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: For the last several months, the Ask Richard columns have been posted on Tuesdays and Fridays. They will now be posted on Mondays and Thursdays. Hello Richard, Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. I have been transitioning away from religion for some time now (it started in high school), and it has taken nearly 7 years for me to come to terms with my atheism. In fact I have only recently been able to call… Read more
Note: When letter writers sign with their first names instead of a pseudonym or nickname, I randomly change their name for added anonymity. Richard, Many thanks for your column at Hemant’s blog. I’ve learned so much about communication and family dynamics from reading your insightful advice. Your column is really a jewel of the atheist blogosphere. I thought I would ask you about trying to “convert” one’s parents. My parents are quite liberal Christians, and even though my father was… Read more
Greetings Richard, I am 17 years old. I have been professing Atheism for about 3-4 years now but have only recently ‘come out of the closet’ to my family, who are Protestant Christians. Even as a child, I remember distinctly my questioning of the faith was met with repression for not obeying god’s word. I seriously questioned the usual phrase “God’s ways are mysterious” on the grounds that not knowing the ways of the god you profess belief in is… Read more
Dear Richard, What advice would you offer to a young freethinker about to start her first year of middle school? Best regards, A Freethinking Mom Middle School Too soon, too soon, childhood dies, Too far away adulthood lies. The long, perplexing in-between Can be so tender and so mean. No longer boy, but not yet man I’d left the “can’t” but still lacked “can.” “I’ll never make it!” I would think. Now looking back, it was a blink. Dear Freethinking… Read more
Dear Richard, I have been an atheist for several years now. I have three younger children, all under the age of ten. I grew up a fundamentalist Christian in a “spirit filled” evangelical church. Everyone I have ever known was a Christian. I live in a small town and the closest group of atheists is an hour’s drive. My attempts to create an atheist social group in my area have failed. However, there is a Unitarian Universalist church in the… Read more
