Gay without god: Atheist Kevin Smith helps people losing their religion
December 4, 2009
We just received an excellent and long coverage of the Centre for Inquiry in general and the Living Without Religion Group in particular, in the Toronto Xtra, the major gay and lesbian newspaper. The front page of the paper has the word "Gaytheism!" and the article is titled "Gay without god: Atheist Kevin Smith helps ... people losing their religion."
http://www.xtra.ca/public/Toronto/Gay_without_god-7958.aspx
The journalist described me as "a young ED — intellectual and a bit manic." You know I think he got me.
But the piece is really a profile of Kevin Smith, who runs the group, and I particularly like the way Kevin - who is set to join the newly structured CFI Canada board of directors - represented himself, and our organization:
Smith says the meetings are a lively mix of refugees from various faiths. “We have some Catholics, right-wing Pentecostals, Muslims, children of ministers. One woman was half an hour late because she stood outside, too scared to come into a roomful of non-believers. I guess she’d been told we were Satanists or baby-eaters or something!” he laughs.
“We’re not trying to convert anyone. You can be religious, deist, agnostic, whatever, and still attend our meetings. We’re just creating a space to discuss these things.”
Now, with his volunteer work and photography career, he’s pretty busy. But he was able to find the time to build a log cabin next to a river up north. “It’s sort of like my church,” he says. “A sanctuary to get away to and chill out and meditate. I look at the stars. They’re incredible up north, but I don’t attribute them to god. The universe is amazing enough as it is, and when I sit amongst the trees by the river, I feel connected to everything. We are all connected, aren’t we?”
Thanks and enjoy.
Justin Trottier