What we’re about
Americans United for Separation of Church and State is a non-partisan educational organization dedicated to preserving the constitutional principle of church-state separation as the only way to ensure religious freedom for all Americans. The Orange County Chapter holds monthly meetings bringing timely information on local and national issues.
Is the issue of separation of church and state important to you? Are you looking for like minded people who will protect our First Amendment Rights? Are you looking for ways to counter the Religious Right's assault on our secular government? If your answer is yes, please join us!<br>
We invite people to join Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Your $35 membership fee provides you with both chapter affiliation and national membership, including a subscription to Church and State Magazine.
Membership is $35 per year and includes membership in both the Orange County Chapter and the national organization. Americans United for the Separation of Church and State is a 501c3 organization. All donations above $5 (value of Church and State Magazine) are tax deductible. Join or donate here https://bit.ly/AUOCPaypal<br>
If you choose to donate directly to AU National, please affiliate with the Orange County Chapter, it will help us continue our work behind the Orange Curtain.<br>
Regarding our location:<br> The Irvine Ranch Water District neither supports nor endorses the cause nor activities of organizations which use the District’s meeting rooms that are made available as a public service.<br>
Upcoming events (4)
See all- [Partner Event] Solutions and Compromise for Today's Problems, Part 2Link visible for attendees
Let's join our friends at OC-Thinkers.
Are you frustrated by today’s political gridlock? Tired of the all-or-nothing rhetoric? Join us for a civil, engaging discussion where we tackle the toughest social and political challenges of our time—with a focus on realistic solutions and areas of compromise.
Zoom Reg HERE
This interactive event brings together people from across the political spectrum to explore ideas, trade perspectives, and seek common ground. Whether you're left, right, center, or simply curious, your voice matters. We will have a few examples to discuss, you provide the rest.
What to Expect:
Guided discussion with a solutions-based approach
Real-world examples of compromise and collaboration
Respectful conversation across differencesLet’s move from division to direction. Come with ideas, leave with hope.
Questions? PM me on Meetup or find me on LinkedIn
- [Partner Event] Cults Like Us: Why Doomsday Thinking Drives AmericaLink visible for attendees
Let's join our friends at the Humanist Association of Orange County.
Author Jane Borden discusses "how we got here" as a nation, by investigating the cultish nature of our Puritan founders and the ways in which their doomsday ideologies still echo through secular American culture.
Zoom Reg HERE
America was founded by groups most people today would call cults: the Pilgrims and Puritans. The Puritans, in particular, were a high-control doomsday group, something we don't acknowledge. Their radical ideology didn't go away but became the foundation of American culture. Cults Like Us traces seven tenets of their apocalyptic thinking through secular American history, explains how this influence has made us a nation of credulous marks for con artists and demagogues, and proposes that America may be the largest cult of all. People often wonder "how we got here" as a nation. My answer: the Mayflower and Arabella.
Jane Borden is the author of Cults Like Us and I Totally Meant to Do That. Her work has been featured in Vanity Fair, The New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post, and other publications. She lives in Los Angeles.
JaneBorden.com
instagram.com/JaneBordenQuestions? PM me on Meetup or find me on LinkedIn
- Impact of Church/State Separation on the LBGTQ+ CommunityLink visible for attendees
Please join us for a talk by Daniel Villarreal on how church state separation impacts the LGBTQ+ community. He will also talk about good news for the community (yes, there is some good news!)
Zoom Reg HERE
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information about joining the meeting.Daniel Villarreal is a long time, award-winning journalist and editor. He has written for a wide variety of media, including NBC News, Newsweek, Vox, Slate, Vice News, The Seattle Stranger, The Dallas Voice and numerous LGBTQ+ publications.
He has spoken at SXSW, Creating Change, Netroots Nation, GaymerX, and is a graduate of GLAAD's Voices of Color program and of the Poynter Institute's 2024 Power of Diverse Voices seminar. He is also the founder of QueerBomb Dallas, an annual non-corporate Pride event; CinéWilde, the nation's longest running monthly LGBTQ film series.
Questions? PM me on Meetup or find me on LinkedIn
![[Partner Event] Solutions and Compromise for Today's Problems, Part 2 cover photo](https://secure.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/a/6/e/7/event_529362727.webp "[Partner Event] Solutions and Compromise for Today's Problems, Part 2")
![[Partner Event] Cults Like Us: Why Doomsday Thinking Drives America cover photo](https://secure.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/7/4/6/a/event_529829802.webp "[Partner Event] Cults Like Us: Why Doomsday Thinking Drives America")
