AOF Activities & Events

An eyeblink in gelogical time before Sacramento Darwin Day (see our Events Calendar!), AOF is honored to bring you the remarkable Jerry DeWitt, author, public speaker, freethought roustabout, and former evangelic pastor who found an atheist epiphany in 2011. He comes here to open your heart to the transformative wisdom of a simple rule: to your own self be true.

Because, as Jerry says, "It's All About Being Yourself."

Jerry DeWitt experienced his first tingle of doubt about his religious faith when contemplating the idea of hell. Later, he found himself unable to invoke God's help after a congregant asked him to pray for her injured brother. Doubt led to questions, which led to more doubt. They snowballed - you might know how that is. Until in April 2011, Jerry preached for the last time.

He is the first member of The Clergy Project to drop anonymity and speak freely of the Project, which helps pastors who no longer believe in the supernatural learn new trades and move forward in life. In fact he was accidentally "outed" when a photo was seen of him attending a freethought convention. After turmoil, he lost his job and his wife. Perhaps he wil share more about that with us.

In 2011 and 2012, Jerry served as the executive director of Recovering from Religion, a group which helps people find their way after a loss of faith. (A new Sacramento Chapter of RR is forming now, in fact. Keep eyes open for meetup details.)

From DeWitt's career and experiences emerged a book, entitled Hope After Faith: A Pastor's Journey from Belief to Atheism. You can obtain a copy at this meeting, and Jerry will surely happily sign it for you!

For others coming out as atheist to friends and relatives, his message is that it's all about being you. Self-honesty is the distillation and bottom line to what he has learned, unlearned and accomplished. It's the key to where he is now, and why he developed confidence and success even after life-changing turmoil. Being yourself, as he will elaborate, is what matters in the end.

Let Jerry say it himself, in his ever-the-preacher energetic fashion! But absent the guilt, and with all the fun of a real down home lively talk!

This, of course, is one more amazing event of the amazing AOF Speaker Series. Free as it ever is, and open to all. Would you like to see more speakers like this? Then join AOF today. Dues are reasonable, and help bring more freethought luminaries to Sacramento. Dues and donations are tax deductible of course. And by the way, friends, even believing friends, are welcome to these events.