Growing Up An Atheist
Kevin Stevenson
From: Kevin H Stevenson
To: "Positive Atheism" <editor@positiveatheism.org>
Subject: Critical Thinker Editorials
Date: Thursday, April 23, 1998 7:09 PM
Hello, I was looking over your editorials and was thoroughly entertained ... and well informed. I especially liked the writings about you growing up an atheist, and how it effected you. I am 16, and am still at that age where people my own age ask, "What's an atheist?" and people older than me tell me, "Oh, it's only because you are young." Somehow making it seem as though it is just a phase and I will grow out of it. When I asked an aquantaince at school what is worse, an atheist or a nazi, he said, "They're about the same, arent they?" Ouch. I spend all this time quietly advocating about hipocracy of bigots of all sorts ... only to find out I am in what some people would call a hate group? I dont think I have ever hated a christan. Only christianity.
An especially shocking thing happend when my uncle was hit by a car, then, three weeks later, my grandfather died, and not 24 hours later, my grandmother died (on opposite sides of my family). I was devistated, but a while later someone I knew asked me, "After that happend how could you not believe in god?" So I should believe god is systematicly killing off my family?
Thank you for all the great articles and keep 'em coming. Good read.
P.S. do you often get any sorts of hate mail from people? It just seems like you would be a prime target...
-- Kevin
Material by Cliff Walker (including unsigned editorial commentary) is copyright ©1995-2006 by Cliff Walker. Each submission is copyrighted by its writer, who retains control of the work except that by submitting it to Positive Atheism, permission has been granted to use the material or an edited version: (1) on the Positive Atheism web site; (2) in Positive Atheism Magazine; (3) in subsequent works controlled by Cliff Walker or Positive Atheism Magazine (including published or posted compilations). Excerpts not exceeding 500 words are allowed provided the proper copyright notice is affixed. Other use requires permission; Positive Atheism will work to protect the rights of all who submit their writings to us.