Statement | I am horrified that those who want to leave Islam are threatened with death in some countries, and ostracised by families and friends in others. I was educated in Christian schools, was \'born again\' even and \'confirmed\' in the Church of England. With hindsight I realise that we were not taught evolution, we were brought up to support the establishment and every day attended religious services and prayers. At my junior school I even remember an American film that clearly promoted \'creationism\'. From age 16 onwards I investigated other religions and beliefs, showing little interest in secular thinking, probably because of all the \'certainties\' with which I had been brought up. At this age I stopped attending church because they did not oppose cruelty to animals, as in fox-hunting, and did not oppose the waging of war or even weapons of mass destruction. It took many years, due mainly to most of my family being devout Christians, even some being vicars in the church, for me to eventually decide that I did not believe in any gods at all. I noticed that non-religious people lack the support organisations that are provided by religions. You are to be congratulated for starting such an organisation. My views are now very strongly atheist, as I feel that believing in any religion, many of which deny the validity of living a normal and happy human life, takes away our concentration and energy from using normal human powers to improve the conditions of ourselves and our fellow humans. As 90% of humans appear to be trapped in various religions and belief systems, I continue to research such beliefs. However I am convinced that all human problems will only be solved by logical solutions. In particular, ensuring that all human beings have access to fresh clean water, education and sustainable energy, should be a priority for all of us. I support your efforts and wish you well in supporting people who try to escape from Islamic beliefs and practices.
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