Dupage Policy Journal

This election season, don’t say a prayer for U.S. Rep. Sean Casten.

Religion is for “scoundrels” and represents a “cry for help,”  according to the 48 year-old first term Democrat, who lives in Downers Grove.

Historically, in a nation where 85 percent of voters are religious-- 71 percent following Christianity, according to Pew Research Center--  non-believing elected officials tend to keep Godlessness to themselves. But not Casten, who has been strident in his criticism of fellow elected officials who make public expressions of their faith.

In Jan., after the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cited a Bible verse on Twitter, Casten suggested he was trying to cover up corruption.

“Scoundrels talk about religion when they don’t want to talk about ethics,” Casten tweeted.

Pompeo had quoted Proverbs 10:18, “Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips and spreads slander is a fool.”

Casten has repeatedly mocked elected officials who post Bible verses, suggesting they suffer from mental illness.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) has been a regular Casten target.

A year after Casten took office, he said Rubio was making “courage and patriotism… sound uncomfortable,” after the former Presidential candidate tweeted “there’s only been ONE man EVER who was always right & deserves blind loyalty & his name was Jesus.”

Casten has continued to denigrate Rubio, who campaigned for the man he defeated in 2018, former U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam (R-6th)

“The Marco Rubio random bible verse / cry for help remains one of the most persistently weird things on Twitter,” he wrote a month later. “Just come to the light, Senator.”

In Aug., after Casten called another Rubio tweet a “cryeth for help,” his 2020 challenger Jeanne Ives slammed him.

“Does Sean Casten think people of faith are mentally ill,” said Ives. “Why would an expression of faith on Twitter be met with mockery and shaming by a public official? Apparently Sean Casten wants to Keep Twitter Toxic.”

Unapologetic Atheism

Casten let his atheism be known in 2018, on the campaign trail.

When asked on WTTW-TV to name a current leader who most inspires him, he said it would be self-described radical atheist Dan Savage.

Savage is a Chicago native and University of Illinois graduate most famous for his raunchy column, “Savage Love.” He currently lives in Seattle.

Earlier this year, Casten was endorsed for re-election by the Atheist Freethought Equality PAC, which says it backs candidates that “have demonstrated their solidarity with the atheist and humanist community by supporting measures to protect the separation of church and state, remove the lingering bias against nontheists, and uphold scientific integrity in education, research, and public policy. “

Upon entering Congress in 2019, Casten joined the Atheist “Congressional Freethought Caucus,” spearheaded by the Freedom from Religion Foundation. It’s policy priorities include banning religious organizations from claiming that they shouldn’t have to pay for abortions for their employees. 

Casten’s father, energy tycoon Thomas R. Casten of Hinsdale, is a longtime supporter and former board member of The Center for Inquiry (CFI), an advocacy organization that opposes religion in public affairs. 

In 2009, CFI created “Blasphemy Rights Day International,” encouraging individuals to openly express criticism or outright contempt for religion.

According to Pew, just three percent of the U.S. identifies as Atheist.