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. Good day Richard, my name is Ken and I have never been a strong believer in a Deity. As a kid my mom did teach us to believe in God, but over my 36 years on earth, I have seen and been a part of some really sad and unbelievable things, which have forced me to open my mind and now I feel like believing is like believing in a… Read more
Note: Letter writers’ names are changed for their privacy. Richard, My non-religious (as of yet) kids (ages eleven and eight) go to my in-law’s church occasionally when they stay over Saturday night. They then attend the Sunday school portion with their rather religious cousins. When they get home, we discuss what they talked about and they are welcome to ask me or my husband questions about it. I figure it is a good way to get them exposed directly to… Read more
Hello Richard, I am new to this, but would like to know what you think. I was raised in a Christian home, but since being an adult, I do not believe in what Christians call God. Whenever I questioned my family, they would tell me I had to get on my knees and beg God to forgive me. If there is a God, a forgiving God, then why would I have to beg him to forgive me? Every day, I… Read more
Dear Richard, I am now an ‘almost’ recovered former evangelical Christian. I say ‘almost’ because I am not really 100% certain that my former beliefs aren’t true but I see no evidence for them. Anyway now my wife is not happy with me and my mother wrote me a scathing letter full of Bible scriptures of how I have ‘gone bad’ although I don’t think I am now all the sudden a bad person. I help injured people by raising… Read more
Note: Letter writers’ names are changed to protect their privacy. Dear Richard, For any number of reasons, I am unable and unwilling to be open with most of the people in my life about my atheism. This includes both my family and my coworkers. I grew up in a fundamentalist Christian home. My parents and extended family are deeply committed to a literal interpretation of the Bible and to extremely conservative social and political views (think of James Dobson; not… Read more
