Jamie Kilstein

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Jamie Kilstein is a comedian, storyteller, and, along with his wife Allison Kilkenny, host of the podcast Citizen Radio.

An affirmed Atheist, most of Kilstein's activism pertains to progressive US politics while also promoting veganism and animal rights.

The Rational Response Squad publicly endorsed Jamie Kilstein in 2006. He got his start in the world of activism by embracing the art of slam poetry. RRS considered him an official RRS poet. He was interviewed by Brian Sapient on the Rational Response Squad podcast. The entire show from 2006 can be downloaded for free here. Jamie Kilstein has credited Brian Sapient as helping to increase his motivation for speaking out against religion.

FROM THE RRS SHOW:

"So anyway the whole atheism thing, once I started reading up on you guys [Rational Response Squad] and reading Harris and Dawkins stuff, I did some soul searching." Jamie proceeded to explain how he abandoned his agnostic position and accepted he was an atheist, it was "childish and selfish reasons" that kept him away from the word atheist. The term "agnostic" made him feel safer from eternal hellfire. He talked about how we control our own destiny and we do good things because we want to help others, not for religious reasons.

Jamie went on to describe how to be truly biblical you would be acting crazy, for example lack of compassion towards gays. He explained that people tend to want a higher power, "When you get to the point where you can't give credit where credit is due. And you're giving credit only to God... that's so dangerous. And you're right, that's how we're raised from birth."

He said, "Right off the bat you're told there is Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and God. And all of those get chipped away until you wait for the big reveal that there is no god. And you're told that we still believe in god. Then you're like 'what's the difference' there kind of isn't one you know?" - Kilstein

"To be an atheist and be like 'this is it'. I'm incredibly lucky to be here. I've met these incredible people, and I did it on my own. It just makes you appreciate everything. It makes you appreciate love. It makes you appreciate coincidences... all that really cheesy stuff. Because it wasn't a god, it was you." - Kilstein