What is your name? (Real or pseudo)

Mathew L. McGill

What is your date of birth?

01/17/57

What is your gender?

Male

What is your race?

African American

What is your e-mail address? (optional)

mlmcgill@netzero.net

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

Don't have one.

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

New York, NY

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

I'm a devout Atheist.

Were you raised as a freethinker or to be religious?

I was raised as a Baptist, and though my grandfather founded a church, we rarely attended because it was in New Jersey.

What originally set you on the path to freethought?

It was during the seventies when I was an early teenager. Then there was still a strong surge of social discontent which fostered other avenues of ideological possibilities in the areas of politics and religion. Back then there were those definitive Bible thumping individuals, but because of the times, they weren't taken quite so seriously as today. I remember people questioned the effectiveness of such convention then, because it existed so long without any significant change to the Black community. Though the church played a pinnacle part in the Civil Rights Movement, it wasn't the belief that changed the social condition, rather being the aspect of the church being a place of social gathering and planning being the real catalyst that effected change. What did change our condition was not due to any divine intervention, but rather being a people who were just plain tired and frustrated. In those days, there were lots of gathering and planning both in and out of church. I attended many of them with older, mature family members and friends. During such events, there were a lot of analyzing and critiquing of society at large; examining how we came to be, while trying to decide how to get out of it. Remember from the sixties on into the seventies defined the antiestablishment movement.

I had some family and friends convert from the Christian to Islamic faith, while just a few got involved with some "new age" types of religions. As a youth, I also became suspect of the Christian faith and unlike today, considering alternate possibilities was less likely to have met opposition. My mother saw that I became more and more reluctant to go to church, so had us (me and my siblings) attend the many different churches in the neighborhood. I guess she figured I'd eventually find one I liked. But what bothered me wasn't the church (being they all were pretty much the same) but what I got from them, which wasn't satisfying at all. So at one point I stopped altogether and started considering alternatives. That's when for the first time, I met an Atheist. I never knew such a person existed. So we became friends, and for the first time I heard someone actually describe everything I felt was wrong with religion. This fellow was a bit older and attending college. He introduced me to the different avenues of thought as it applied to philosophy, psychology, science, politics, and religion.

I learned a lot from him, and what he gave me were the tools that allowed me to recognize that so-called conventional wisdom isn't really based on too much wisdom, but more on convention than anything else.

I found religion is the convention that is the most deceptive of them all. As I've said, he introduced me to a lot. It was him that taught me terms like "programming" and "social reality." He said, "Though we have free will, we are more like machines than we care to admit." The concept of programming did not evolve from the computer age. People became programmed through the course of life, to respond to conditions, and it was him that made me realize this through a simple demonstration. I was sure that I gave up my religious belief and thought myself as an Atheist without realizing how deeply seeded my indoctrination really was.

He enlightened me by demonstrating the power of language, which can invoke a strong emotional response. What made it so effective was the way he broke it down. First, he started by defining the word "intent." For instance, a person determines the intent of another person's words by actions or perhaps circumstances. Those circumstances determine the context, or purpose, for which a person may utilize the words. A good example is when another black man may refer to me as a nigger, but if a white person called me that, then my emotional response is different. Another good example is when I played with my younger sister and at one point she'll yell out, "I'll kill you." On the other hand, if I'm in a fight with a stranger and he does that, then there's a good chance he means it. Thus, I agreed that words spoken without intent should have no significant effect on a person's demeanor. Even when I know ahead of time that something will be said, it will not be done out of maliciousness.

I remember this quite well, because we were walking down the street. Suddenly he yelled out:

FUCK GOD !!!
FUCK THE BIBLE !!!
JESUS CHRIST SUCKS B-I-I-I-G DICK!!!

When I heard that, I was floored. I remember grabbing a light pole while holding myself up and experiencing really deeply imbedded FEAR!!!

I literally expected to be showered with fire and brimstone. He looked at me with a smile on his face and said, "You feel that? Even though you know I meant nothing by it, those words invoked fear into your heart because you are still programmed!"

And he was right, because they were just words. With that experience came an awakening. Now I can say those words, and they have no effect because I am now free.

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

My mother is in denial. Out of five children, three of us are Atheist!

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

At times yes. These are the beginnings of very dangerous times considering our present government.

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

Yes. I've lost friends. I was fired from one company when the owner became aware of my position. I had people tell me that they hate me. I was yelled at on a public bus by a little old lady once, when I finally told her I didn't believe in god - she kept asking.

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

None. You'd think New York would have some sort of group or something.

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

I refer to it as absolute clarity of sight. I don't have to filter my thoughts or adhere to some predefined way of thinking. The problem with so-called conventional wisdom is that it's based more on convention than real wisdom.

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

Being in the extreme minority.

What is the societal atmosphere for freethinkers where you live?

Not so good. The African American community is overwhelmed by religion. While growing up in NYC, it seemed like if you weren't involved with drugs, then it'll be church. Apparently, people have to have their opiate in one form or the other.

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

Freedom of religion should be the freedom to choose any or NO religion, without penalty.

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

The "A" in atheist means "not" as in not-theist. So we are not the anti-Christ, we just don't believe in him. Thus, atheist are neutral, not negative.