On Good Friday hundreds of atheists are expected on Fountain Square in downtown Cincinnati as part of the 2019 American Atheists National Convention being held here April 19-21. The weekend features workshops and a lineup of speakers, including a keynote speech delivered by Jim Obergefell, whose landmark Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges helped secure marriage equality in 2015.

So how large is the atheist movement in America? According to a Pew Research poll, 23 percent of U.S. adults now identify as atheist, agnostic or "nothing in particular." The number of religiously unaffiliated voters is growing, from 8 percent of the electorate two decades ago to 24 percent today. On the campaign trail, there may be a slight move toward secularism among the progressive candidates in the race for the Democratic nomination.

Joining Cincinnati Edition to discuss atheism in America and how secularism is handled in political races are American Atheists President Nick Fish; Vice President of Programs Debbie Goddard; Recovering From Religion Executive Director Gayle Jordan; and University of Cincinnati Political Science Professor David Niven, Ph.D.

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