The Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry was founded in 1994 by a group of local non-theists in Charleston, South Carolina.

The purpose of our non-profit, educational organization is to promote the non-theistic, human-centered viewpoint as a valid contribution to public discourse and to strive to maintain the First Amendment guarantee of separation of state and church.

Article 4, Section 2 of the South Carolina state constitution says, “No person shall be eligible for the office of governor who denies the existence of the Supreme Being.” In 1990, Herb Silverman, professor of mathematics at the College of Charleston, mounted a campaign for governor to challenge the constitutionality of this discriminatory prohibition. Herb’s case against the state was dismissed on the grounds that he would only have standing to bring the case if he won the election. Herb did not win the election.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on your perspective, the South Carolina state constitution includes similar discriminatory prohibitions against atheists in Article 6, Section 2 and Article 7, Section 4, both of which state, “No person who denies the existence of the Supreme Being shall hold any office under this Constitution.” Herb’s attorney told him he could challenge the state constitution if he applied for a notary commission, so in October 1991 he submitted an application to become a notary public. Herb crossed out the words “so help me God” on the application, and added a note that the US Constitution prohibits religious tests as a qualification for public office. 

Herb’s application was returned by South Carolina then Secretary of State Jim Miles on the grounds that it had not been filled out correctly. Herb’s attorney then sent the application directly to then Governor Carroll Campbell who rejected it, giving Herb the standing he needed to challenge the state constitution. The court case and subsequent appeals took years to work its way up to the state Supreme Court, but on May 27, 1997 the court ruled that the state constitution violated the First Amendment and the “no religious test” clause in Article 6 of the United States Constitution. Then Governor David Beasley did not appeal the case to the US Supreme Court, and on August 8, 1997, Herb Silverman was granted a notary commission.

Herb’s 1990 campaign for governor and subsequent legal battle to become a notary public garnered media attention in both the local and national press. Herb received plenty of hate mail, but he also received letters from appreciative atheists and other non-theists who felt like they were the only ones in this deeply religious part of the country. Many were living closeted lives for fear of social repercussions if their non-belief became known to their families and communities. In 1994 Herb brought those people together, and with about a dozen founding members, established the Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry (SHL). This story is told in greater detail in Herb’s delightful memoir, Candidate Without a Prayer.

For 30 years SHL has provided a supportive community for freethinkers of many kinds. We call ourselves agnostics, atheists, skeptics, secular humanists, rationalists and scientific naturalists. The purpose of our non-profit, educational organization is to promote the non-theistic, human-centered viewpoint as a valid contribution to public discourse and to strive to maintain the First Amendment guarantee of separation of state and church. We welcome all who are interested in participating in our friendly community, either as members or observers.