Every Atheist Needs: Confessions Of An Innocent Man

Faith is, very simply, a belief in something without any proof. A theocracy is powered, at its highest levels, by ideas for which there is no evidence. The value placed on faith in such a society, seeps into every aspect of day-to-day life. It strips otherwise intelligent citizens of their critical thought and devalues truth, and when the truth is no longer important to an entire society, things like the events in this book happen. Repeatedly, unendingly, until faith is kicked out and reason reintroduced.

Confessions Of An Innocent Man is written by the late William Sampson, a Canadian engineer who, while working abroad in Riyadh, found himself incarcerated for a crime he did not commit. This book is his harrowing story of torture, rape and abuse in a Saudi prison, and illuminates the complete lack of value in the truth in a country run by God.

Sampson was arrested in Riyadh for a series of car bombings. At first, he was adamant that he had not committed these bombings, but through constant, relentless torture, eventually Sampson confessed to this crime, even though he did not commit it. Further, he was forced under the promise of unending torture, to incriminate friends.

This book is not for the faint of heart. It is a vivid description of torture and rape. It will make you feel nauseous at times, and at others you will be filled with rage. What this man endured, simply because he found himself in a country that valued, above all, that for which there is no evidence, is profoundly disturbing. The very fact that he survived it is unbelievable.

He was failed by the Canadian government, he was failed by the Saudi legal system and he was failed by international human rights defenders. He was failed, most of all, by the faithful; by those who do not value evidence and proof.

Sampson was freed after years of abuse, rape and further charges, including for the crime of homosexuality (because he was raped).

Given the epidemic of wrongful convictions in the US, and it’s status as the most religious western country in the world, I hope this book can act as a warning of the things that are to come if ideas like faith continue to be praised. Torture, forced confessions and rape have all been uncovered in American prisons. It just goes to prove, once you abandon reason for God, reason begins to drain from every aspect of life.

Check out this book, Confessions Of An Innocent Man, by William Sampson and you’ll never be able to forget the most horrendous side effects of theocracy.

#books #prison #saudi