HumanistNetworkNews.org
April 23, 2008
The umbrella organization for Ethical Societies across the United States and the Secular Coalition for America officially joined forces on April 20 when the American Ethical Union (AEU) voted to become the ninth member of the SCA.
The SCA is the national lobbying group for atheists, humanists, freethinkers and other nontheistic Americans. Located in Washington, D.C., they work to increase the visibility and respectability of nontheistic viewpoints in the U.S. and to protect and strengthen the secular character of the government.
The vote took place at the final day of the AEU's Annual Assembly in Austin, Texas.
The AEU was founded in 1876 and is headquartered in New York City. Ethical Culture is a nontheistic "religion" which is humanistic in nature and neutral as to the existence of a higher power.
"Our religion is ethics," said Ron Solomon, who is the treasurer of the AEU, and newly-elected treasurer of the SCA, as well. "We are strongly interested in social action," said Solomon. "And we want to join the fight against the Christianizing of America."
He said AEU, which has 2,500 members, thought that it was important to add their resources to protect the interests of non-theists.
"The SCA has exceeded our most ambitious plans when we founded it," said Matt Cherry, executive director of IHS. "Clearly, these groups are now voting with their feet by joining our successful lobbying effort."
The Institute for Humanist Studies" (IHS) is one of the four founding members of the Secular Coalition of America.
Located in the state capitol of Albany, IHS' Public Policy department engages in lobbying for humanist causes and a secular government in New York State.
