Generation Atheist

by Dan Riley

The human journey is an emotional quest to find truth and meaning.

Countless books have presented this journey through the eyes of people who concluded their search with devotion to God, salvation by Jesus, or commitment to religion.

But there's a changing zeitgeist in America and the world: a growing number of people are finding truth and meaning from the opposite perspective.

Through 25 personal narratives, Generation Atheist tells their stories.

Genres: Atheism, Nonfiction, Religion, Philosophy, Spirituality, Memoir, Amazon

294 pages, Paperback

First published September 28, 2012

About the author

From 2008-2011, Dan Riley worked as a campus organizer in the outreach department at the non-profit think tank the Center for Inquiry. He got to know many secular student leaders during his time with CFI. Finding many of their personal journeys to atheism to be fascinating, compelling, and unique, he decided to create a book that tells their stories. The initial work that has resulted in Generation Atheist began at a student conference in 2009.
Dan is a 2006 graduate of Duke University.

Reviews

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading these narratives from "younger" people (say under 35?) on their journey to thinking differently from the way they were raised, which in these cases resulted in their eventually becoming atheists.

It was interesting how often Dawkins' "The God Delusion" played a helpful part. Several said that when they read it they knew that the views he presented were what they themselves thought, or that they were relieved to find they weren't the only person who thought that way. I hadn't been so impressed with "The God Delusion," but clearly it serves the purpose its author intended.

[Book Shark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Generation Atheist by Dan Riley

“Generation Atheist” is a fantastic collection of personal coming out stories by young atheist people. Activist and graduate of Duke University Dan Riley shares twenty-five emotional narratives. This moving 294-compendium includes twenty-five insightful stories.

Positives:
1. Well-written and fun to read.
2. Excellent idea; twenty-five coming-out stories by young atheists.
3. A labor of love. There was a lot of good work here and it shows. Riley selected a wide-range of coming out stories from various backgrounds.
4. Good format. Each story begins with a chapter-appropriate quote. Each story can also be read out of order.
5. By providing a wide-range of coming out stories; readers will benefit by being exposed to different backgrounds. “According to Mormon teachings, when Joseph Smith first prayed aloud in the Sacred Grove at the age of 14, which is how old I was at this time, God the Father and Christ the Son appeared to him. That’s called the First Vision in Mormonism.”
6. Many examples of the impact on religion in society imbedded in the stories. “In 2004, my junior year of high school, the LDS Church came out with an official statement in which the Church supported the constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.”
7. A lot of these stories are about the courage it takes to come out as an atheist and make a change. “No one’s trying to take away religion; we’re just trying to separate religion from public schools.”
8. Michael Amini’s story is the most emotional. “I had known that, at some point, black people had not been allowed to hold the position of priesthood or go to the temple, but I did not know that the ban hadn’t been lifted until 1979. I had known that polygamy had been common for a phase in early Church history, but I didn’t know all of the facts about Joseph Smith: he had 33 wives in total, some of whom already had husbands, the youngest being a 14-year-old.”
9. Includes stories of cultural shock, as is the case of Jason Ball’s journey from Australia to Kansas. “When I was in Kansas, in 2005, the state both introduced intelligent design into the biology curriculum and voted overwhelmingly to ban gay marriage. My experience here gave me a first-hand account of what can happen to a society when it truly takes religion seriously.”
10. Provocative takes. “If you want to change someone’s mind, you have to lead with emotion. Most people don’t really care whether what they believe is true or false. They care if it works for them, if it makes them feel good, if it is makes their worldview cohesive. People only care about the truthfulness of their beliefs if they’re suddenly hurt by the falsity of their convictions.”
11. Darwin’s grand theory of evolution has made a palpable imprint on many young atheists. Check out as an example quotes from four different essays: “It’s my personal belief that people shouldn’t ignore facts about the world, but rather that they should integrate them into it. I simply can’t reconcile evolution by natural selection and a belief in a personal, caring God.” “The most persuasive argument in favor of my atheism came from how evolution can explain how order can arise from chaos.” “Overall, for me, the most important argument against religion and against Islam is the theory of evolution. I find the scientific method to be a tremendous methodology for attempting to explain the natural order of things.” “In reality, evolution works very gradually, with many changes taking place over millions and millions of years, having its effects on populations that are isolated from each other.”
12. Religion and sex, a killjoy if there ever was one. “I think my church was also damaging to me regarding my sexuality. Their teachings were especially hard on women. We were told that we couldn’t hold hands with men. One of the things that was touched on in church, especially in youth group and Sunday school, is the idea that a girl’s body is a perfectly wrapped package for her future husband. That metaphor was used a lot. If you held hands, you were pulling the ribbon. If you kissed somebody, you were tattering the paper.”
13. Many great quotes, here is one of favorites by Christopher Hitchens. “I want to live my life taking the risk all the time that I don’t know anything like enough yet, that I haven’t understood enough, that I can’t know enough, that I’m always hungrily operating on the margins of a potentially great harvest of future knowledge and wisdom. I wouldn’t have it any other way. And I’d urge you to look at those of you who tell you at your age that you’re dead until you believe as they do. What a terrible thing to be telling to children: that you can only live by accepting an absolute authority. Don’t think of that as a gift, think of it as a poisoned chalice. Push it aside however tempting it is. Take the risk of thinking for yourself. Much more happiness, truth, beauty, and wisdom will come to you that way.” Just too good not to share.
14. The dangers of bad beliefs. “We live in an age when someone can have both the resources and the intellect to construct a nuclear weapon and still think he’ll receive paradise for detonating it.” Bonus, “There’s only one institution in and of itself that tells people not only that it is okay to hold bad ideas about the way the world works, but that they must hold on to those bad ideas as a matter of faith and principle.”
15. The antidote to hell…“If I don’t believe in your imaginary friend, that doesn’t mean I worship your imaginary friend’s enemy.” “
16. The psychology of religion and an atheist perspective. “Because I now believe that my time on this planet is so limited, I need to treasure what I have now. There’s sweetness to life that’s been added because I know that it’s not permanent, that eventually it will end.
17. Is it possible to be a happy atheist? Find out.
18. Insight into black families. “I’ve always found significant differences between black churches and most other American churches. In black communities, religion is less about following the actual words of the Bible and more about an individual’s relationship with and interpretation of God. Damn near of all the music directors in black churches are flamboyantly gay, but nobody says anything because the emphasis within the church community is on their personal walk with the Lord.”
19. Some valuable facts are provided. “In fact, “One nation, under God” wasn’t added to the Pledge of Allegiance until the 1950s, when the U.S. government felt that it was fighting “Godless Communism.” No one religion deserves a higher place in our public institutions than any other.”
20. Many more…

Negatives:
1. No supplementary material.
2. A little repetitive. Riley does a wonderful job of selecting a wide-range of stories thus giving this collection balance but there is some repetition.
3. This is not a book to counter religious arguments; it’s strictly one of personal coming out stories.
4. No visual material like: charts, diagrams or photos. A chart of various religions and the most common sects within each religion would have added value.
5. I would have liked a separate editorial chapter by the author where he would share his overall experience with this project and general observations.

In summary, I really enjoyed this fine and well-balanced collection of coming out stories by young atheists. It’s clear that free minds lead to minds free from the slavery of religion. A lot of the coming-out stories have a common link that includes: evolution, and access to atheist material. The Internet has also allowed atheism to reach minds and make a positive difference. Lacks supplementary materials but overall a fine collection. Perhaps a part two is in store for the future. A recommended reading.

Further suggestions: “Why Are You Atheists So Angry?: 99 Things That Piss Off the Godless” by Greta Christina, “A Manual for Creating Atheists” by Peter Boghosian, “The Friendly Atheist” by Hemant Mehta, “God Is Not Great” by Christopher Hitchens, “The God Virus” by Darrel Ray, “Godless Americana” and “Moral Combat” by Sikivu Hutchinson, “Infidel” by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, “Why Evolution Is True” by Jerry A. Coyne, “Atheism for Dummies” by Dale McGowan, “Nonbeliever Nation” by David Niose, “Good Without God” by Greg Epstein, “Freethinkers” by Susan Jacoby, “Nailed” by David Fitzgerald, and “Think” by Guy P. Harrison.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of essays written by college students or recently graduated professionals, this book details the struggles and fears faced when young adults must decide whether to come out as secularists or atheists. It was brilliantly constructed and I wish I could have known about something like it back in my high school or college days.

[Kacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riley interviewed 25 young atheists, who he met through CFI, and transcribed these interviews for the book. This technique allows the personality of each individual to shine in a unique way, and it felt as if I was meeting a new friend in each chapter. I was familiar with several of the atheists profiled: Jessica Ahlquist; JT Eberhard; Damon Fowler; and Hemant Mehta. Others were new to me before reading the book, and a few had rather dramatic stories.

The Kindle Edition

I read Generation Atheist on my Kindle, and these final thoughts have more to do with my personal preferences for e-books. There is a linkable table of contents, which makes it easy to find a story by person or by former religious affiliation. A person looking for ex-Mormon stories, for example, can quickly jump to those stories from the table of contents. My only suggestion for the Kindle edition is that I wish it contained links to the photos on the Generation Atheist website, to allow those reading on a tablet or computer to quickly access them within the book itself.

On the whole I recommend Generation Atheist to three sorts of people:

1.) Theists who are interested in why people become atheists. Riley says in the introduction:

"I hope this book can be educational for non-atheists in understanding who atheists are, where they come from, and what they want out of life. They may find that, in many ways, atheists are just like them."

2. Those who work with college students and others in the Millennial demographic. Currently, one third of adults under 30 have no religious affiliation, and atheism is especially on the rise in this age group. Generation Atheist provides valued insights into the way this segment of the population views the world.

3. De-converts (like me): Reading these stories helped me find others who have been through similar struggles with their faith and identity. It's also an excellent introduction to several atheists who are active in the secular community, on the internet, and at conferences.

[Nicholas King · Rating 4 out of 5]

Millenials are leaving religious affiliation in droves. Some of those young people are coming out as atheists. The causes for this increase in lack of religiosity are varied; each atheist can give a different reason or set of reasons why they abandoned faith. Generation Atheist by Dan Riley sets out to humanize a segment of the population generally mistrusted by the public at large. The stories presented in this book discuss the why, the how, and the effect of living without religion in a world soaked in religion.

Riley edits the chapters expertly, allowing each person chosen for the book the opportunity to open up about their life. For some, the experience is a jarring, painful transition. Others had always been atheists but encountered the religiosity of others and the animosity that often follows. Since these people are situated in the United States, the majority of the stories deal with deconversion from Christianity. Other religions such as Jainism, Hinduism, and Islam are discussed as well. Different forms of Christianity are also represented in the stories provided, including the Mormon and Baptist faiths. There are familiar arcs each story takes but each is told in such a personal way that the familiarity is never trite.

To read the rest of this review and others like it, please visit The King's Crier: Book Reviews at http://kingscrier.blogspot.com/2014/0...

[Danielle T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shirked duties this morning to finish. A collection of essays with familiar faces to anyone who's read anything online in the atheist/freethought movement (BlagHag and the Friendly Atheist! J.T. Eberhard and Jessica Ahlquist!), these stories mostly detailed the coming out stories of young under-30s adults, leaving a diverse background of Jainism, Mormonism, Catholicism, Judaism, Islam, etc. A couple commonalities: The God Delusion frequently plays a role (as does Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens). Even though this book is only three years old, I do wonder about where the authors are now- I know in the case of Jen, she stopped blogging at BlagHag and took a brief hiatus after the internet hate machine reacted violently against the suggestion of a more inclusive, ethical atheism in Atheism Plus. She's since moved to the Jenome and still writes).

I read the Kindle version, and weirdly, it didn't list page numbers but instead had "Location 3611" etc. that seemed very inconsistent. I only felt comfortable that things weren't out of order by the percentage progress in the lower right hand portion. A quick read.

[Thom Watson · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's painful to rate this so low. I think books like this, putting a face on atheism, and a young face at that, are critically important.

But telling stories and putting a human face on secularism still requires good writing and better editing, and this book suffers from a lack, in general, of both.

Additionally, I don't know if it was purposeful or coincidental that nearly all of the essays (one or two exceptions, at most) came from an accommodationist perspective, but I wish it had been more balanced. Many of the essayists, moreover, actually denigrated other atheists' personal choices and more confrontational approach to religion and the religious.

I think there's room for varied approaches to living in a world poisoned by and saturated with religion, room for both accommodationists and confrontationists -- just as the LGBT movement benefits from having both an HRC and a Queer Nation -- and so I wish this book had been as sympathetic to that big-tent philosophy, rather than presenting one approach as preferable and, in the process, largely denigrating another portion of the atheist/secular community.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fact that several of the people telling their stories in this book had to use pseudonyms tells you exactly why this book needed to be written. I enjoyed reading about all the different perspectives. I've heard of a small handful of these people and was familiar with their stories. There were a lot of familiar things in this book. One thing that struck me is that though most of these people grew up all over the United States, most of them said that where they grew up was one of the most religious areas of the US. That should tell you a lot about the group of people that STILL try and tell you that they're in the minority when it comes to their religious beliefs.

[James English · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting collection of first-hand accounts. Some of the contributors used pseudonyms, a testament to the powerful discrimination that atheists around the country and world face. I highly recommend reading their stories, whether you subscribe to religion or have abandoned it, so see the hold irrational superstitions can have over people's lives, and what happens when people free themselves from its grip. You may be shocked to see the treatment some of these people received at the hands of those who believe in a loving god.

[Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honest and sincere. This review is simple where this glimpse into these people's lives is anything but. The de rigueur connected to religion comes out through these stories, painfully so at times. It is in my mind that the self realization of nonbelief for the interviewees whether gradual or sudden, and the resulting changes in their lives was neither for their lack nor want to honestly and sincerely understand themselves and the world they live in. Their earnest endeavors were quite refreshing to read.

[JM]

Read a little less than 1/2 the book. It's quite repetitive. The stories are the same formula: a "Christian" who has been wronged terribly by the church (mostly evangelical) and left "religion" as a whole.

I was hoping to hear more in depth stories. It seems to be more of the same surface level arguments that one would hear in American high school classrooms, college dorms and Facebook rants.

[Angela Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Refreshing perspective on an important topic. Good collection of secular testimonials.

[Cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was interesting, easy read. (It also helped that the Kindle version was free for Amazon Prime members!) These essays were interviews about becoming an atheist were from a variety of perspectives (from not really caring about religion to be super religious from varying denominations). A couple common themes emerged as I saw the pivotal moment in becoming atheist occurred as they either 1) gained more knowledge about science, especially evolution, and/or 2) left their hometown or met new people who introduced them to a different way of looking at religion. I really can’t fault any of these essays as they’re written in the interviewees’ own words. But my problem with this book is with the introductory preface of each essay. Basically the author introduces the interviewee and then gives a summary of the essay. The author misses out on a valuable opportunity to give some context to the story and provide more detailed information to the essayists’ stories. For example, one essay is from a man who observed the religious customs when he was stationed in Iraq; while this was not large part of the essayist’s story, the author could have given more context about how religion is a part of daily life in Iran. Another example is how one girl talked about she wanted a prayer banner removed from her public school; the author in his intro should have provided more context about secular law. I’d recommend this book to anyone who is fascinated by myriad of ways that people can fall away from religion and spirituality.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of these interviews/essays were more interesting than others. I found the narratives about people's processes of leaving the LDS and evangelical churches, or Islam, to be most interesting because these folks described going through a really complex psychological, emotional, and social process.

I often read these things with the eye of a therapist, looking to learn about people's experiences with religion and how this can impact their strengths and needs in therapy. While U.S. music therapists do a lot of big talk about spiritual support, these conversations usually look like Christian therapists supporting Christian patients through the performance of Christian music and rarely engage with religious trauma or how to support someone as they navigate changes in their religious affiliation. But these issues can have a significant impact on people's mental health and needs in therapy.

[Jeanne Johnston · Rating 1 out of 5]

Aimed at victims of indoctrination looking for answers

This is clearly for people who are looking to be convinced, or are at least curious.

For those of us already convinced that religion is simply a construct to control the masses, there's not a lot here to to hold our interest.

Since I was a child, I rebelled against my family's Catholicism and all it's contradictions, so I get that this could be helpful to some, and Mormonism seems to be a n even bigger boogeyman than even that. I suspect this would feel more useful if it were organized by religion so people could zero in on their specific problem. Once I slogged through the second Mormon liberation story, I just couldn't care enough to finish.

My summary? Indoctrination is child abuse. Why is religion allowed to be used as a weapon to fuck up the innocent like this?

[Tony Bergstrom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent collection of personal stories

I’m not sure where I got this, it was just on my kindle. I started reading it as my daughters were falling asleep. It’s ok. If you regularly read personal stories on reddit, there’s not much new here. However, it may be a good resource if one is looking for stories of others like them and hasn’t found one.

[Brennan Lauritzen]

I enjoyed the short stories of minority religions most.

[Jon Papai · Rating 2 out of 5]

Young people discuss their path to non-belief.

Storytelling is a skill that takes time to develop. I'm sure these folks will develop into better storytellers with age. For now, work in progress.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun and eye-opening anthology of young adults who have 'deconversed' from their raised religions.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great sampling that shows the diversity in atheism

This book is composed of 25 chapters about 25 different people from various cultural and religious backgrounds, and how they made their journey towards atheism. If anything, this shows just how diverse we are and that we shouldn't be afraid to engage with others. A couple of influences that came up more than most were evolutionary theory/biology and Richard Dawkins' book THE GOD DELUSION. Neither one was the motivating factor for me, as I was mostly disillusioned with the overly structured lifestyle and hypocrisy I saw in many of the people I went to church with. Still, I saw a lot of myself in the people in the book. For me, this was a very engrossing and affirming book that all atheists should read. A sense of kinship and shared experience can be just as valuable as a value system based on empathy, logic and reason.

[Aragorn · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book could really have used an editor. Poor grammar like "feeling badly" is all over the book. Further, whilst the stories within the book are supposed to be personal, their structure makes them feel more like something a journalist assembled after interviewing people. Each of the stories ends with a "message", and many of them feel like advertisements for secular student groups. Still, it was nice to read several of them, including Hemant Mehta's, to see where they're coming from and how they got where they did.

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was alright. Some inspiring stories, some human faces on both the atheist and the religious perspectives on things, but generally nothing overwhelmingly good or bad about this book. Fairly easy to read, probably would be very helpful to anyone struggling with coming out as an atheist or a developing atheist identity. Not so useful for someone who doesn't really struggle with religious/spiritual issues in this way anymore.

[Joshua R Derke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very good volume which is comprised of interviews with young people who converted to atheism from various faiths and perspectives. It sheds light on the growing atheist/secular movement in the country, and certainly helped me feel that I wasn't alone in my beliefs and history. The book also shed light on some very weird aspects of certain religions that they don't really want to be public, so it's fairly informative as well.

[anne⁷ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very relatable. It's always nice to know that you're not the only one, that there are people out there whom you can talk to and say "I've been there too" because for someone who has been in the minority for the longest time with no one to share your sentiments with, that's very empowering and life-changing.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid collection of "coming out" stories from the young and non-religious. The interviewees come from a diverse set of backgrounds but you'll find many similarities in their journeys and their feelings about coming to terms with their lack of religion.

[Matthew Talbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hear from young people why they are leaving religion in large numbers today. Religious people would do well to read this, instead of the very different accounts being pushed around the religious world today. To say it mildly, those accounts do not capture this movement like this book does.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt like I could see a little in each de-conversion story that I had experienced myself in my own. Well worth the time to read. I did down rate it to 4 stars because the editing is not perfect and you will encounter the occasional typo.

[Virginia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting opener to atheism.

I think this book is a good way for Individuals to see how others experienced coming out as an atheist. It's not the best book, but it gives perspective.

[Ann Giammona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating stories of how adolescents, raised in religion, came to atheism. Highly readable.

[Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

The chapter by Michael Amini is worth it by itself.