Atheist Voicemails #7: Facing Challenges with Hope & Courage

Richard Dawkins wrote, “a delusion is something that people believe in despite a total lack of evidence” in his seminal book, The God Delusion. Nobody can know this truth better than an atheist trapped in a culture that can’t and won’t accept that some individuals simply don’t believe. In this seventh episode of Atheist Republic Voicemail, eight speakers share their story with us – and there’s not a single jingle bell or reindeer in sight!

Speaker one is Ellis from Canada, an ex-Muslim who shares a message of strength and hope to other ex-Muslims, many of whom are living in a country where their apostasy can lead to social ostracism or even capital punishment.

Rasir Mohammed, a former member of the Nation of Islam, is speaker two. He describes the nation as a “bizarre sect,” and relates to how his parents dealt with his youthful exploration of scientific answers – and the Nation’s own solutions. Through reading books such as Dawkin’s The God Delusion, he has since come to his own, atheist worldview in which a divine creator is not a necessity.

Speaker three asks if there is a section on the Atheist Republic website that recommends books for various reading ages of children. Speaker four is none other than our very own Armin Navabi, who reveals that there is such a section, which can be found here

Speaker five is Gareth, an atheist from Canada, who directs his message to those who choose truth even when it is dangerous. He is inspired daily by their courage, and while his harassment for his own atheist beliefs hurts, he refused to back down: to do so would betray the truth and the many more courageous non-believers around the world.

Mohammed Eskadra is our sixth speaker, from the kingdom of Jordan in the Middle East. As a former Muslim, he faced exclusion in college as people shunned him for two long years. Since discovering an atheist community online and in his own country, he has resolved to keep struggling and to fight for the truth – and stop the religious blindness of both East and West.

Our seventh speaker is Sina Ansarifard, an Iranian refugee living in Turkey. Forced to flee Iran after being tortured for his atheism, he now lives in a small community in Turkey which is also hostile to him.

He found hope in emigrating to America with his Turkish girlfriend, but President Donald Trump’s political stance has left him stranded and in limbo. Despite the uncertainty, he continues to believe that humanity and good will prevail.

Finally, speaker eight is a British-born, Australian-raised woman who lives in Colorado. Her checkered background is matched by her religious upbringing at the hands of a mother who believed anything there was to believe in, switching frequently. She almost did the same – but has now found her own truths and asks only that people remain civil, no matter what their beliefs.

You can help Atheist Republic to reach out to more people around the world by sharing your story today – we will broadcast it. Alternatively, you can also tell others about the podcast, or consider donating to our mission. Whatever you do, stay safe – and have a happy 2018.

Share your story with us today, and we will broadcast it. If you don’t want to speak but contribute in another way, please support us with a donation so we can continue on our mission to inform and educate people on this safe, global platform. Go to