Judith Hayes

Judith L. Hayes (1945–2012) was an American author and secular humanist columnist. She is best known for her book, The Happy Heretic, and she also operated a humanist website by the same name. Her work has appeared in numerous publications including Free Inquiry, Skeptical Inquirer, Freethought Today, Humanist in Canada, American Rationalist, and Secular Humanist Bulletin.

Early life and education

Hayes was born in Lakewood, Ohio, and raised as a Christian. She spent the first 20 years of her life as a Missouri Synod Lutheran before, as she explains, she "literally reasoned my faith out of existence." She moved with her family to Oakland, California as a child in the early 1950s.

Writing

Hayes was a secular humanist writer with three published books, and whose work has appeared in "Free Inquiry", "Skeptical Inquirer", "Humanist in Canada", "American Rationalist", and "Secular Humanist Bulletin". She was also a frequent contributor to the Secular Web.

In God We Trust: But Which One? - Freedom From Religion Foundation, 1996; The Happy Heretic - Prometheus Books, 2000;

Personal

She most recently resided for 25 years with her husband in Valley Springs, California. She had two children from her first marriage in 1962. In 1973 Mrs. Hayes married Mercer P. Hayes, and they were together until his death in 2010. She loved poetry, photography and music, including Mozart and Elvis. Hayes was an outspoken atheist for more than 20 years, after having been raised Missouri Synod Lutheran. During that interim period between believing and not believing, she was a "closet" atheist.