Over the past two years I’ve had a few emails like this one, which really makes me feel good. I haven’t had hundreds, as has Richard in his “Converts’ Corner,” but we all do what we can.  This came today:

Dear Dr. Coyne,

As you are a person who surely receives far too many unsolicited emails, please do not feel obligated to reply. I am compelled to extend personal thanks to you for Why Evolution Is True, and in doing so I’ll try to keep it brief.

I count myself as one of the success stories resulting from your book, if the measurement of success is understanding why evolution is true and why the creation stuff of religion is not.

A personally traumatic event earlier this year–the death of my stepfather (who raised me) as a direct result of his religious faith–pushed me over the edge. My mother and stepfather had been evangelical Christians since the 1970s, and to keep it short I will say only that I was exposed to and taught things that were unhealthy and confusing. Earlier this year my stepfather died of septic infection caused by an ulcerated melanoma that went completely undiagnosed and untreated for years in favor of prayer. Upon the revelation of his condition my mother asserted to me that everyone’s days are “numbered” by God, and if it hadn’t been the illness he would have been hit by a car or suffered cardiac arrest. God was going to call him home that day no matter what. Further emphasis is unnecessary. Whatever tiny bit of residual faith I had from my upbringing was gone; I had had enough of the nonsense.

The point of my story is that I, like many former Christians, had avoided exposure to subjects that contradicted the Bible. One of my mom’s favorite Bible verses is, “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of heaven like a little child will never enter it.” This is a terrific scripture to use against the pursuit of knowledge. Christians often warn against thinking one is smarter than God.

After I admitted to myself that religions are foolish superstitions, I set about to expose myself to the things that I had avoided earlier in my life. The primary was evolution. Not only did I want to understand it, I wanted to know. The first book I read was yours. It is a powerfully-written and accessible presentation of the evidence, and it inspired me to continue reading on the subject, which I have done with great enthusiasm.

It may or may not surprise you to learn that acknowledging the truth of evolution can be a life-changing event. It was for me, in the very best way. So thank you for your work.

Sincerely,
[Name redacted]

I suppose there’s some solipsism in my publishing this (with permission of the writer, of course), for we all like a pat on the back.  But I also put it up to show that stridency and militancy need not turn one away from evolution, and that, contrary to the accommodationist line, evolution does provide an impetus for letting go of faith.  In that sense fundamentalists are right.  As they know well (but accommodationists and scientific organizations apparently don’t), learning about evolution often weakens one’s faith, for reasons we all understand.

And now I challenge Karl Giberson, Chris Mooney, or the people at BioLogos to produce, say, six letters that match this one or the hundreds on Richard’s website, and to document their claim that the accommodationist approach, showing that faith and religion need not be at odds, is the best way to turn opponents of evolution into supporters.