Name: Allen Dexter
Born:1934
Location: Cottonwood, Arizona
Former Religious Affiliation: Armstrongist Worldwide Church of God
Label: Atheist
THE BUMPY RIDE TO ATHEISM
by Allen C. Dexter
Most Americans don’t start out as atheists. Religion has become an insidious constant in American society. If you were born an American and didn’t have a Jewish, Arabic or Asiatic name, it was almost a foregone conclusion that you were “Christian.” In most parts of the USA, it was unthinkable that you wouldn’t be.
In my North Dakota youth, atheism was a foreign idea. There were any number of churches around, the main ones being the Lutherans, Catholics, Methodists, Baptists, Mennonites, etc., with a few Seventh Day Adventists and Jehovah’s Witnesses thrown in.
As I point out in my book, available here for free: “Believing the Unbelievable: Into and Out of Fanticism”, my family attended no church while I was growing up. However, they gave lip service to the usual Christian superstitions. They took part in all the Christian celebrations, etc. This all left me a “sitting duck” when a crafty con artist, Herbert W. Armstrong, came along with his astonishing message. I was hooked almost immediately. I stayed hooked for twenty-two long years.
It was a fitful stage by stage journey to where I am today, a nearly 77-year-old confirmed atheist. If you want the details, please look up my book. It’s not a long, exhaustive autobiography. I summarize the highlights and when I wrote it about ten years ago I was still in the agnostic stage – but I had by then rejected traditional Christianity, its god and its savior.
I also publish a blog: The Age of Reason and am active writing articles, blogs and comments on The Painful Truth a collection of facts, opinions and comments from survivors of the Armstrong Worldwide Church of God and Banned By HWA! - a collection of books, articles, and observations about the Armstrong Worldwide Church of God. Once in awhile, I comment on Greta Christina’s blog and certainly follow it.
This website excites me. I see great potential in it and plan to play any part I can. If I manage to get into videos, I’ll certainly put one up. We need every vehicle available to encourage people who now feel cut off and all alone. The voice of atheists needs to be heard – loudly and clearly. I’m determined, as long as I am able to add my small efforts to help all who wish to to “come out” and refuse to be ignored and marginalized.
Tagged with: 1934 • 77 • Allen Dexter • AR • Arizona • Armstrong Worldwide Church of God • Atheist • Baptists • Catholics • Christian • Cottonwood • Lutherans • Mennonites • Methodists • ND • North Dakota
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Al,
Good to see that you have a new avenue for speaking out, especially to reach those of similar philosophies. As blogs go, this one appears to have good footing and may very well grow rapidly and be quite valuable. I’m sure they appreciate your involvement.
I thank you humbly for sharing your wsidom JJWY
Keep up this good work, you have a nice blog over here with much good information! When you post some new stuff, I’ll visit your blog again and I’ll follow it.
That addrseess several of my concerns actually.
Awesome blog over here! Thanks for sharing this very usefull information. I will visit your blog again into a couple off days to check if you have some new articles.
Whoa, things just got a whole lot eseair.
Phenomenal brkeaodwn of the topic, you should write for me too!
Will you post more on this subject?I will sign as much as your sites rss feed.
You have really interesting blog, keep up posting such informative posts!