It finally happened: Leading atheist group finds something to cheer about in Oklahoma politics
Group praises state for approval of law that outlaws marriage for those under age 18
Lobbyists for the country’s leading atheist public-interest group, American Atheists, haven’t exactly been enamored with legislators and other political figures in Oklahoma during recent years: Oklahoma has been a state that has had a school superintendent attempt to infuse the Bible into the statewide curriculum, a state House that has passed a resolution honoring Christ as King, a statewide school board approve the creation of a state-funded religious school, and lawmakers who considered requiring the posting of the Ten Commandments in public schools. Arguably, at least, Oklahoma has been the state most ready to breach the wall traditionally separating church and state.
So it came as a surprise a few days ago when the the news page of Americans Atheists led with this headline: Atheists Praise Passage of Child Marriage Ban in Oklahoma.
In the annals of church-state conflict, the development isn’t all that big of a deal. After all, in order for the ban to become law, which will take effect Nov. 1, it needed the approval of the state’s Christian supermajority, and the legislation wasn’t fought primarily on religious grounds. All that is noteworthy is that the American Atheists found something to applaud lawmakers for.
For the record, the law is Senate Bill 504, which enacted the removal of all exceptions to the state law setting 18 as the minimum marriage age. The bill earlier this year passed the state House unanimously, although it did receive opposition from some conservative Republicans in the Senate, where it passed 51-36. The main argument made by opponents is that it would interfere with parental rights, and they argued that in some situations, such as when a child pregnancy is involved, parents should be allowed to authorize marriage for their children.
The Oklahoma governor, Kevin Stitt, had taken no position on the bill. Because he neither signed nor vetoed it by the deadline, it became law (with delayed implementation) last Wednesday.
Here’s what Nick Fish, the president of American Atheists, had to say about the development:
This is not only a tremendous victory for the committed advocates who have worked tirelessly to advance this issue in Oklahoma and throughout the United States, it is a victory for the countless minors who, until today, were at risk of being forced into these abusive, exploitative marriages.
The devastating effects of child marriage on these young people are crystal clear, and the stories of survivors are heart-wrenching. This law come too late for the 3,500 minors, mostly girls wed to adult men, who were married in Oklahoma between 2000 and 2021, but it is a vital step toward ending child marriage in all 50 states.
I am grateful for the partnership of the team at Unchained at Last and the National Coalition to End Child Marriage and to the hard work of our members and volunteers in Oklahoma who fought so hard to get it done.
According to Fish, Oklahoma has become the 17th state to outlaw all child marriages. The states that allow minors to marry require court and/or parental approval for a license to be issued.