Secular Coalition for America
Formation | 2002 |
---|---|
Type | Non-profit organization |
Purpose | Advocate for the nontheistic community in the United States and for secularism. |
Location | |
Website | secular |
The Secular Coalition for America is an advocacy group located in Washington D.C. It describes itself as "protecting the equal rights of nonreligious Americans."[1]
The Secular Coalition has chapters in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, composed of lobbyists trained by the organization. The Coalition holds an annual lobby day and policy conference, publishes yearly Congressional report cards and voter guides, and in 2013 issued its first Model Secular Policy Guide for Legislatures.[2]
Coalition president
The Secular Coalition works to increase visibility and respect for
Mission
The mission of the Secular Coalition for America is to advocate for the equal rights of nonreligious Americans and defend the separation of religion and government.[8]
History
The Secular Coalition for America was founded in 2002 by four U.S. secular organizations:
Coalition president
The Coalition's member organizations, as of 2023,[10] are:
- American Atheists
- American Ethical Union
- American Humanist Association
- Atheist Alliance of America
- Association of Secular Elected Officials
- Black Nonbelievers, Inc.
- Camp Quest
- Center for Inquiry (parent organization of the Council for Secular Humanism)
- The Clergy Project[11]
- Congress of Secular Jewish Organizations
- Ex-Muslims of North America
- Freedom From Religion Foundation
- Freethought Society
- Hispanic American Freethinkers
- Institute for Humanist Studies
- Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers
- Recovering From Religion
- Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science
- Secular Student Alliance
- Secular Woman
- Society for Humanistic Judaism
- Unitarian UniversalistHumanist Association
Board of directors
The Secular Coalition for America Board of Directors is democratically structured. Directors are nominated and voted on to serve by the member organizations. Officers may be associated with member organizations or may come from the wider freethought community. In August 2022, Steven Emmert became the Executive Director.[12] Scott MacConomy is the Director of Policy and Government Affairs.[13] Other current board members are Maggie Ardiente, president; Derek Araujo, vice president; Dana Morganroth, treasurer; Bryan Shelby, secretary; Herb Silverman, founder; Anthony Cruz Pantojas; Claudette St. Pierre; Rebecca Hale; and Lori Lipman Brown.[14]
Advisory board
Advisors to the Secular Coalition for America are Woody Kaplan (Chair),
Legislative focus
The Secular Coalition for America addresses issues arising out of what they see as the inappropriate presence of religion into public policy, such as government funding of religious ministries (the "
The Coalition is particularly active in challenging what it perceives as discrimination against
The Coalition also welcomes and works in cooperation with religious groups regardless of affiliation when the religious group(s) share their beliefs of freedom of conscience and separation of church and state. The Secular Coalition for America espouses religious tolerance to people of all religions and those without.
Elected official contest
In 2007 the Secular Coalition for America pledged a $1,000 reward to the person identifying the highest level elected official to openly acknowledge no
Administration briefing
On February 26, 2010, the Secular Coalition for America, along with a unified delegation of members of the secular movement from across the country, met with representatives of the Obama administration for an official policy briefing—the first of its kind specifically for American non-theists. The group raised three particular areas of concern to secular Americans: military proselytizing and religious coercion, fixing the Faith-Based Initiatives program, and ending the exemptions granted to religious groups in laws governing child medical abuse and neglect.[17]
Congressional scorecard
The Secular Coalition for America published an online Congressional scorecard rating U.S. Representatives and Senators on their roll call votes and legislative sponsorship.[18]
References
- ^ "Home".
- ^ Model Secular Policy Guide for Legislatures
- ^ Sean Faircloth Stepping Down as Executive Director
- ^ Non-believers raising voice in capital, article by Jill Lawrence, USA Today, September 18, 2005
- ^ Godless Pride, article by Art Levine, Mother Jones, December 2005
- Christian Science Monitor, January 4, 2007
- ISBN 978-0-87975-834-9
- ^ "About".
- ^ "Candidate without a prayer : An autobiography of a Jewish atheist in the Bible Belt". 2012.
- ^ "Member Organizations".
- ^ "The Clergy Project Joins the Secular Coalition for America". Secular Coalition for America. 28 May 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- ^ "Steven Emmert Takes the Lead". Secular Coalition for America. 23 August 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
- ^ "Scott MacConomy". Secular Coalition for America. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
- ^ "Board".
- ^ Advisors
- ^ In America, Nonbelievers Find Strength in Numbers, article by Jacqueline L. Salmon, The Washington Post, September 15, 2007
- ^ Obama aides to meet with atheists on White House grounds, McClatchy News, February 25, 2010
- ^ U.S. Congressional Scorecards Archived 2013-01-26 at the Wayback Machine, Secular.org