Farthest Back in the Closet
(continued)

So, for me, the next best thing to nationwide handshaking was to go onto the Internet and search for other women like me. And did I have a hard time! I bounced between e-mails of "God Will PUNISH you," to "Good luck. I've never seen one myself," and "If you find a Black woman who is Atheist and single, give her my number." But through the clutter, I had the pleasure of speaking with a number of women who are doing their parts to spread reason, logic, and kindness as well, through the world. And I'll share here, some of the things they wanted to say.

Talking about African-Americans, "...they're so judgemental," explained Marcella Lewis of Norcross, Georgia. "You must claim some sort of religious belief or you cannot belong to the Black race! It's unheard of to be Black and not religious." Yet, Lewis says that her Atheism isn't something she will willingly share. Fearing "ruffled feathers," she believes her friends and family would make it their lifelong endeavour to try to convert her, or reclaim her into the Christian flock.

Courtney Frasier is a twenty year old student from Cincinnati. She says she understands that very pressure. But she says it's not something she bows to. Frasier lives her religious life out and proud. "During slavery, the Bible was used to keep my people down. Why would you choose the same religion that was used to justify the subjugation of your people?"

Frasier says too often, "Black folks haven't even read the Bible they spew." She says it's laughable the amount ignorance masquerading as faith that is so prevalent. In fact, once at a hair salon, when discussing her Atheist beliefs with the stylist doing her hair, the owner of the salon came over and asked her to "...not talk about religion in her shop. It was of course because I believe as I do. If I had been talking about how I love Jesus, I'd have been able to go on all day."

N'Jemile Zakiya lives in Albany, NY. She says she's a former "angry Atheist" who relished the opportunity to give would be converters hell, by arguing with those Christians who questioned her and her beliefs. But today, she's an ambassador of another way of thinking. "(Theists) think Atheist are cynical, dark, unhappy people. But Atheists tend to be people who say this planet is an amazing thing, and there's such beauty in the universe. And we're more inclined to enjoy these things in the now, because there's no afterlife to wait for."

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