…Richard Wade of Friendly Atheist, whose “Ask Richard” column turns one fantastic year old today. It is a column by a retired therapist who gives atheists advice about atheistic parenting, the effects of one’s religious past on one’s present life and the way to go forward constructively in the future as an atheist, and, probably most of all, the complications of dealing with religious tensions and prejudices from one’s religious parents, kids, friends, co-workers, significant others, etc.
Here’s a full list of links to the whole year’s trove of superb advice on an array of crucially important topics, in case you missed any in the past year or find one that answers a question long on your own mind:
Ask Richard: Arabian Nights, American Days
Ask Richard: Tried to Stop an Anti-Religious Rant Among Friends
Ask Richard: Feeling Awkward When Given Religious Books
Ask Richard: Perplexed by Irrational Religious Explanations for a Suicide
Ask Richard: Her Catholic Boyfriend is Uncomfortable Discussing Her Atheism
Ask Richard: A Tricky Situation about Infant Vaccinations
Ask Richard: Is My Buddhism Suitable for an Atheist?
Ask Richard: Disagreeing About Future Children and Prayer
Ask Richard: Needing Secular Counseling After a Mastectomy
Ask Richard: Being an “Out” Atheist Without Being a Jerk
Ask Richard: Is My Belief in Karma Incompatible with My Atheism?
Ask Richard: Hard to Throw Away Books, Even Gawdawful Ones
Ask Richard: Lonely Atheist Needs Intelligent Conversations
Ask Richard: Religious Relative Bugging Him about Attending Church
Ask Richard: Is He a Hypocrite to Keep Working at a Church?
Ask Richard: The Risks of Telling the Truth and the Costs of Keeping Secrets About Your Atheism
Ask Richard: Considering an Ultimatum to Her Intolerant Family
Ask Richard: Paying for Religious Activities That He Doesn’t Believe In
Ask Richard: One Spouse Became an Atheist After a Few Years of Marriage
Ask Richard: Dealing With Evangelizers Who Seem Fragile
Ask Richard: Supplement: Dealing With Religious People Who are Actually Fragile
Ask Richard: Tension and Manipulation Over Prayers at the Dinner Table
Ask Richard: When Religious Friends Ask Us to Not Say “Oh My God”
Ask Richard: Atheist 8th Grader Wants to Confide to Someone in the Family
Ask Richard: Struggling With an Impulsive Disrespect for Christians
Ask Richard: Should I “Come Out” as an Atheist in my College Application Essay?
Ask Richard: Mother Objects to Donating My Body to Science
Ask Richard: Being Frank and Honest With My Girlfriend About My Atheism
Ask Richard: Coming Clean: Ethical Questions About Baptizing for Non-Religious Reasons
Ask Richard: Relating to Religious People At Times of Grief
Ask Richard: Atheist Ex-husband, Christian Ex-wife, Kids in the Middle
Ask Richard: My Korean Girlfriend Keeps Asking Me to Come to Church
Ask Richard: Should an Atheist Try to Change His Church from the Inside, Or Get Out?
Ask Richard: An Annoying Religious Sign on My Commute to Work
Ask Richard: I’m In Love With My Friend
Ask Richard: Surrounded by Evangelists at Work
Ask Richard: An Atheist Considering Becoming An Anglican Minister
Ask Richard: Atheist Meets Her Birth Mother 30 Years Later… She’s Religious
Ask Richard: A Christian Psychology Student is Dissatisfied with Her Christian College
Ask Richard: A Biologist Silent in the Face of Her Uncle’s Teaching Against Evolution
Ask Richard: Critical Mass: Atheists Facing the Unwelcome Christmas Ritual
Ask Richard: Former Orthodox Jewish Atheist Endures Bigotry and Rejection by His Parents
Ask Richard: Atheist Despairs for Love and Respect from Her Mormon Family
Ask Richard: My Little Nephew is Being Brainwashed As a Christian
Ask Richard: When is Religion at Work Acceptable or Improper?
Ask Richard: An Atheist Considers Attending a Catholic University
Ask Richard: Atheist Parents Disagree About Circumcision
Ask Richard: My Parents Don’t Take My Atheism Seriously
Ask Richard: My Aunt is Enthralled by a Cult Guru
Ask Richard: Atheist Becomes Minister to Support His Family
Ask Richard: Teen Atheist Suffers Her Parents’ Fear and Prejudice
Ask Richard: A Concerned Mother Asks Atheists About Her Teen Daughter’s Atheism
Ask Richard: Atheist Wants to Convince His Mother About Evolution
Ask Richard: Atheist Nursing Students Treated as Pariahs by Fellow Students
Ask Richard: Young Atheist Considers Coming Out to His Grandparents
Ask Richard: Should I Help My Christian Friends Keep Their Faith?
Ask Richard: Atheist’s Mormon Teen Son Is Questioned About Masturbation
Ask Richard: My Friend is Considering Becoming a Priest
Ask Richard: I Want to Officially Leave the Catholic Church
Ask Richard: Atheist Having Romantic Feelings Toward a Catholic Friend
Ask Richard: Family Censors Atheist When Sister Becomes Catholic Schoolteacher
Ask Richard: My Atheist Boyfriend is Too Hostile to His Christian Friends
Ask Richard: My Christian Friend Sent Strangers to Evangelize Me
Ask Richard: My Brother-in-Law is Deconverting While Fighting in Iraq
Ask Richard: Atheist Still Prays to God After 24 Years of Not Believing
Ask Richard: New Atheist Feels Insecure Discussing Beliefs With Family
Ask Richard: Atheists’ Freethinking Children Are Considering Religion
Ask Richard: Atheist Isolating to Avoid Superstitious People
Ask Richard: A Young Woman, a Muslim Boyfriend, and Two Hysterical Parents
Ask Richard: Young Atheist Considers Leaving Church and Coming Out
Ask Richard: Atheist Grandfather Kept At Arm’s Length
Ask Richard: Hard to Talk to an Overbearing Christian Dad
Ask Richard: What Books Can Help My Catholic Siblings Become More Rational?
Ask Richard: My Friend in High School Wants to Become a Nun
Ask Richard: My Father Nags Me to Go to Church
Ask Richard: Atheist Gets Entangled in a Church
Ask Richard: An Atheist Hesitates to Visit a Unitarian Universalist Congregation
Ask Richard: Advice For a Freethinker Entering Middle School
Ask Richard: Young Atheist and His Family Speak Different Languages
Ask Richard: Atheist Considers Trying to Deconvert His Parents
Ask Richard: Atheist’s Parents Say They Can Be Damned to Hell Because of Him
Ask Richard: Atheist Resisting Depression is Evangelized by Friend
Ask Richard: Respecting Beliefs Vs. Respectful Treatment
Ask Richard: Gay Agnostic Conflicted by Friendship with Evangelist Missionary
Ask Richard: Skeptical Guy with a Credulous Girlfriend
Ask Richard: Should I Keep My Son In Catholic School?
Ask Richard: How Do I Handle My Six-Year-Old’s Beliefs?
Ask Richard: My Atheist Husband Has Secretly Become a Christian
Ask Richard: When “Coming Out” May Affect Others
Ask Richard: Atheist’s Family Finds Out, Shuts Out, Loses Out
Ask Richard: Teen Atheist Daughter of Muslim Parents
Ask Richard: A Young Atheist, a Baha’i Egyptian Girl, and Her Father
Ask Richard: Teen Atheist Faces Pressure to Attend Confirmation
Ask Richard: When Will I Stop Feeling Angry About My Religious Past?
Ask Richard: Songwriter Famous for Christian Music is Secretly an Atheist
Ask Richard: Of Mothers and Mothers-in-Law, Part One
Ask Richard: Of Mothers and Mothers-in-Law, Part Two
Happy anniversary, Richard! Keep up the great work!
Your Thoughts?
