Secular Communities for Arizona

Provides information, training and staff support to Arizona's secular communities and educates the general public, the media and government officials regarding the benefits of secularism and related issues of importance to all Arizonans.

Secular Studies: Secular Communities for Arizona launched Secular Studies in 2015 to serve as a counterpoint to two existing Bible Studies programs at the Arizona State Capitol. Secular Studies both represents the implementation of a brand-new idea and fills a need; we're the first, and only, 501(c)3 organization operating such a program in the U.S. Each week, we offer all elected officials and their staff the opportunity to listen to a non-partisan presentation by an expert in their field, then engage in open, civil discourse with both the presenter and fellow lawmakers. The response has been positive across the board, with lawmakers making comments such as "I love these weekly discussions, because it's the only chance we get to discuss each other's perspectives and understand where the other side is coming from." Our program encourages civic discourse and opens minds, all through a focus on secular hallmarks such as scientific accuracy in education; equal rights for LGBTQ, women and minorities; access to medical care for all; and nondiscriminatory public policy. Over the last legislative session, more than 30 lawmakers from both parties attended regularly; our end-of-session survey contained uniformly positive feedback. No other program like this exists in the U.S., and we hope our Secular Studies program will serve as a model for organizations in other states.

Testimonials

AZ State Senator re: Secular Studies: "I love these weekly discussions, because it's the only chance we get to discuss each other's perspectives and understand where the other side is coming from."