Seth Andrews

Seth Andrews (born April 12, 1968) is an American activist, author, and speaker on the subject of atheism. He is the creator and host of The Thinking Atheist online community, podcast, and YouTube channel, as well as the author of four self-published books. Prior to his atheist activism, he was a fundamentalist Christian and had a ten-year career as a Christian radio host.

Early life

Andrews was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, into a Baptist Christian family with parents who studied theology, and he was baptized at the Eastwood Baptist Church. When his public-school education conflicted with the religious teachings he had received at home, his parents transferred him to the small, church-owned Temple Christian School, and later to the Eastwood Baptist School. As a student leader, he eagerly participated in school functions and religious activities, including weekly church services, the student council, and the local branch of Youth for Christ, for which he was a spokesman.

Career as a radio host Andrews was a fan of contemporary Christian music. He hosted the Morning Show on Christian radio station KXOJ-FM from 1990 to 2000.

The 1997 death of Christian songwriter Rich Mullins in a traffic accident played a role in Andrews' initial doubts about the truth of Christianity. He later commented, "As I spoke words of comfort to our listeners and callers, I struggled to reconcile the notion that the God of Matthew 10, the one who considered us worth 'more than many sparrows,' would design or abide the taking of Mullins' earthly life in such a pointless, gruesome manner." In an interview with Rob Palmer for the Center for Inquiry, Seth stated, "After an arduous year, I realized that I had been living an inherited belief system and that the Bible is unsustainable scientifically, historically, and morally."

The Thinking Atheist In 2004, Andrews watched a video of atheist Christopher Hitchens debating Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, which made him decide to leave his faith. In 2008, he finally told his family and friends he was an atheist. Finding no community of other atheists in his area, he decided to build an atheist community online.

He created a website and Facebook page, both called The Thinking Atheist, to connect with other non-believers online and "share some of the information that I had found helpful in the hope of making the journey out of superstition (religion) easier for others".

Andrews is the host of The Thinking Atheist weekly podcast, which aims to challenge stereotypes that depict atheists as angry, or religious people as stupid. In addition, he has a YouTube channel called The Thinking Atheist which hosts numerous self-produced atheist-related videos where he attempts to debunk the claims of Christians. He also engages in public speaking about atheism. In 2013, Andrews received the Evolve Award For Excellence in a Podcast for The Thinking Atheist, with the comment that "Andrews tackles issues about the world, atheism, and religion while showing that a person can be an atheist without being a grouch."

Views on religion In 2014, Andrews told the Arizona Daily Sun, "I was a true believer, and when I hit the age of 37, my doubts about my faith came to critical mass and for the first time in my life, I began to examine what I had held as true." About his recent activism he declared: "I'm not an enemy of religious people, but I'll be honest and say I am an enemy of religion."

An Oklahoma news website asked Andrews about his opinion on Madalyn Murray O'Hair, the founder of American Atheists, who sued to end compulsory Bible reading in public schools in the 1960s. He replied, "I personally don't relate to her tactics, but while I myself may have a different style, I must give her credit. Madalyn was a such a champion for non-belief that she paid for it with her life. I have a tremendous amount of admiration (for her). She did a lot of good work."

Paleontologist Donald Prothero commented on the book as follows:

Confessions of a Former Fox News Christian Andrews published his third book, Confessions of a Former Fox News Christian, in July 2020, detailing his prior idolization of Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Ann Coulter, and Fox News. The book examines American conservative media that "constantly feed on (and feed into) public outrage, ignorance, bigotry, and fear".

Christianity Made Me Talk Like an Idiot Andrews published his fourth book, Christianity Made Me Talk Like an Idiot, in January 2022.