Secular Coalition for America facts for kids
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| Formation | 2002 |
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| Type | Non-profit organization |
| Purpose | Advocate for the nontheistic community in the United States and for secularism. |
| Location | |
The Secular Coalition for America is a group in Washington, D.C. that works to protect the rights of Americans who are not religious. They describe their main goal as "protecting the equal rights of nonreligious Americans."
This group has local branches in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. These branches have people called lobbyists who are trained by the organization. Lobbyists talk to lawmakers to share their group's ideas. The Coalition holds a special "lobby day" and a meeting about their policies each year. They also create reports about how members of Congress vote and guides for voters. In 2013, they released a guide to help lawmakers create policies that support secular ideas.
Herb Silverman was a key person in starting the organization. He was the Coalition's president. Other important leaders have included Edwina Rogers and Sean Faircloth. Lori Lipman Brown was their first full-time lobbyist.
The Secular Coalition works to make sure that nonreligious people in the United States are seen and respected. They also want to keep the U.S. government separate from religion. This idea is called secularism. They believe that the U.S. Constitution, especially the First Amendment, clearly states that church and government should be separate. They also think that freedom of conscience (which means you can believe what you want) is very important. They believe that public policies should be based on reason and science.
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What is the Secular Coalition's Mission?
The main goal of the Secular Coalition for America is to stand up for the equal rights of nonreligious Americans. They also work to protect the idea that religion and government should be separate.
How Did the Secular Coalition Start?
The Secular Coalition for America began in 2002. Four groups that support secular ideas in the U.S. started it. These groups were Atheist Alliance International, the Institute for Humanist Studies, the Secular Student Alliance, and the Secular Web. Over the years, more groups joined. By 2010, many more organizations had become members.
Herb Silverman was a main leader in creating the organization. He wanted different secular groups in the United States to work together. Silverman believed that if nonreligious Americans worked as a team, politicians and society would gradually respect them more. He thought they could become a strong force for change.
As of 2023, the Coalition has many member organizations, including:
- 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
- The Clergy Project
- 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 Universalist Humanist Association
Who Leads the Secular Coalition?
The Secular Coalition for America has a Board of Directors. The groups that are members of the Coalition choose these directors. The leaders of the board can be from member groups or from the wider community of people who support freethought. In August 2022, Steven Emmert became the Executive Director. Scott MacConomy is in charge of policy and government affairs.
What Issues Does the Coalition Focus On?
The Secular Coalition for America works on issues where they believe religion is too involved in public policy. For example, they look at government money going to religious groups. They also look at school vouchers for religious schools. Other issues include limits on embryonic stem cell research and certain laws about religious freedom.
The Coalition also challenges what they see as unfair treatment of nonreligious people. This includes groups like the Boy Scouts of America that are chartered by the government. They also work to make sure that military chaplains do not try to force their beliefs on service members.
The Coalition is open to working with religious groups too. They cooperate with any religious group that also believes in freedom of conscience and the separation of church and state. The Secular Coalition for America supports religious tolerance for everyone, whether they are religious or not.
Finding Nonreligious Elected Officials
In 2007, the Secular Coalition for America offered a $1,000 reward. This reward was for the person who could find the highest-ranking elected official who openly said they did not believe in anything supernatural. This contest was called "Find an Atheist, Humanist, Freethinker Elected Official Contest." The winner found Rep. Pete Stark from California. He was a member of the United States Congress since 1973. Stark was the first member of Congress to publicly say he was part of the freethought community.
Meeting with the Obama Administration
On February 26, 2010, the Secular Coalition for America met with people from the Obama administration. This was the first official meeting of its kind specifically for nonreligious Americans. The group talked about three main concerns for secular Americans. These were religious pressure in the military, improving the Faith-Based Initiatives program, and ending special rules for religious groups in laws about child neglect.
Congressional Scorecard
The Secular Coalition for America publishes an online report called a Congressional scorecard. This report rates U.S. Representatives and Senators. It shows how they voted on certain issues and which laws they supported.
See also
In Spanish: Secular Coalition for America para niños
