Earlier this morning, Tri-State Freethinkers delivered an open letter to former presidential candidate and current Governor of Ohio, John Kasich, regarding recent statements made about Daniel Radcliffe and his professed atheism. The group ended the letter with an invitation for the Governor to join them at a monthly meeting or volunteer event to better know his constituency and their contributions to the state of Ohio.

The letter was as follows:

Governor Kasich,

We were disappointed to hear the news of your comments regarding Daniel Radcliffe declaring himself an atheist. “What the hell is wrong with him?” you stated, when only months earlier, while on the campaign trail, you agreed with his best known character stating: “I’m with Harry Potter. We’re not going to the dark side.”

For you to exclaim in disgust that there is something “wrong” with someone expressing their religious belief (or lack thereof) is both troubling and goes against what we stand for as a country. In 2014 Pew Research Center found that 22% of Americans identified themselves as unaffiliated with any religion, and over one third of young people do not consider themselves religious. These tens of millions of citizens are your friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors. They are doctors, teachers, scientists, and soldiers. To single out such a large and diverse group of people with such bigotry shows a disconnect from your constituency, as “Nonreligious” is the second-largest religious demographic in the state of Ohio.

Tri-State Freethinkers is a local nonprofit organization that provides activism, community service, education, and social opportunities for those in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana who consider themselves atheist, agnostic, or freethinkers. With over 1,600 members in our group alone, we can confidently say that there is nothing “wrong” with Mr. Radcliffe’s declaration of atheism. We invite you to join us for one of our monthly meetings or community service events so that you may become better acquainted with your atheist constituents, their views, and contributions to the great state of Ohio.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

Jim G. Helton



President, Tri-State Freethinkers