[Editor’s Note: “Your Skeptic Stories” is an ongoing series written by readers like you, people who have, through one means or another, discovered skepticism and critical thinking. These stories remind us that we all started somewhere and some of us are still finding our way as skeptics If you are interested in contributing your own story, please submit your piece of around 1000 words to maria (at) randi.org along with a short 2-3 line bio.
Today’s story comes from Kevin]
Hello, My name is Kevin Ruiz and I am a skeptic and an atheist. I have been in the US Navy for the last 11 years. I have become much more active about my skepticism/atheism over the last four years. I blog at alifeofreason.tumblr.com. Here is my skeptic story.
I became a skeptic when at the young age of five. I did not know that I was using logic or critical thinking at the time, but looking back that is the only thing to call it. Like many children around the world I was told a certain tale about a magical man and a chimney. My belief was established from my parents telling me the stories. A belief in a jolly old fat man was there and I was very excited about his arrival. That all came crumbling down one fateful Christmas eve in 1987.
Like I said, it was Christmas eve 1987 and I could not wait for Santa to bring me some presents. I am not sure what time it was when I went to bed, but I do remember waking up to go to the bathroom. No clue what time it was, what five year old does, but I remember after going to the bathroom I heard something on my way back to my room. Investigating the noise I thought "Maybe I will catch Santa putting presents under the tree." This is not what I found.
I walked out to see my parents wrapping presents in the middle of the living room. No bearded man in a red suit. No magical being. Nothing supernatural at all. They tried to tell me that Santa forgot to wrap the presents and has asked them to do it for him. I was not buying the story they were trying to sell me. I put two and two together and at the very moment I knew that Santa was not real. This was the birth of my skepticism.
It was not until I was almost 20 that I applied this logic to god. I never had much trouble letting go of the belief in god and sometimes wonder if this experience was why. As much as I would like to believe in a afterlife and a being that loves me no matter what, I just can't argue with the voice of logic.
My skepticism is why I have never believed in ghosts, UFOs, psychics, astrology, etc. It is also what led me to my eventual atheist view of the world. For the longest time I was an armchair skeptic/atheist. I would only voice my opinions (about these subjects at least) if they were asked of me. Over the last four years I started to realize how much these issues directly affect me and my family. This has led me to be much more vocal about my views.
Change is something that does not come by sitting on the sidelines observing. I realized that there are many things I would like to try and change. From religious oppression to homeopathic medicine to psychics taking advantage of people. I engage anybody I can in conversation about these topics. While I am not in a position of power to make a change for a nation, if I can get through to just one person I will have made a difference. The difference I make in this world may only be a small dent, but it is more than I ever would have if I kept watching the world go by.
I hope you enjoyed this. Thanks for reading.
Kevin is a married father of two with another on the way. He has been enlisted in the US Navy since July of 2000. He is currently stationed in Colorado Springs, CO and he can be contacted through his blog at http://alifeofreason.tumblr.