This hearing is very informative as to how our elected officials feel about church-state separation. We have a lot of work to do! Ms. Blain's testimony begins at 1:22:56.

Presented by Secular Coalition for Arizona, Dr. R. Elisabeth Cornwell, Sean Faircloth and world-renowned author, bioethicist and secularist Richard Dawkins will explore how religion impacts government and how the secular community can grow its influence on legislative decisions.

When: Monday, February 6, 2012 7:00 - 8:45 p.m.

Where: Mesa Arts Center One East Main Street Mesa, AZ 85201

Admission includes: Presentations by Cornwell, Faircloth, and Dawkins, Q and A, & Book Signing

Tickets on sale NOW: All seats $10 Purchase online or by phone: www.mesaartscenter.com, 480.644.6500 (ticketing fees may apply) or at the box office: One East Main Street, Mesa, AZ 85201

Richard Dawkins, DPhil, is a world-renowned scientific intellectual, lecturer, author, and founder of the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science. His books, which include The God Delusion and The Blind Watchmaker, draw on his experience as a leading evolutionary biologist, and have been translated into many languages. Dawkins will be available to sign his books, including the recently released: The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True.

Sean Faircloth is an author, speaker, former legislator and current Director of Strategy and Policy for the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science. Sean served five terms in the Maine legislature and has put that experience to work by spearheading initiatives designed to increase the secular voice within society and government. Faircloth will be available to sign his book, Attack of the Theocrats: How the Religious Right Harms Us All and What to Do About It.

R. Elisabeth Cornwell, PhD, is Executive Director of the U.S. branch of the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science. Her contributions include originating and expanding the OUT Campaign, which provides a public forum for freethinkers to proclaim their atheism and to let others know they are not alone.

Sponsored by:
Secular Coalition for Arizona: www.secularaz.org
Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science:www.RichardDawkins.net 
With additional funding from The Humanist Society of Greater Phoenix: www.hsgp.org

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Private Reception with RICHARD DAWKINS, SEAN FAIRCLOTH, and DR. R. ELISABETH CORNWELL

Prior to the public event join us for a very special private reception to meet and mingle with Richard Dawkins, Sean Faircloth, and Dr. Elisabeth Cornwell. Your attendance will co-benefit the Secular Coalition for Arizona and the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science.

When: Monday, February 6, 2012 5:15pm - 6:45pm (immediately preceding the public event)

Where: Mesa Arts Center

Admission: $500 per person, $750 per couple Enjoy a light buffet and refreshments as well as complimentary VIP seating to the public event.

REGISTER NOW

I am unable to attend, but would like to donate to Secular Coalition for Arizona

If you would like to be recognized as a "Friend of the Arizona Nontheistic Community" sponsoring donor please contact Matt Schoenley for details, matt@secularaz.org or 480.717.6288      

1/3 of your entrance fee will benefit Secular Coalition for Arizona (SC Arizona) and 2/3 will benefit Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science (RDF). Donations to SC Arizona, a 501(c)(4) organization, are not tax deductible. Donations to the RDF, a 501(c)(3) organization, are tax deductible.

January 10, 2012 - Yesterday marked the opening of the 2012 Arizona State Legislative session—and Secular Coalition for Arizona was there in front of the Capitol alongside our liaised nontheistic-friendly organization, Americans United for Separation of Church and State  - Greater Phoenix. It was a great opportunity for nontheistic Arizonans to be present and visible to our legislators, letting them know that we are an active, sizeable constituency! SC Arizona’s Executive Director, Seráh Blain, was able to connect with members, fellow lobbyists and constituents who were present--and will continue SC Arizona’s presence at the legislature this week as she introduces our organization and addresses legislation that erodes church-state separation. Stay tuned for updates from Seráh as the session gets underway--and make sure to "like" our Facebook page for all the latest!

Remember, SC Arizona’s presence at the Capitol and our advocacy on behalf of nontheistic Arizonans is only possible through the generous support of the nontheistic community; please consider a donation TODAY so that we can continue to be your voice to the state legislature! 

Join Secular Coalition for Arizona at the Capitol for Opening Day!

The start of the 2012 legislative season is right around the corner! Session opens this coming Monday, January 9th. Secular Coalition for Arizona will be at the Capitol with our liaised nontheistic friendly organization, Americans United for Separation of Church and State-Greater Phoenix Chapter. AU-Greater Phoenix and SC Arizona will meet at 10:30 a.m. on the 9th at the Capitol to join the "Stop the War on Women Rally," co-sponsored by Planned Parenthood Arizona. Like SC Arizona, Planned Parenthood has been under unrelenting attack by the Religious Right, which seeks to implement policy based on religious doctrine rather than reason--to the detriment of all Arizonans. SC Arizona will be working with Planned Parenthood-Arizona over the legislative season to strategize together where our interests overlap. If you would like to join SC Arizona and AU-Greater Phoenix, please rsvp to Anne Mardick at AUArizona@gmail.com, and include your t-shirt size (S-4X) to get a free AU shirt!

For questions contact Seráh Blain, Executive Director. 

Welcome Flagstaff Freethinkers!

SC Arizona continues to grow! This month, we welcome the Flagstaff Freethinkers to our coalition, with Brian Wallace as liaison and Bill Kurmes as alternate. The Flagstaff Freethinkers is a community-oriented group of skeptics and nontheists that meets for social events, discussion, volunteer opportunities and family-friendly activities. The group encourages any science-minded, reason-based thinkers in the Flagstaff area to join them for fellowship and fun!

Contact Brian Wallace for more information.

Meet our New Executive Director!

After a busy, productive, and momentous inaugural year, Secular Coalition for Arizona (SC Arizona) is thrilled to announce that, thanks to the generous support of our liaised organizations and their members, we have been able to fully professionalize and hire a full-time Executive Director. This week, Seráh Blain took over the reins as head of SC Arizona from Matt Schoenley, who had been serving as volunteer Director and who will continue on with our organization as Chair of the Board.

“This is an exciting, historic new chapter for Secular Coalition for Arizona,” says Matt. "Seráh is the first known professional Executive Director and lobbyist of a state-level nontheistic lobby organization. This legislative season, we’ll have a dedicated and gifted full-time director lobbying and advocating for Arizona's nontheistic constituents, making sure you have a voice at the state Capitol.”

Seráh is no stranger to the nontheistic community in Arizona. She is the founder and organizer of the Prescott Freethinkers (an affiliate of the American Humanist Association), co-founder of the Flagstaff Freethinkers, and has served on the board of SC Arizona since its inception. She is also a hospice volunteer and does trainings for other volunteers and staff on nontheistic approaches to death. Seráh brings a wealth of political experience from nearly a decade of working for nonprofits supporting LGBT youth and advocating to state government on their behalf.

“After years of seeing how harmful religious intrusion into secular government can be, particularly for vulnerable minority groups like LGBT youth, I have come to understand that the best way to ensure freedom and fairness for everyone is to safeguard the wall of church-state separation,” Seráh says.

Under the leadership of a full-time, professional director, SC Arizona will be better able to respond quickly to harmful legislation proposed by the Religious Right, and to make sure legislators understand the importance of our Constitution’s guarantee of secular government. This exciting transition would not have been possible without the generous contributions of nontheists like you; please consider a gift to SC Arizona TODAY and help us continue the essential work of keeping religion out of government!

“It is a great honor to represent my fellow nontheists to our legislators, and to carry your voice to the Capitol,” says Seráh, who welcomes the opportunity to get to know all of our liaised organizations. Please do not hesitate to contact her with questions, ideas, or invitations to speak to your group: 224-558-9594; serah@secularAZ.org

Job Posting:

Secular Coalition for Arizona is seeking to hire a full-time Executive Director. To learn more about the Executive Director position, please see the job description here.

Interested applicants may submit a resume, cover letter and salary requirements by email to Matt Schoenley, Chair of the Board, at matt@secularAZ.org. Resumes must be received by December 20, 2011.

Schoenley, who donated his time to serve as the founding Executive Director of Secular Coalition for Arizona, will be handing over those reigns as the position becomes professionalized, but will remain as Chair of the Board.

"It has been my pleasure and honor to act as the founding Executive Director of Secular Coalition for Arizona during this important period," said Matt Schoenley. "SC Arizona made history by taking the voice of the Arizona nontheistic community to the State Capital for the first time. We actively lobbied elected politicians on issues important to Arizona's nontheists, and as a result, they now know who we are, that we are Arizonans, and that we vote. As Chair of the Board I remain enthusiasitclly committed to SC Arizona. It is with excitement for the future of secularism-the position that best guarantees liberty for all, religious and not-that the time has come to 'professionalize' our staff and hire a full-time Executive Director."

The Humanist Society of Greater Phoenix (HSGP), a Liaised Organization of the Secular Coalition for Arizona, has approved two generous financial donations to SC Arizona.

First, the HSGP Board of Directors has offered an immediate contribution of $5,000 from their general fund; second, they have approved an additional donation of 10% of the proceeds from this year's annual Winter Solstice Party. I encourage everyone to attend and support the annual HSGP Winter Solstice fundraiser and party to be held this year at the Humanist Community Center in Mesa on Sunday, December 18.

These welcome donations to our critical efforts once again demonstrate the leadership and commitment of the HSGP membership in promoting Humanist values and insisting on church/state separation in our public policies.

You too can be a leader.  Donate to Secular Coalition for Arizona here.

Recently, the State Bar of Arizona petitioned the Arizona Supreme Court, which oversees the Bar, to reopen for public comment a proposed rule change to the Ethical Rules of the Bar. The proposed change would include “gender identity” as a protected class within the Bar rules and regulations. Attorneys are required to abide by Bar rules in their professional conduct, so this change would ensure that attorneys not be permitted to discriminate against transgender people.  In no way does this change require an attorney to represent a transgender individual if they choose not to.

Secular Coalition for Arizona is in favor of the proposed changes and has offered public comments. Read them here.

Members of the Religious Right offered many of the arguments against adopting this rule to the comment period. The Religious Right often claims “religious liberty” to justify its positions—positions which often have the effect of denying equal rights and equal