Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AUSCS) is reorganizing in Los Angeles to get into fighting trim for the battles that will come in 2012. The AUSCS, a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to preserving the constitutional principle of church-state separation as the only way to ensure American religious freedom, will be grouping a number of local Southern California chapters together under the umbrella of "Greater Los Angeles" to coordinate strategy and tactics. According to Stuart Bechman, who will be heading up the larger organization, these include the current Ventura, San Fernando Valley and Central and South Los Angeles chapters. They're having a planning meeting on December 10th.
Here's the announcement:
The San Fernando Valley Chapter of Americans United for Separation of Church and State will hold its Annual Meeting on Saturday, December 10, at 3:00 PM, at the home of acting chapter president Stuart Bechman, 750 Tranquil Lane, Simi Valley, CA 93065. RSVP to AU.LosAngeles@gmail.com, or 805-405-3929.
We would like to specifically encourage those in the area who would like to serve in some official chapter capacity to attend. The agenda will be to present and discuss ideas for reorganizing the chapter and electing a new board of directors for the coming year. Don't miss this opportunity to be in on the ground floor of what should be an exciting year!
Light refreshments will be served, so please RSVP either by email at AU.LosAngeles@gmail.com, or by phone 805-405-3929, if you plan to attend.
For additional information visit the San Fernando Valley Chapter website at: AU-LosAngeles.blogspot.com.
The AUSCS has been involved in all kinds of church and state battles over the years, including helping keep religion out of public schools, Creationism out of science classes, opposing George Bush's" Faith-Based" Initiative, tax-payer funding of religious indoctrination (You can see a list of some of their victories here), etc. Interestingly enough, while they include a fair number of non-theists among their membership, the group got its start in 1947 under the name Protestants and Other Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the majority of its membership maintains religious affiliations. Its current national president, Barry Lynn, is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. They are, in a way, the direct heirs of the Danbury Baptists who, in 1801, wrote President Thomas Jefferson over their concerns that a religious majority might induce the government to infringe upon the liberties of religious minorities. On January 1, 1802, Jefferson reassured them with the now-famous words "...I contemplate with sovereign reverance that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, thus building a wall of separation between Church & State."
If you enjoy my articles, you can click on "subscribe" at the top of the page and you'll receive notice when new ones are published.
Comments