Atheist Attic Visitor Profile
What is your name? (Real or pseudo)
What is your date of birth?
What is your gender?
What is your race?
What is your e-mail address? (optional)
What is the name and URL of your homepage? (optional)
Where do you live? (City, State, Country)
Currently in Sacramento, California. However, I grew up in a small town called Brockway, Pennsylvania, and spent a decade after college in the western suburbs of Philadelphia. Between PA and CA were two and a half years in the Ogden, Utah area.
How would you best describe your form of freethought? (Atheist, Agnostic, Humanist, etc.)
Atheist. Humanist. And I have a strong affinity for earth-based "religions" such as Wicca... without the whole "gods and goddesses" bit.
Were you raised as a freethinker or to be religious?
I was raised in the United Methodist church, baptized and confirmed. My father was Episcopal. My mother became a Jehovah's Witness. Fortunately, I didn't live with her, though I was the hapless recipient of countless issues of The Watchtower and other JW publications.
What originally set you on the path to freethought?
I suppose the very first thing that made me question my religion actually took place in Sunday School when I was about 14. My friend Jim confronted our Sunday School teacher about the contradictions throughout the Bible. The teacher, of course, denied that there were any, saying that my friend was interpreting incorrectly. But my ears only heard Jim's words. I'd never read more of the Bible than we were told to read for class, but after this, I sat down and started reading it cover to cover. And Jim was right.
And there was more in there than contradiction, I found. It was after realizing that "the good book" wasn't a very good book at all that I really started having doubts. And the more I thought about all the problems I had with religion and the very concept of a God, the more I realized I'd never truly thought about them before. Within a year, I was a confirmed atheist.
When did you "come out" as a freethinker to family/friends/public, and how did it go over?
I never really "came out" to my family. I lived only with my dad at the time of my "fall from faith," and I think he came to his own conclusions when I stopped going to church, Sunday School, and Youth Fellowship meetings.
I did tell my mother outright, though, after receiving one too many copies of The Watchtower. She didn't take it very well and tried to convert me, which led to some problems in our relationship.
I told my sister, who wasn't very surprised by it. I never actually told anyone else in the family, but they found out through word-of-mouth. It's never been a problem within the family. At least, not outwardly.
With friends, it's never been a problem. I don't keep it a secret. As for the public... Well, I don't wear a "Friendly Neighborhood Atheist" sweatshirt, but I don't hesitate to admit being one.
Do you feel it necessary to continue to hide your beliefs in any circumstances, and if so, why?
When I lived in Mormon country, where such a large percentage of the population is religious, there were times when it was prudent to keep my beliefs to myself. In the workplace, for example. Mormons aren't known for their tolerance, let alone their acceptance. In my first job in Utah, some of my co-workers knew my beliefs. One, in fact, learned of them because of a letter I wrote to the local paper. He was very religious, and we had some interesting discussions. However, there were others who definitely wouldn't have handled it as graciously as he did. In California, however, I haven't really encountered any situation where I've needed to keep my beliefs hidden.
Have you ever been the victim of discrimination or abuse because of your beliefs?
Oh, yes. I've been called all sorts of filthy names by emailers, because of the things I've said in this site, and when I was guide for The Mining Company's site on Agnosticism/Atheism. (Now known as About.com.)
Once, back in Pennsylvania, I lost out on a job because of my beliefs. Or at least, I'm pretty sure that was the reason. Back then, I had my URL on my résumé, since I did corporate web design occasionally. It was an example of my work, after all. I'd been accepted for a job (through an employment agency), but then (according to my agency rep) some stuffed shirt at the company looked at my site. My guess is that he saw a lot of the anti-religious stuff on the Bumperstickers page, or possibly Cardigan on Religion. The next thing I knew, I was rejected for the job.
In what types of freethought activism, if any, do you participate?
Well, obviously, this site. I did The Mining Company thing for awhile, that I mentioned above. I write lots of letters to the local papers, putting ignorant theists in their places. Back in Pennsylvania, I was a member of The Freethought Society of Greater Philadelphia, as well as proofreader for their newsletter. I'm a member of the Freedom From Religion Foundation. There are plenty of other organizations I'd support if I had the funds to do so. In Utah, I founded the Freethought Society of Northern Utah. That was pretty draining, and since moving further west, I've taken some time to "recover" from the activism, though I am a member of the Sacramento group, Atheists and Other Freethinkers. And then there's my novel, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, which is pretty activist in nature.
What do you feel is the best part of being a freethinker?
For me, the best part about becoming a freethinker was the fact that I learned to think more critically than I had before. I learned that skepticism is necessary in life. There are lots of other great things, too, but that's the most important to me.
What do you feel is the worst part of being a freethinker?
The fact that you instantly become a member of the most reviled minority in history. Even if you're not personally subjected to anything nasty, you take more notice of how bigoted most people are toward unbelievers. You see the negative side of humanity more clearly, and it threatens to turn you into a cynic.
What is the societal atmosphere for freethinkers where you live?
Well, compared to Utah, California is a veritable cornucopia of freethought. But I wouldn't go so far as to say it's "comfortable" for freethinkers. Generally, though, the larger the population of an area, the easier it is for a freethinker to be at ease.
How do you define "freedom of religion" and do you think your country attempts to grant this?
Freedom of Religion means both the freedom to adhere to whatever religion you like, or to adhere to no religion. It's blindingly obvious that the founders of the United States meant the same thing, though there are many who don't believe this, including some in our government. I think the real attitude of the country as a whole was summed up by Dubya's daddy, when he said that he wasn't sure that atheists should even be considered citizens.
If you could share one thought with whoever might read this profile of you, what would it be?
I guess I'd say, "Keep the lack of faith!" And more than that, I'd urge them to not be silent. It is estimated that one out of ten Americans is a freethinker of one sort or another. That's a lot of people. But you'd never know it to look around you. If we all make it a point to be "out," then maybe freethinkers will get the recognition and respect we deserve.
