The Disbelief That Dare Not Speak Its Name...


Ronnelle Adams with fellow atheist and journalist Jamila Bey
The New York Times has a very interesting article about the rise of black atheists. One of those interviewed, 30-year-old Ronnelle Adams, talked about coming out to his devoutly religious mother twice--once for being gay, and again for being an atheist.

“My mother is very devout,” said Mr. Adams, 30, a Washington resident who has published an atheist children’s book, “Aching and Praying,” but who in high school considered becoming a Baptist preacher. “She started telling me her issues with homosexuality, which were, of course, Biblical,” he said. “ ‘I just don’t care what the Bible says about that,’ I told her, and she asked why. ‘I don’t believe that stuff anymore.’ It got silent. She was distraught. She told me she was more bothered by that than the revelation I was gay.”


The NYT piece also touches on the isolation many black non-believers feel both from the larger black community and white atheist organizations as well as how social media have helped black atheists connect..

Read it HERE.

Comments

Prince Todd said…
What I love is that this is FINALLY becoming a topic of discussion. FINALLY!
K. Clark said…
Yes, it's about time!