[Editor's Note: It is the weekend of The Amazing Meeting! 9, in Las Vegas, Nevada and as a precursor we collected a series of stories from readers like you; people who have, through one means or another, discovered skepticism. These stories remind us that we all started somewhere in our journey toward critical thinking and some of us are still finding our way.
Today's story comes from Patty, the Vice President of the Branson Freethinkers]
My story begins with being born into a Roman Catholic family. My father went off to Vietnam when I was 4 years old, and returned an Agnostic. Thankfully, that kept our home pretty much "religion free". Upon reaching my teens however, I "found Jesus", and would later realize that that poor guy gets misplaced ALOT! During my courtship with my husband, he introduced me to the tenants of Christian Science and that really sounded rational to me at the time. I viewed it as a 'thinking' religion unlike anything else I'd come across. We attended church regularly along with the Wednesday "Testimony Meetings" and I began getting more and more involved. I eventually took "Christian Science Instruction" and thought my future lie in becoming a practitioner. We raised our children in Science and even had two lovely home births under the care of a doctor and a nurse practitioner of the faith. I'd later discover that it was my good health and habits and a stellar genetic legacy along with the skill of Dr. Marchbanks that allowed for a worry-free and disaster-free birthing experience. Trust me though, even then, at the first sign of trouble our asses would have been in a hospital. But thinking back on it, I had not a care, nor fear in the world during the entire process. It truly was sureal.
I've heard it said that trauma either sends you straight into the arms of religion or recoiling away so fast it'll make your head swim. In 1998 I chose the latter.
I received burns over 86% of my body after a propane explosion in a mobile home I was living in. Due to the severity of the burns and the lack of 'donor sites', I was put into an induced coma for the next two months while skin was cloned for me and other amazing techniques were performed. A few days after awakening, a nurse practitioner friend of ours was by my bedside. I remember thinking to myself, "What the fuck are you doing here?!" It was clear to me that something more than physical healing was commencing here....In my state, prayer was the farthest thing from my mind...much less the efficacy of it! I was bandaged from neck to tippy toes, and had one thought and one thought only running through my mind, well two actually the second one was, "Damn, there go my chances of making the cover of the ESPN Swimsuit Issue!!" The first was, 'How the hell am I going to get out of here, and how quickly?! Just tell me what I NEED TO DO....not Jesus, not some god....ME!!!!!!!!
I've since been called, "A miracle" and that really, really pisses me off. My response is usually, "So what's that make you? A worthless piece of shit?" Sounds harsh, but that's how I feel. By putting my experience aside to allow your 'invisible friend' to take all the credit, you are inviting such a response from me. I am alive and kicking and snarky because of an exceptional team of medical professionals, the love of a devoted family who never once left my side. I'm alive because I have two amazing and wonderful children whom I wouldn't allow to grow up without their mother. I'm alive because I got off my burned and charred ass and worked it completely OFF in order to get my marching orders out of the Intensive Care unit of University Hospital, Columbia Missouri. That took four months. THAT'S why I'm here today....not because of some ridiculous other-wordly unknowable force that just chose out of the 'goodness of his heart' to spare me and 'give me life'.....that's total and complete nonsense, as well as incredibly insulting.
I began devouring books like "The Divinci Code" and other books including anything written by Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Daniel Dennett, and the list is still going on!! Funny thing is, I flatlined twice during various surgeries and am often asked, "Did you see the light?" "What's it like on the other side?" Well, folks, there isn't anything on the other side......no lights, no departed loved ones, no trumpets to signal my arrival!!! (totally expected if there were a Heaven and I friggin' arrived....I'd expect at LEAST trumpets...and cocktails!) I equate it with the exact same "place" you "go" before you were ever born.
Since coming full circle from religion into the most amazing "place" ever, Atheism, I've started the Branson Freethinkers and am very active in many social equality causes, as well working with burn survivors whenever I'm needed.
My children and husband have all come along with me on this journey from superstition and "base covering" into common sense, logic and reason. I've learned more from my kids than anyone....how they dealt with such a devastating trauma, how they opened their minds and hearts to all sorts of people in their lives...it's just awesome. I'll never forget one evening looking up at a clear star filled sky...the kind you see only when you are miles and miles away from any artificial light. I looked up, my son lying beside me on the roof and said, "How can you look at this and believe in a god." He just smiled and said, "Yeah, right?" We belittle ourselves, we belittle our experience on this Sphere swirling in space, and we destroy our next generation by continually propagating this insane fairytale about some truly evil and hateful, but loving being 'in the sky' who attends to all of our earthly needs. It's time to bring that to a close...and I'm happy to be on the front lines of that battle here in Branson, Missouri.
Patty Tweedle is married to a tremendous man, John and they have two gorgeous and talented kids, Sarah and Jacob. Her "Life Driven Purpose" is to bring about equality in the United States working with PROMO, an LGBT organization in Missouri dedicated to moving legislation through the House to bring about change. She is also the founder of Branson Freethinkers. Her group gives people the opportunity to gather and enjoy the company of others who "get them" in a community that tends to "closet" those who are "different".