Get to know an Atheist Blogger - vjack of Atheist Revolution

For the second interview in our series, we will be getting to know a popular blogger nicknamed vjack. His blog Atheist Revolution is one of the most popular blogs in the atheist community, and also one of the most prolific (seems like there's at least one post every day!).

On to the interview! Here's vjack of Atheist Revolution:

Q. Tell us a bit about yourself, where you came from, what you do now, where you're going.

I am an academic psychologist involved in research and teaching at a state university in Mississippi, deep in the heart of the American bible belt. I've been here for several years but doubt that I will ever truly acclimate. Not a day goes by where I am not shocked by some expression of ignorance. Religion is so deeply infused into the fabric of daily life that it feels smothering at times. Then again, there are faint glimmers of hope.

I have recently become involved in trying to promote atheism in Mississippi by forming Mississippi Atheists (http://www.msatheists.org), a team blog designed to provide information and resources to atheists in Mississippi. It has been encouraging to discover that there are indeed other atheists right here in Mississippi.

Q. What made you decide to blog, and specifically to blog about atheism?

I started Atheist Revolution in 2005 because I was fed up with the oppressive nature of fundamentalist Christianity in the U.S. In the beginning, it was to be little more than my way of organizing my thoughts on religion and politics in American life. I called it "Atheist Revolution" because this summed up what I wanted to see for America: a new age of enlightenment where reason would triumph over superstition. I hoped to stimulate discussion and critical thinking in others, but the blog was really more for me than anyone else. At the time, I confess having little idea about how blogging worked. I was a true novice.

From the beginning, I wanted Atheist Revolution to focus on atheism and politics. I was equally outraged by religious fundamentalism and political neoconservatism. It did not take me long to realize that I was going to end up emphasizing atheism. I added the tag line "Breaking free from irrational belief and opposing Christian extremism in America," and the Atheist Revolution of today was born.

Q. How long have you known that you are an atheist? Tell us about that time in your life, and what led to that decision.

Like everyone else, I was born an atheist. I was raised by parents who believed in a fairly liberal version of Christianity. I was dragged to church every Sunday, placed in sunday school, and required to attend various "vacation bible schools" at the local Methodist church during the summers. My parents meant well but operated out of the misguided notion that this would somehow be good for me. I accepted it all, prayed regularly, and was appropriately terrified of the Christian god throughout my childhood.

There was no critical event that led me to atheism. It was a gradual process of education, my early fascination with science, and my voracious reading habit that made the difference. As a child, I absolutely loved reading books about mythology and the paranormal. I read everything I could find at the library on ESP, the Bermuda triangle, ghosts, Greek mythology, and the like. By early adolescence, I was questioning everything and realizing that all the paranormal claims which had fascinated me earlier had been thoroughly debunked. Science became increasingly attractive. As I learned to think critically, atheism emerged as what I saw as an inevitable consequence. I did not think of myself as an atheist until roughly 18, but I was well on my way by 16.

Q. What excites you most about the current state of atheism, what are you optimistic about?

It is very encouraging to see how the online atheist movement is taking off, fueled by the publication of high profile books on atheism and deep dissatisfaction with an American president who claimed to receive instructions to start wars from his god. The atheist blogosphere has exploded in numbers of active blogs and the quality of such blogs. Vibrant atheist communities are springing up and attracting new members. It used to take a bit of effort to find good atheist content online. It is now fairly easy.

The challenge ahead of us will involve translating some of the tremendous online developments into real world progress. It will not be easy, but I think we can do it.

Q. What are your favorite books on atheism?

Bertrand Russell's Why I Am Not a Christian holds a special place in my heart as the first book on atheism I ever read. It was exactly what I needed at the time to help me realize that my growing disbelief had a name and that I was not alone in the world. Another that had a real impact much later in life was Sagan's Demon-Haunted World. Of the more recent books written by the so-called new atheists, I enjoyed Sam Harris' The End of Faith the most. I have all my favorites listed in the sidebar of Atheist Revolution, and there are many.

Q. Who do you most respect in the atheist community? Why?

I respect absolutely everyone in the community who is contributing something of value. There are those who specialize in putting a friendly, personable face on atheism to show religious believers that we are not demons after all. There are those who blow the horn of activism, seeking to inspire and motivate meaningful change even if it requires sacrifice and confrontation. There are scholars and scientists, grassroots activists and organizers, educators and students, authors and bloggers, lawyers and philanthropists. All are vital parts of our community and have my deepest respect and admiration.

Q. How has your blogging affected your life?

It has helped me maintain some semblance of sanity in the rather insane environment in which I find myself. It gives me a forum for expressing what I can rarely express in my daily life. I have met some great people who inspire me and show me how much I still have to learn. The comments, e-mails, and online social networking really helps keep me going in so many ways.

Q. What advice would you give those that are new to the idea of atheism, that aren't quite sure what they believe, and could use some direction?

Be patient and give yourself time to do some exploring. Examine the central tenets of various religions and ask yourself whether you can believe them. Check out some quality atheist blogs, and consider joining an online forum where you can interact with atheists. Recognize that what brings many atheists together is not a specific philosophy or set of beliefs but a quest to find some sort of community which many lose the moment they question religion. Ask the atheists you meet to share their stories and discuss the difficulties they experienced. Most of all, ask them whether they would abandon religion again if they knew what they'd face. I suspect virtually all would say, "Absolutely!" I know I would.

Q. Tell us why people should read your blog, and anything else you want to want to share with our readers.

There are so many excellent atheist blogs today that it should be easy for everyone to find several that they will enjoy and that will provide exactly what they are hoping to find. If mine happens to be one, great! I focus on promoting atheism, encouraging critical thinking and the application of reason, and opposing Christian extremism. I take an unapologetically progressive political stance, and I continue to address important political issues, especially those which are intertwined with Christian privilege or involve church-state issues. I am also deeply committed to helping to promote atheism by assisting new atheist bloggers in the form of a "blogging tips" series.

Thank you vjack!

If you would like to ask any follow up questions, or would like to find out more about this blog, feel free to post in the comments or just head on over to http://www.atheistrev.com/.