Here's a short one from Adam in Pennsylvania: Hello, my name is Adam and I live in PA. I saw recently saw the post on The Good Atheist and decided to share the sorted [sic] road that led me to my lack of faith. First I feel its necessary to explain my family background. Both of my parents are very religious Protestants and my grandmother is a devout Catholic. The rest of my family though is not the least bi ...

Simon was one of the first people to write to me with his story, and was one of the inspirations behind this whole 'atheist life' section. I wanted to understand what it was like growing up in Northern Ireland. Here's his story: For 18 years of my life, I lived in Northern Ireland. Most people don't even know that Northern Ireland is a wholly different country to Ireland. For a seemingly small piece of land ...

I've been getting a lot of emails with people wanting to share their stories of atheism. I want to make sure every single one of them gets enough time and exposure for people to really sink their teeth into. I am amazed at just how open, trusting, and honest all of you have been while telling us about your lives. It is this kind of attitude and behavior that makes me truly believe human beings look to conne ...

As some of you may know, I decided to invite all of you to share your stories about being an atheist. I hate to admit it, but my own story is just not that interesting. Atheist parents and their wisdom to let me chose for myself what I would believe made me the man I am today. But not every atheist life is as plain. I think there are compelling stories that have yet to be told, and this new section is inten ...

A couple of podcasts ago, I asked my listeners to send in their mailbag questions, and invariably, a vast majority of the responders sent in not only questions, but also a little blurb about their own experiences in the sectarian world. I found all of them to be compelling, and I've realized atheism isn't only about my story, but the story of every person who's ever chosen not to believe. I'm asking any of ...

According to a 1999 Gallop poll, half of the electorate automatically would vote against a political candidate if he was an atheist. That's roughly the same percentage of people in 1958 who would have voted against a black candidate. There's obviously a great deal of mistrust, hate, and bigotry going on here. It's so carefully masked and seemingly invisible most people don't think about it. Still, one has t ...

Signing a UN declaration is roughly as binding as your New Years resolution. Still, they are symbolic representations, somewhat like a lofty resolution, indicating an important issue which needs attention. It's why I'm appalled the US failed to sign a UN declaration aiming at decriminalizing homosexuality. Of course, I'm not entirely surprised, since the government seems to have no regard for civil libertie ...

In the past, I've been critical of a number of atheists who have discouraged me from participating and expanding a broader secular movement. These 'naysayers' now have a name, according to Austin Cline. These are 'Uncle Tom Atheists', and they are, apparently, a big problem. I'd like to start by pointing out how terribly insulting that phrase is. I'm not black, but I have many friends who are, and this moni ...

My early memories of Christmas involved dreaming about what presents would be waiting for me under the tree when I awoke. I also remember the occasional disappointment over the sweater or sock in my stocking, but generally despite the usual selfishness of children, the experience was fun and enjoyable. Like most of my friends, we celebrated Christmas for the presents, and although the story of Jesus was nev ...

There are casualties in the struggle to answer fundamental questions about the universe. For a long time, it has been powerful religious institutions that have burned, sliced, chopped, eviscerated, and snuffed opposing world views that undermined their own. Some may claim the Inquisition and Crusades were political in nature, but it cannot be denied the strength of the Church's power and the continued desir ...