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: The names in this letter are changed to protect people’s privacy. Dear Richard, I am an eighteen-year-old atheist high school student. I would consider myself “semi-out” as many of my friends know of my atheism but most of my relatives do not. (My older brother is also an atheist, and we are both waiting to move out and finish college to come out to our parents.) Over the past year, I have become close friends with Craig, a deeply… Read more
Note: Letter writers’ names are changed to protect their privacy. Dear Richard, Almost a year ago, my cousin killed himself. We were very close and I am still grieving for him. At the time, almost everyone in the family talked about how he was up in heaven with our (mutual) grandmother. This was particularly poignant, as our grandmother died at 49, and my cousin had met her but was too young to remember her. As an atheist who values truth,… Read more
Note: Letter writers’ names are changed to protect their privacy. Dear Richard, I am married to a Catholic spouse. When we were married, I was Catholic too, but became an atheist about 10 years ago. I kept my nonreligious belief to myself for fear of backlash from my husband. A couple of years ago, though, after an argument about evolution he point-blank asked me if I was a “devil worshipper” (his definition of an atheist). Of course I said no… Read more
Note: Letter writers’ names are changed to protect their privacy. Dear Richard, I have read with great interest your advice to atheist teens coming out to their theist families, and I wonder if you have any advice to someone in the opposite situation. I am an atheist parent trying to deal with my college sophomore daughter going to church regularly. I find myself feeling great sympathy for the theist parent in some of your other letters and asking myself essentially… Read more
