue from internal scandals, such as sexual harassment allegations against prominent skeptics in the mid-2010s. Greater societal acceptance of atheism—reflected in declining religious affiliation rates and legal wins like the 2015 decision on —reduced the perceived urgency for mass mobilizations, shifting efforts toward litigation and online discourse over spectacles like the Reason Rally. This combination fostered complacency, with groups prioritizing niche advocacy over unifying events, as no major secular coalition announced plans for a follow-up rally despite initial post-2016 discussions.

Overall Impact and Controversies

Measurable Outcomes on Secular Advocacy

The Reason Rallies of 2012 and 2016 aimed to enhance secular advocacy by promoting visibility for nonbelievers, encouraging political engagement, and fostering coalitions among humanist and atheist organizations. However, direct causal links to quantifiable advancements in advocacy metrics, such as policy victories or sustained membership surges, are not well-documented in empirical records. The proportion of religiously unaffiliated Americans, or "nones," rose from 16% in 2007 to approximately 28% by 2023, with the trend accelerating slightly in the early before leveling off around 2021–2023. This growth predated the 2012 rally—reaching 19% by 2011—and continued post-2016 without evidence of Rally-specific acceleration, as disengaged "nothing in particular" respondents (63% of nones) limited organized advocacy potential. Secular organizations reported heightened interest following the events; the cited "explosive growth" in and inquiries amid rising nones, attributing visibility from the rally to broader awareness. Yet, no public annual reports from groups like for detail membership or donation spikes directly tied to the rallies, and the 2016 event's attendance fell short of estimates (10,000–30,000), signaling waning momentum. Political outcomes included modest gains in representation, such as the 2018 founding of the with 16 members and over 90 openly nontheist elected officials by the early 2020s, alongside increased candidate runs in state races post-2016. These developments reflect a shift toward issue-based advocacy on church-state separation rather than anti-religious rhetoric, but faced challenges from internal divisions, leadership scandals, and failure to counter organized religious opposition, contributing to perceived stagnation. Recent surveys indicate limited long-term success, with 68% of Americans in 2025 viewing as losing influence overall but a growing share (up from 18% in 2024) perceiving it as gaining ground amid cultural conflicts. This suggests the rallies boosted short-term visibility but did not translate into durable empirical advances against entrenched religious influence in and .

Broader Cultural and Societal Critiques

Critics of the Reason Rally and the broader New Atheist movement it represented have argued that its emphasis on public spectacle and antitheist rhetoric fostered a form of rather than genuine intellectual advancement, prioritizing emotional over substantive with religious believers. Events like the 2012 and 2016 rallies, while drawing crowds estimated at 10,000 to 20,000 attendees, were faulted for reducing complex philosophical debates to crowd-pleasing attacks, which philosophers such as contended undermine reason itself by substituting mob dynamics for solitary reflection and evidence-based scrutiny. This approach, observers noted, mirrored the very dogmatism it sought to in religion, potentially reinforcing societal polarization rather than bridging divides between secular and faith-based worldviews. On a societal level, the movement's alignment with progressive political causes—such as advocacy for LGBTQ equality and climate policies at the 2016 Rally—drew accusations of conflating with left-leaning ideology, limiting its appeal to a narrower demographic and contributing to its post-2016 stagnation. Analysts have pointed to this politicization as a key factor in the "atheist revolution's" failure to sustain momentum, with organized appearing "asleep at the wheel" amid rising cultural challenges like , as no major rallies or policy pushes materialized afterward despite initial ambitions for secular equality. Data from surveys indicate that while "nones" (religiously unaffiliated Americans) rose to about 29% by , aggressive New Atheist activism waned, supplanted by less confrontational forms of that prioritize respect for believers' communities over debunking faith. This shift underscores a that the Rally's model neglected religion's functional roles in providing meaning, social cohesion, and ethical frameworks, leaving secular alternatives underdeveloped and vulnerable to charges of . Broader cultural observers have highlighted how the movement's scientism—positing science as a panacea for social ills without a clear vision for a "healthy" post-religious society—exposed philosophical inconsistencies, such as reliance on unexamined humanistic assumptions for morality. Internal divisions, including backlash against perceived "SJW" influences and leadership dominated by aging male figures like Richard Dawkins, further eroded unity, mirroring broader societal fatigue with ideologically charged activism. By 2023, New Atheism's vitriolic phase had largely collapsed, with atheism's cultural influence stabilizing rather than expanding, as evidenced by the absence of successor events and a pivot toward more accommodating "new new atheism" that acknowledges religion's persistence. These developments suggest that the Rally's legacy lies in highlighting secularism's limits in addressing innate human needs for transcendence, prompting a reevaluation of reason's scope in pluralistic societies.

Viewpoints from Religious and Conservative Perspectives

Religious critics characterized the 2012 Reason Rally as departing from its proclaimed emphasis on reason, instead featuring militant rhetoric, ridicule, and attacks on faith. Columnist Kelly Boggs observed an "abundance of name-calling" and emotional dishevelment, with speakers like urging attendees to "mock them [the religious], ridicule them! In public!" particularly targeting Catholic beliefs in the . Signs displayed by participants, such as "So many Christians, so few lions" and "Obama isn’t trying to destroy religion … I AM!", exemplified the event's contemptuous tone toward religious adherents. Christian observers who attended the rally reported ironic parallels to religious gatherings, including praise songs, sermons, and an online collection, while noting frequent discussions of among atheists—more so than in many church services. Interviews conducted by Creation Today staff revealed that every atheist questioned conceded the possibility of 's existence, leading to confusion over the rally's ultimate purpose beyond affirming group identity. In response, coalitions of Christian apologists planned engagements at the event to with non-believers, emphasizing that is not exclusive to atheism and countering the rally's narrative of as inherently irrational. From a conservative standpoint, the rally represented a "coming-out party" for the secular movement, mobilizing a growing non-religious —estimated at 16% of the electorate in 2008—that overwhelmingly supported Democratic candidates, akin to the religious right's role in Republican politics. Critics highlighted the event's underwhelming attendance of 8,000 to 10,000 (contrasting claims of 20,000 or the "largest secular event in world history"), suggesting limited broad appeal despite aggressive promotion. Such perspectives framed the rally not as a triumph of evidence-based but as a politically charged affirmation of anti-religious sentiment, potentially exacerbating cultural divisions rather than fostering genuine debate.

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