Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Toto · 01-13-2003, 09:18 AM

Secular Coalition for America has their web site up and running.

Quote:

The Secular Coalition for America is a new lobbying organization whose purpose is to amplify the voice of the nontheistic community in the United States. Our sponsoring organizations are established players in the national freethought movement who have come together to formalize a cooperative structure for visible, unified activism.

In order to move beyond the lobbying restrictions placed on educational non-profits, the Secular Coalition for America has incorporated as a 501(c)(4) organization. This tax status will enable the Coalition to engage in political activism to an extent previously unknown in the nontheistic community.

The Secular Coalition for America focuses on the concerns of American freethinkers -- atheists, agnostics, humanists, skeptics, and others who consider themselves non-religious. The Coalition also enthusiastically welcomes the participation of religious Americans who share our view that freedom of conscience must extend to people of all faiths and of none.

beejay · 01-13-2003, 10:24 AM

There is a lot of good stuff at that site, including a place to register support for Darrell Lambert, the scout who was expelled for being an atheist.

Please register your support there, especially any former (or present) Boy Scouts.

Shake · 01-13-2003, 01:32 PM

Chalk up another former Boy Scout who has made his endorsement known!

Completely unrelated, but this was IIDB post # 783387! Oooo! A palindromic post #! Sorry, as you were.

Rusting Car Bumper · 01-15-2003, 08:37 AM

Why bother with the Boy Scouts? Darrell Lamberts case isn't a Church-State seperation case by his own admission.

I think they ought to stick with the scope of political action which is why I thought the group was formed.

Other groups can deal with the Boy Scouts. Why spread limited resources?

DC

Toto · 01-15-2003, 09:21 AM

Why? Because the Boy Scouts are a major private institution that practice discrimination against atheists on the stated grounds that atheists have no morals. Freethought activists have been on the BSA case for a while, and we now have a sympathetic and articulate victim of that policy.

Rusting Car Bumper · 01-15-2003, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Toto
Why? Because the Boy Scouts are a major private institution that practice discrimination against atheists on the stated grounds that atheists have no morals. Freethought activists have been on the BSA case for a while, and we now have a sympathetic and articulate victim of that policy.

This is not a disagreement about Lambert's case. This is a disagreement that a lobbying group needs to take up a case which is not a political lobbying issue.

The FIRST sentence of their "About" page says"

Quote:

The Secular Coalition for America is a new LOBBYING organization whose purpose is to amplify the voice of the nontheistic community in the United States. (emphasis mine)

on their main page it says:

Quote:

We add a new dimension to the existing atheist, humanist, and freethought groups. Although our concerns are the same, our approach will be different. The Secular Coalition is incorporated as a lobbying organization. (emphasis theirs)

Going after the Boy Scouts with letter campaigns is not "different" and has nothing to do with being corporated as a 501(c)4 (as opposed to the traditional 501(c)3). If, as you say, "Freethought activists have been on the BSA case for a while" then how does this constitute a "different approach" or "lobbying" in the sense of a 501(c)4?

Frankly, I was very excited when they first appeared. Now I am disappointed that they will not be focusing their efforts on lobbying as they first claimed. I wanted to give some of my hard earned dollars to them but now I may not be able to.

I frankly hope they do something concrete to dissuade me from my current opinion.

DC

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01-13-2003, 10:24 AM	#2
beejay Regular Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Richmond IN Posts: 375	There is a lot of good stuff at that site, including a place to register support for Darrell Lambert, the scout who was expelled for being an atheist. Please register your support there, especially any former (or present) Boy Scouts.

01-13-2003, 01:32 PM	#3
Shake Contributor Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Folding@Home in upstate NY Posts: 14,394	Chalk up another former Boy Scout who has made his endorsement known! Completely unrelated, but this was IIDB post # 783387! Oooo! A palindromic post #! Sorry, as you were.

01-15-2003, 08:37 AM	#4
Rusting Car Bumper Banned Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: U.S. Posts: 4,171	Why bother with the Boy Scouts? Darrell Lamberts case isn't a Church-State seperation case by his own admission. I think they ought to stick with the scope of political action which is why I thought the group was formed. Other groups can deal with the Boy Scouts. Why spread limited resources? DC

01-15-2003, 09:21 AM	#5
Toto Contributor Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Los Angeles area Posts: 40,549	Why? Because the Boy Scouts are a major private institution that practice discrimination against atheists on the stated grounds that atheists have no morals. Freethought activists have been on the BSA case for a while, and we now have a sympathetic and articulate victim of that policy.

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