Originally posted at Daily Kos (2/2005)
In our day, it goes far beyond the Clergy. Religious groups have lobbyists on the hill trying to get their dogma made into national law. As Bush and the GOP panders to the evangelical lobbies, we risk slipping further and further away from the secular state our country is supposed to be.
The Secular Coalition for America seeks to combat the lobbying efforts of the religious dogmatists. The SCA is there for those atheists who feel attacked on a daily basis by the religious right, and those religious types who don’t feel religion should interfere in government. They are now asking for donations so they can send a lobbyist to Washington to fight for church/state separation.
More across the bump:
I hardly think I even need to make the argument that religious groups are sticking their noses where they don’t belong by sending lobbyists to Washington. We all know the GOP has been pandering to the religious right at least since Reagan. But, for the sake of argument, here are some of the things religious lobbyists have been involved in:
- Seeking to gain government funding for religious education, primarily through the promotion of voucher programs.
- Won government funding for religious organizations through creation of the Office of Faith Based Initiatives.
- Seek to eliminate restrictions on politicking by churches.
- Oppose civil rights for gays, comprehensive sex education for kids, and reproductive choice for women.
- Build support for religious icons on public property and the return of school prayer.
- Propagate the idea that the United States was founded as a Christian nation, that separation of church and state is a myth, and that government neutrality towards religion is really anti-Christian discrimination.
Who is the SCA, anyway? Honestly, I don’t know much about them aside from what they say on their website. I do, however, frequent one of their sponsors, The Secular Web. It is a great secular humanist website. I highly recommend it for any of you atheist/agnostic liberals who feel persecuted because you are non-religious.
As for the SCA, according to their website, they are a new 501(c)(4) organization (they can lobby legislators, but not endorse or promote candidates) sponsored by the American Humanist Association, Atheist Alliance International, Institute for Humanist Studies, Internet Infidels (The Secular Web), Secular Student Alliance, and the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers. They promise to address the concerns of individuals whose worldview is naturalistic, whether they self-identify as agnostics, atheists, freethinkers, humanists, or skeptics, as well as others who consider themselves non-religious. Above all else, this means the separation of Church and State.
Perhaps you are one of the many religious liberals, and you are concerned about what the agenda would be for a “secular lobbyist?” Well, this group of secularists seems open to religious types so long as they are open to non-religious types.
Sounds pretty ok to me, but then, I am a secular humanist (atheist). If you are still unsure, consider the job description on the SCA website:
- Promote understanding of, and respect for, nontheistic viewpoints.
- Amplify and unite the voices of American agnostics, atheists, freethinkers, humanists, secularists, and skeptics — all the nation’s diverse brights (individuals whose worldview is naturalistic).
- Advocate for the non-religious citizenry as a 30-million strong constituency that is informed about the issues and VOTES.
- Hold back government support of, and preference toward, religion, especially where it endangers the lives and well-being of innocent children and the needy.
- Oppose religious discrimination and sponsorship of religion by government chartered organizations.
- Protect religious freedom for all Americans by preserving the separation of religion and government.
That could be a very powerful ally to the Democratic party, if their 30-million figure is accurate. Still want to know more? Here are their Position and Mission Statements:
The Secular Coalition for America is committed to promoting reason and science as the most reliable methods for understanding the universe and improving the human condition. Informed by experience and inspired by compassion, we encourage the pursuit of knowledge, meaning, and responsible ethical codes without reference to supernatural forces. We affirm the secular form of government as a necessary condition for the interdependent rights of religious freedom and religious dissent. We come together as national freethought organizations to cooperate in areas of mutual interest and to support each other in our efforts to uphold separation between government and religion for the benefit of all within the nontheistic community. As resources allow, we will actively cooperate in projects that support our position, with priority given to political action initiatives and public relations opportunities.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Secular Coalition for America is to increase the visibility and respectability of nontheistic viewpoints within the larger culture and to protect and strengthen secular government as the best guarantee of freedom for all.
The SCA is looking for 1000 people to donate $100 each to start their lobbying effort. I am not giving that much myself, but I doubt they would reject any amount. They have a donation form on their homepage. If you are still not comfortable giving, that’s cool, too. Either way, I think this is a group we should keep an eye on as a potentially powerful liberal ally.
Disclosure: I am not now, nor have I ever been, affiliated with the SCA.
