Скачать или смотреть Shelly Hattan - Metroplex Atheists

In this episode of The Infidel Guy Show, Dr. Finley talks with Shelly Hattan, Texas State Director for American Atheists and former director of Metroplex Atheists. Shelly shares her journey from quietly nonreligious to openly identifying as an atheist, including the social pressure around the “A word” and the moment she and her husband were effectively “outed” at a local Toastmasters meeting. She describes how finding a community through the North Texas Church of Freethought helped normalize her views and motivated her to become more active and visible.

The conversation digs into Shelly’s church state activism in Texas. She discusses winter solstice displays at a courthouse that had to become an open forum after legal challenges, the media attention that followed, and how vandalism of atheist displays revealed local hostility toward nonbelievers. Shelly and Dr. Finley also cover the controversy over Ten Commandments book covers in public schools, and her response by distributing American Atheists book covers featuring quotes from freethinkers and past presidents. They talk about Pat Robertson’s coverage of her work on the Christian Broadcasting Network, accusations of “lying” about Abraham Lincoln, and what this reveals about selective use of scripture and history.

Later in the show, Shelly explains her concerns about vague “open forum” policies in schools that can flood campuses with proselytizing material, the role of Gideons and United Way in supporting Boy Scouts despite discrimination against atheists and gays, and the broader stigma that keeps many atheists in the closet or mislabeling themselves as “just agnostic.” Throughout the interview, she emphasizes reading, critical thinking, and public engagement as the keys that helped her embrace the atheist label and work to make it less feared in her community.