Richard Wade is a retired licensed Marriage and Family Therapist living in southern California. At Hemant’s suggestion, in 2009 he began writing an advice column called “Ask Richard.” He publishes his responses to email letters from people of all viewpoints, not just atheists. These usually deal with challenges or conflicts stemming from believers and nonbelievers living or working together. He tries to reduce unnecessary conflict and suffering on all sides.
He has spoken as a “guest atheist” at several churches to dispel the misconceptions and false stereotypes about atheism and atheists. His goal is to prevent the same unnecessary strife and hardship in families and friendships that he has dealt with in hundreds of “Ask Richard” letters. With accurate information, loving and respectful relationships do not have to be ruined by this difference in beliefs.
He is the President of the Santa Clarita Atheists and Freethinkers, who provide a safe haven and support for non-believers in the area as well as participate in several community outreach activities, charity work, interfaith events, and political activism.
Note: Letter writers’ names are changed to protect their privacy. Dear Richard, I’m not usually the sort to ask for advice this way, but I’ve come up against a situation where I could use some input. My son is six years old and in his class at school, as is typical, almost all the kids come from Christian families and have been taught to believe in God. Two children have parents who are pastors (both parents in one case), and… Read more
In recognition of upcoming Mother’s Day, this is the third in a trio of letters I received from three young men who come from Muslim, Jewish, and Hindu backgrounds respectively. Note: Letter writers’ names are changed to protect their privacy. Sir, I am 17 years old and I was raised in an extremely religious Hindu family. It has been about a year since I managed to discard my faith and all its superstitions. I am an atheist now but I… Read more
In recognition of upcoming Mother’s Day, this is the second in a trio of letters I received from three young men who come from Muslim, Jewish and Hindu backgrounds respectively. Note: Letter writers’ names are changed to protect their privacy. Hi Richard, Writing to you here as someone who grew up strictly orthodox. Not only that, but was born in New York, also went to yeshiva for a full year in Israel. I also went to Yeshiva University where I… Read more
In recognition of upcoming Mother’s Day, this is the first of a trio of letters I received from three different young men who come from Muslim, Jewish, and Hindu backgrounds respectively. Note: Letter writers’ names are changed to protect their privacy. Dear Richard, I am 22 years old, and I have deeply religious Muslim parents from the Middle East who immigrated to western Europe before I was born. My mother has always had a difficult life. She grew up in… Read more
I just heard on the news that President Obama will attend an interfaith service for the Boston bombing victims and their families on Thursday, April 18th. My thoughts immediately went to the Newtown interfaith service shortly after the Sandy Hook massacre there, and how humanists, atheists, and freethinkers were not represented. I haven’t been able to find out if that was because no group asked to be included, or if they did ask but were turned away. Nevertheless, I think it would be a very good thing for a Boston-based secular group to at least ask to be included to make some remarks, so that we nonbelievers can add our voice to the support of those who have been harmed. This happens to fall on National Ask an Atheist Day, so it seems to me to be all the more appropriate that nonbelievers be included. [Click headline for more…] Read more
