Atheist Group Heralds 'First Time in History' Policy Briefing with White House Officials

Faircloth told ABC News that the group will brief Tina Tchen and Paul Monteiro, the director and associate director of the White House Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs; Bryan H. Samuels, Commissioner of the Administration on Children, Youth and Families at Health and Human Services; and Mazen Basrawi, Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the Department of Justice.

He said they would address three items: "religiously based child abuse issues, so-called faith-healing" and religious child care being exempt from some health and safety laws; the "pervasive" religious atmosphere in the military and ways in which troops "with nontheistic views are made to feel unwelcome"; and faith-based initiatives.

The White House sought to downplay the meeting, with spokesman Shin Inouye saying, "the White House office of Public Engagement regularly meets with a wide-range of organizations and individuals on a diverse set of issues."

But the atheist group is quite excited about the meeting. While the president often proclaims his belief in God, and talks occasionally about his Christian faith, he said in his inaugural address that "our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and non-believers."

"We appreciated the acknowledgement," Faircloth said.