The only humanist in Congress on Christian nationalism, privilege and protecting democracy

(RNS) — Democratic Congressman Jared Huffman has represented California’s second congressional district since 2013 and serves as the ranking member on the Committee on Natural Resources and on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. He is also the only member of Congress to openly and fully identify as a humanist.

Huffman co-founded and co-chairs the Congressional Freethought Caucus, along with Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., to advocate for the separation of church and state and to promote public policy based on reason, science, and moral values.

In his new book, “ No Prophets: The Fight to Save Democracy from Christian Nationalism ” — which publishes Tuesday (Aug. 18), and full disclosure, I’ve endorsed — he exposes the threat the Christian nationalism movement poses and lays out a plan to save American democracy.

“I’m married for 31 years to a practicing Catholic,” he told RNS. “I’m not trying to pick a fight with Catholics or Christianity writ large. I’m trying to protect our democracy. And I believe that the wall of separation between church and state is perhaps the most important pillar of protecting us from religious tyranny.”

I spoke with Huffman about the…