What is your name? (Real or pseudo)

Johan van Eeden - more precisely, Dirk Johannes

What is your date of birth?

7 October 1951 (LIBRA)

What is your gender?

Mostly male ... with one female organ. (I had a kindey transplant, form a 16-year old female.)

What is your race?

Pretty white - I've traced my linage back 340 years to 1662 when my first ancestor arrived in South Africa.

What is your e-mail address? (optional)

pharaohs@iafrica.com

What is the name and URL of your homepage? (optional)

Don't have one - yet. Haven't got enough to say about myself - yet.

Where do you live? (City, State, Country)

Cape Town, South Africa

How would you best describe your form of freethought? (Atheist, Agnostic, Humanist, etc.)

Grabbing the nearest cliche - Atheist will do.

Were you raised as a freethinker or to be religious?

Answered in my first Guest Article. Raised very religious, prayers before and after each meal (at dinner, bible reading, answering questions, kneel-and-pray); bed-time supervised prayer, Sunday School, camps etc. Only family member to go to university, hence only one to be even aware of other opinions, or the possibility of actually making up one's own mind.

What originally set you on the path to freethought?

Answered in article. Black Poem ... father's suicide ... army duties.

When did you "come out" as a freethinker to family/friends/public, and how did it go over?

Only retatively recently ... really only after reading 'Cardigan On' (seriously) and related links. Mother and brother dissappointed, friends tolerantly-amused. Local Society very much against and frowning. Own kids hesitantly (they're still subjected to school religious tutoring and still like the idea of some God looking out for them).

Do you feel it necessary to continue to hide your beliefs in any circumstances, and if so, why?

Yes, there's times I rather byte my tongue for fear of giving offence, or of being unable to adequately respond to overwhelming negative response. Fo rinstance, lying in hospital, dr's & otehr medical staff coming in saying I'll pray for you, hold the faith etc. ... believe me, you're just not in the position of starting a theological war!

Have you ever been the victim of discrimination or abuse because of your beliefs?

Often perceived, yes. I've lost one or two teaching positions because I refused to teach religion (though never actually openly told that was the reason). And by stretching the imagination I guess I'm financially being discriminated against, as my mother is squandering all my father's (and therefore my inheritance) money away on religious waffle (inclduing on my religious brother).

On another level, I was discriminated against when my governement, for religious reasons, banned all Beatles music, and thereby denied me the right to listen to their music. (The same goes for many books, magazines etc.)

In what types of freethought activism, if any, do you participate?

I am a member of the South African Freethinkers and support their (newly started) mail campaign against state vs. religion and other social evils. I wrote an article for Cardigan, thereby publicly supporting a-theism. I am in continuous "friendly" debate with a number of friends in e-mail groups on issues religious. I've written to "Letters to the Editor" columns of local newspapers challenging religious (m)utterings of various writers.

I guess I don't exactly lead the "onwards Atheist soldiers" crusade ...

What do you feel is the best part of being a freethinker?

To feel really free and to be able to be responsible for myself. No heavy guilt to carry around.

What do you feel is the worst part of being a freethinker?

To see the weird looks I get from theists, as if they pity me. To know that there are so many people misguided, and not knowing how to rectify the situation.

What is the societal atmosphere for freethinkers where you live?

Eased open a bit in the past four years, since the Communist-reliance ANC took over the government. I'd guess though that the mere term "Freethinkers" would be completely unknown or misuderstood by 99.99 % of the population.

This country as a whole is about 85% religious, but this includes Major religions such as Moslem, Jewish, Catholic and right down to ancestor worship. Religious tolerance is better than in Iran, I guess.

How do you define "freedom of religion" and do you think your country attempts to grant this?

Freedom of religion to me means to be allowed to believe (or not to believe) without government interference. With a Communist/ANC alliance ruling my country right now, there is much more religious ... tolerance... than ever before. And with many black races worshipping their forefathers, it looks like this will expand.

If you could share one thought with whoever might read this profile of you, what would it be?

Don't just say "I have an open mind." Practice it.