Basically, as far as I can remember I have always been an atheist. It's not something that hit me one day, though my mum seems to think I was about six when it started. Does that give me the record as the earliest free thinker here? Who knows !! All I know is that when I was young, I was christened as a baby (C of E), and I did go to Sunday School. Funny thing is that the SS (coincidental initials?) I went to was methodist, because that's the one the family next door went to. My mother was Presbyterian (I think - Church of Scotland) and my Dad was too scared to admit to being an atheist, so hid it behind agnosticism (the Gates of Hell were a little too much for him to cope with). Still, I went along to the Church, but started to ask questions, to which there was no response. I can even remember one day asking someone what the 'Christ' bit meant, and noone knew !!
So far so good, and not really any different to anyone else, just maybe a little earlier and without the religious pressure being put on. My mother's idea of Church was pretty much midnight mass at Xmas, so I didn't have anyone putting any pressure on me. Like most people, I believed in God because that's what you do. My school had religious assemblies, though I always used to wonder why certain kids never had to attend, and were allowed to sit outside reading books or something. My secondary school didn't really have much in the way of religious studies though we did have to do the compulsory hour a week RE lessons. By this time I was absolutely convinced there was no God or anything, so what did I do? Yep, became best friends with the guy who spent all of his Sundays and two evenings a week at Church !!! 17 years later and he is still my best friend, was the best man at my wedding (Civil Service, despite my wife being Catholic !) and I was best man at his wedding - to the daughter of the minister !! At no time has he, his family, or his wife's family (both mum and dad are church ministers) ever tried to indoctrinate me. They all know my beliefs, and they respect my beliefs as I respect theirs. I lead my life in a pretty moral way - I did some silly things when I was a kid, but who doesn't?
I'm not too sure where I'm going with this right now, it just seems to be a bit waffly, with no direction, but my atheism hasn't been faced with the same hurdles that other people here have. My parents allowed me to make a choice, which I respect them for, my friends never gave me any trouble about my belief (another good friend was a Jehova's Witness, another now an RE Teacher), so I was allowed to just get on with it. I now have a daughter, who has not yet been Christened - if my wife wants to have her Christened she can, I will even attend the service, but my wife I think is having some pretty serious doubts about the whole God thing right now, though I am doing my best NOT to influence her in any way. Heck, I'm even reading the Bible every evening (though why so many people base the whole of their existence on a book about foreskins I will never know), which I strongly recommend all atheists to do, as it really is one of the funniest things ever written ! I'm also a godfather to my nephew. Hypocrisy? In some ways, but as fas as I am concerned I am the only person who will be able to give him an unbiased view towards any religion he may choose - or atheism, who knows? His other godparents are Catholic, his mother is Catholic (and she knew my feelings when she asked me) his grandparents are all Catholic, so who does he go to to ask questions?
Well, cut the crap, I've waffled enough. I would like to leave a message to the other people who have faced real hurdles and problems, and that is simpky congratulations, don't let the buggers get you down. Also, please please feel free to email me - k.whitchurch@csshome.net. I'm always happy to speak to sensible people - there aren't enough of us around !!
Thanks Adrian, your site is a haven for free thinkers !!
Kevin Whitchurch