Meet a member: Doctor hopes to free others from religion

Name: Harold I. Daniel

Where I live: Laurel, Md.

Where and when I was born: Guyuk, northern Nigeria, on July 22, 1952.

Education: Master’s of Science, M.D., Ph.D. 

Occupation: Medical liaison (gene therapy).

How I got where I am today: I am an atheist today because Christianity has no reasonable explanation for pain and suffering in humans and animals. Its presumptions are not reasonable.

Where I’m headed: After 47 years as a born-again evangelical Christian, I hope to write books/essays to show young people that Christianity is a false narrative, built on bigotry and unworthy of their time.

Person in history I admire and why: I would like to meet John Loftus, author of Christianity Is Not Great. It was the first book I read when I began to wonder about Christianity.

Things I like: People, especially kids and animals. I am a hi-fi enthusiast with a large collection of vinyl records. I like tweaking my hi-fi system. I like learning new things from all the sciences, especially cosmology. I also like high-speed motorsports, like Formula 1.

Things I smite: Religions, and the bigotry which the monotheistic varieties generate.

My doubts about religion started: When I could not solve the riddle of pain and suffering as a Christian; it became soluble when I rejected Christianity. I could not fathom why children choke to death if God cared. I saw too many as a physician in Nigeria. 

Before I die: I will enjoy the happiness, contentment and freedom of escaping from religion. That is the one achievement I am truly proud of. I also want to have a collection of at least 1,000 books that debunk Christianity that I have personally read and give the collection to a child before I die. 

Ways I promote freethought: Helping Christians to think through and see the fallacies which riddle their presumptions. It is ridiculous that Jesus did not know the fruiting season of the fig tree he supposedly created.

Regrets I’ve had: I regret the childhood indoctrination that I never questioned. I regret ever believing in God.