Last updated 2026-05-08
The Separationist is the newsletter of the Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry, first published in 1994.
The Separationist is a FREE Substack newsletter. Articles are best viewed on Substack, but recent articles are copied below.
You do not need to subscribe, register for Substack or install the Substack app to access any of our content. More information.
Our Archive has many issues, going back to the very beginning.
Recent Posts
The following are copies of our most recent Substack posts. These are best viewed on Substack.
Adopt A Highway
Today 10 volunteers enjoyed a lovely morning cleaning up a section of Azalea Drive as part of the Adopt A Highway program. We picked up 20 bags of trash (a record) as well as lots of boards, boxes, and construction material. We even found a dishwasher rack! This was...
Pumpkin Carving (2026)
SHL members gathered in Diane and Lee’s backyard on Saturday, October 24, 2026 for a fun evening of pumpkin carving for spooky season! Participants transformed ordinary pumpkins into glowing works of art. The finished jack-o’-lanterns were as varied as their...
Walk Through the Holiday Lights with SHL!
Join the Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry for one of our favorite holiday outings: the Holiday Festival of Lights Fun Walk at James Island County Park! Before the regular Festival of Lights season gets underway, we’ll get to experience the displays on foot...
Charleston Pride 2026
October is LGBTQ+ History Month, and Charleston celebrates pride. It also helps that it isn’t usually sweltering in October like it is in June. Charleston Pride held its annual parade and Pride Festival on October 17th. That date also coincides with the No Kings...
SNAP Back Hunger Packing Party: A Big Success, A Step Forward
Look what you did!💙On Saturday, October 3rd, after weeks of fundraising, shopping, and preparation, just over 20 wonderful people came together with SHL to pack meals for children facing hunger. Together, we packed hundreds of nutritious meat-based and vegetarian...
Day of the Dead: A Celebration of Life, Love & Memory
There are many ways to remember the people who have mattered in our lives. On Sunday, November 1, the Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry will come together for a special Day of the Dead celebration devoted to remembering and celebrating those we have loved and...
The Separationist Archive
The first issue of The Separationist was published in September 1994. Our archive presently has about 190 of the back issues. We’re still searching for missing issues—if you have any, or can help locate them, please email newsletter@lowcountryhumanists.org. You can view our tracking sheet here.
Originally the newsletter was published from September through May of the following year, taking summers off–a reflection of the academic profession of many of the SHL founders. At some point the newsletter did start publishing year round.
The Separationist was a casualty of the pandemic and went on an unplanned hiatus from August 2020 until February 2024, when it was briefly brought back as a monthly email publication. It was published via MailChimp. In June 2025 it was moved to Substack. The final monthly issue was published in January 2026. From that point, articles are published to Substack on an ad hoc basis. An article about the decision to make this change can be read here.
2026
January 2026: Spiritual Fitness or Religious Force?
2025
December 2025: Building Community Beyond Belief
November 2025: SHL Shows Up Big at FFRF Convention
October 2025: From the Epicenter of Book Banning
September 2025: DEI for SHL
August 2025: A Tale of Two Trials
July 2025: “May I pray with you?”
June 2025: Extending the Rainbow
May 2025: Service to America
April 2025: Talking Trash
March 2025: Godless Women
February 2025: The Good News
January 2025: The Resurrection of The Separationist
2024
December 2024: 30 Years of Being Good Without God in the Lowcountry
November 2024: Call for a New Progressive Era
October 2024: The Home Stretch
September 2024: Volunteer Service
August 2024: The Importance of Public Education
July 2024: If You Can Keep It
June 2024: Secular Humanist Values
May 2024: Religion, Government, Elections and Voting
April 2024: Fighting Climate Change Together
March 2024: Celebrating Women’s History Month
February 2024: Celebrating Black History Month