Out of God's Closet: This Priest Psychologist Chooses Friendly Atheism--A review by Kirkus Discoveries -- An exploration of the good, the bad and the ugly of religion, from an ex-priest s point of view. Uhl shares his transition from Catholicism to secular humanism with much wit and authority. A former priest, he s not afraid of deconstructing much-treasured beliefs and systems that religions adhere to. The author questions how religion harms a society rather than helps it, and also poses a loaded query to people of faith if one has faith does it mean losing control of one s reason? Uhl answers this question and others, poring over bloody biblical events performed in the name of God. He also declares that the repetition of prayer and memorization of biblical verses can dull one s thinking thus, religion can contribute to mental laziness. The author explores how religious guilt can undermine self-confidence, especially when it comes to children, who aren t equipped to process such lofty ideas. Eventually these children end up feeling guilty about needing God s grace and may end up avoiding any real responsibility. Uhl tells his story, which focuses on how religion can interfere with personal happiness, with clarity. He combines biblical story, personal anecdote and empirical data in such a way that he demands to be taken seriously. The author shares from his personal experience with such honesty that the book is a breath of fresh air in a religious culture otherwise saturated with fundamentalism. His analysis on the Bush administration s toxic combination of patriotism and God is a logical response crying out for a reasonable America a country without extremism. Though Uhl is full of conviction, his writing is never preachy, and his manner of thinking neither cynical nor lofty. Most importantly, he encourages readers to think for themselves. A profound conversion story told with clarity, insight and wit. --Kirkus Discoveries --Kirkus Discoveries
Review of Stephen F. Uhl s Out of God's Closet:This Priest Psychologist Chooses Friendly Atheism (Golden Rule Publishers, 2><009, Oro Valley, Arizona, ISBN 978-0-9793169-3-7) Reviewed by Philip E. Johnson, Ph.D. Simple and Profound Stephen Uhl's book is both profound and simple. Profound in that it deals with some of the most important concepts facing the world today; simple in that is clear and persuasive. Dr. Uhl is able to speak from an unusual perspective. He is a former Roman Catholic Priest, and has moved very carefully and thoughtfully to an agnostic/atheist position. His insights are remarkable, and many of us who are increasingly doubtful about the existence of the supernatural, and worried about the effects of a belief in the supernatural, will find the book a very solid grounding for our currently vague concerns. An excellent and thoughtful exposition of important and even crucial ideas. Philip E. Johnson, Ph.D., Author, Educator --Dr. Philip Johnson, Author, Educator --Dr. Philip Johnson, Author, Educator
Review of Stephen Frederick Uhl, Out of God s Closet: This Priest Psychologist Chooses Friendly Atheism (Oro Valley, AZ: Golden Rule Publishers, 2009) ISBN 9780979316937. A different title for this fine little book might have been, The Therapy of Belief. For that title would have been ambiguous and perhaps attracted readers who need therapy done on their beliefs that might mistake this book for a treatise on how their beliefs are therapeutic for what is wrong with them. Dr. Uhl, an experienced psychologist, had to come to terms with what his former profession as a Roman Catholic priest may have done to people: instill in them shame for their normal urges, a sense of guilt for being an inquisitive human, and a constant readiness to self-blame arising out of the presumption that weekly confession is necessary because of our sinfulness. He left the clergy to become a psychotherapist, and then became an author in order to try to repair old errors. In part the book is something of an autobiography, in that it traces Uhl s development through priesthood, through a period of increasing doubt and internal conflict, and out of the priesthood to a professional life as an atheistic psychologist. Having been on both sides of the belief fence, Uhl undertakes to help bring believers, doubters and non-believers to better understand one another and become united in their common humanity. The work is punctuated with humor, carefully chosen to illustrate how we have differing perceptions. In fact, the jokes are so appropriate, it almost seems as if the text were written to identify the serious point of the jokes. Uhl s book is incredibly timely. We have just learned of Sister Theresa s doubts that tormented her all during her life as a nun. New York Times Magazine carried a feature article that probes the reasons why the majority of humans are what we would regard as religious fanatics. A plethora of books have recently appeared, denouncing religious belief and believers as delusional fools. Uhl s book stands out from these others as respectful, as offering a therapeutic analysis of how one man came to regard his profoundly held commitment to the religious life as mistaken, and how he acted on that judgment. Uhl does not prescribe for others, but he does show how various forms of religious belief make for a life beset with guilt, shame, and blame. Uhl recognizes that working through the tangle of beliefs, attitudes, and feelings that are evoked by religion is a difficult and arduous process, and he offers patience and understanding at every stumbling point. In this way, Out of God s Closet is a gentle, respectful, understanding guide to a level of self-knowledge that few ever attain. Richard T. Hull, Ph.D., Executive Director Text and Academic Authors Association, --Text and Academic Authors Association
About the Author of Out of God's Closet: This Priest Psychologist Chooses
Friendly Atheism Stephen Frederick Uhl, sixth of nine children in a Catholic family, while still a child, was destined by his mother to become a priest. After 12 years of seminary preparation, still believing the conventional teachings, he was ordained. After ordination he earned the license to teach theology in pontifical universities, still believing and preaching the customary teachings. After some ten years in the priesthood, a lot of soul searching and a near fatal accident, he found he no longer accepted a lot of the conventional beliefs; he developed from dependent believer to independent skeptic. This necessarily led to a divorce form the priesthood and the church. After a few years of teaching secondary mathematics in public school, he married another teacher. He could then afford to get a Ph.D. in Psychology from Loyola University of Chicago. He enjoyed a thriving private practice of psychology in the suburban Chicago area. This truly enriching life for both clients and therapist continued until retirement in 1993. On learning he had cancer, he decided to write a quick and intimate letter to his family. When he later learned his cancer was not very aggressive, he decided to write to a wider readership to share his checkered experiences and insights into life s basic problems and pleasures. He wrote Out of God's Closet: This Priest Psychologist Chooses Friendly Atheism, for two reasons: to help others get much more out of life and to make amends for the mistakes he had preached in his young days of naive credulity.
