By MODERATOR
Added: Thu, 09 Sep 2010 20:40:47 UTC

[A letter submitted to Richard Dawkins, and reproduced here with the writer's permission. Slightly edited for clarity.]

Hi Mr Dawkins,

I've read two of your books: The God Delusion and The Selfish Gene, and I've found both of them brilliant. I'm an Italian girl, my name is Roberta and I'm just 19; sorry if my English is so bad.

My parents are smart and atheist people: my mother is a teacher and my father is a doctor. They love and support me every day and I've learnt to use my brain. Nevertheless, I've had some bad experiences with religion. When I was a child I attended, for some months, a Catholic school. My teacher was a nun and I have terrible memories of her: she had bad ways, she seemed to be always angry and she used to scream a lot with us, little children. Every morning I cried because I didn't want to go to school; so I went to a 'normal' school instead.

A few years later, I found myself having some contact with catechists, and sometimes I went to Church on Sunday. My little friends were religious and used their brains differently from me: when I was in a religious context, I always felt 'abused': catechists spoke to us about God's punishment, hell, and their words were not reassuring, but sad and scary.

When I was 8, I accidentally watched a program on Mtv: they talked about masturbation and they condemned it, saying that God punishes 'bad' people with hell. From that moment, I was never the same. I was scared every day, I got obsessive compulsive disorder; I' was terrified I would go to hell, I felt many years that I'd been 'abandoned' by God, and alone. I was just a child.

Now, things are quite different. I'm a 'healthy' brain-user!, but I'm still scared. The irrational part of my mind is still terrified, but I choose to use my brain. Now I am studying Biology at university: I'm smart and I think that Nature is simply beautiful. I choose to be free and brave, and your books help me to be a peaceful person. Every child should have the opportunity of choosing. I'd like to become a Neurophysiologist.

Thanks so much, Roberta.

TAGGED: ABUSE, CHILDREN, RELIGION