What we’re about
What is SCSC?
If you are currently a leader or a member of a secular group (humanist, agnostic/atheist, freethinker etc.) in Southern Cal, this is a great group to join. Our goals include:
1. Networking to build group cohesion and effectiveness within and between our various secular groups throughout SoCal.
2. Helping our groups to grow by broadening their offerings per the "CASE model":
- building Community
- increasing Advocacy and Political Action
- creating programs for Service and Social Causes
- providing Education for our groups as well as collective mobilization.
3. Sharing best practices with each other.
Our first Annual SCSC Virtual Conference was in 2021; link to videos are HERE.
We had our Second Annual SCSC Virtual Conference on Nov. 12th, 2022. You can catch recordings of some of the fantastic speakers we had HERE.
SCSC currently has weekly planning meetings every other Friday at noon. If you'd like to join one and become engaged, please message Dave (Organizer) or Rhett (Co-Organizer) or Judy (Co-Organizer) on Meetup. This Meetup page can help steer anyone looking for secular connections to great events happening throughout SoCal, and also be an excellent place for group leaders to share ideas of general interest and help provide greater connection. Looking forward to hearing from you. Let us know if you have questions.
Also, visit us here for more info:
SCSC Website
Upcoming events
28
•OnlineThe 2025 International Secular Day of the Dead/Dia de los Muertos Secular
OnlineOn Saturday, November 1, 2025, the traditional Secular Day of the Dead/Dia de los Muertos Secular International Online Event will take place at Noon PDT/3:00 PM EDT. Please register for this event at the following Zoom link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/hGs5BhhVQEOm8Y2nLodUNg
This event is hosted by David Tamayo, Margaret Downey, and Memo Benumea.
Actor, producer, and director Jon Huertas will deliver an inspiring welcome.
Tamayo will present his recorded farewell visit with the late Hector Avalos, who was a professor of Religious Studies at Iowa State University, a cultural anthropologist, and the author of several books on religion. Avalos was an atheist and advocate of secular humanist ethics.
Dan Barker, the co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, will honor the life and work of political cartoonist Steve Benson.
Actor, monologist, and author Julia Sweeney will deliver an appreciation of the life of singer, songwriter, and social activist Jill Sobule.
Podcaster, author, and public speaker Seth Andrews will honor the life of scientist and professor Abby Hafer.
Prizes will be awarded in the following categories:
Best Female Hair Adornment
Best Male Hair Adornment
Best Female Face Makeup
Best Male Face Makeup
Best Zoom Box
Best OverallSponsors of the event include the Freethought Society, Hispanic American Freethinkers, American Humanist Association, the Center for Inquiry/Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science, Black Nonbelievers, Secular Coalition for America, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
1 attendee![[Partner Event] What is a TRUE Christian?](https://secure.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/e/2/2/9/highres_530997897.jpeg)
•Online[Partner Event] What is a TRUE Christian?
OnlineLet's join our friends at OC-Thinkers.
What does it really mean to be a “true Christian”? This discussion examines one of the oldest and most debated questions in the history of faith. Is a Christian defined by accepting certain doctrines, living by Jesus’s moral teachings, or belonging to a particular church? Is it about belief, behavior, belonging—or something else entirely? Throughout history and even today, people have debated who qualifies as a “real” follower of Christ. Some emphasize doctrine and faith alone, while others stress compassion, service, or moral conduct.
Zoom Reg HERE
From fundamentalist to progressive, “social gospel” to “prosperity gospel,” Christianity comes in countless flavors—and not all agree on what defines genuine faith. Some Christians feed the poor, others storm the Capitol, and movements like Christian Nationalism and Project 2025 are reshaping the conversation about religion in America. And how do public figures like Charlie Kirk influence the image of Christianity?
Participants will explore how the meaning of “Christian” has evolved—from the early church and the Protestant Reformation to today’s diverse global movements. The conversation will highlight tensions between belief vs. works, faith vs. identity, and inclusion vs. exclusivity—and will invite reflection on how these definitions shape our modern communities, politics, and interfaith understanding. And how would our answers change if there is a God—or if there isn’t?
Join us for an open and respectful discussion exploring how different Christian traditions, denominations, and individuals interpret this powerful and sometimes divisive question. Whether you’re a believer, skeptic, or curious observer, this is an opportunity to engage thoughtfully about faith, identity, and authenticity in modern Christianity.
Questions? PM me on Meetup or find me on LinkedIn
2 attendees![[Partner Event] When Race Becomes Our Faith](https://secure.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/9/1/8/9/highres_530977257.jpeg)
•Online[Partner Event] When Race Becomes Our Faith
OnlineLet's join our friends at the Humanist Association of Orange County.
Why won’t racism and racial injustice go away? In this talk, I will argue that race has become entangled with religion, taking on transcendent qualities. The result is the emergence of a religion called the Religion of Whiteness, a powerful influence on the lives of millions of people, and harming both Christianity and human communities. This presentation will help us better understand why people become so invested in protecting whiteness, why they are often so passionately committed to maintaining racial inequality, and how to make positive change.
Zoom Reg HERE
Michael O. Emerson is the Director of the Religion and Public Policy Program and the Harry and Hazel Chavanne Fellow in Religion and Public Policy at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, the nation’s top-rated academic think tank (https://www.bakerinstitute.org/program/religion-and-public-policy).
Emerson’s work focuses primarily on the intersection of religion, race, and politics. Increasingly, his work focuses on religion and its public policy implications. He has co-authored 16 books, most recently The Religion of Whiteness: How Racism Distorts Christianity (Oxford, 2024), Kingdom Racial Change: Moving from Inequality, Injustice, and Indifference (Eerdmans, 2025), and the 25th Anniversary Edition of Divided by Faith (Oxford, Nov. 17, 2025).
Questions? PM me on Meetup or find me on LinkedIn
2 attendees
Past events
758
![[Partner Event]On-Going Threats to Church/State Separation & AU’s Legal Response](https://secure.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/6/3/d/7/highres_530725559.jpeg)
