Religion fascinates me. Learning about different religions and listening to people’s stories within it and their church is so interesting to me. What captivates me specifically are the horror stories, the raw and honest truths surrounding some of the most toxic attitudes within certain religions and listening to people tell their escape stories. The side of religion that some would rather turn their cheeks from than face head on is the most gripping. This was a community on Youtube that I had no idea existed before finding Jimmy Snow’s channel, otherwise known as Mr. Atheist.
Snow grew up in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and was heavily engaged in the religion. His father was a prominent member and consistent leader in their church, which resulted in his heavy involvement from a young age. He recounts that some of his earliest memories are of his father reading him excerpts from the Book of Mormon. What led him to Atheism was his inability to empirically prove any of it to be true. His decision to remove himself from the religion (though he is technically still a member of the Mormon church because they do not formally excommunicate people like select churches do) caused him much distress, he recalls. He acknowledges the damaging frame of mind that was encouraged while he was involved in Mormonism and also his own injurious (mysoginistic, homophobic) thoughts in that period of his life.
Now, removed from religion as a whole, Snow aims to educate his viewers about some of the most harmful attitudes, rules, indoctrination and acts within various religions. His Youtube channel “exists to try and balance that and help others to see there is a happy, healthy world waiting for them on the other side of religion!” When I found Snow’s channel, I was immediately enthralled. His content ranges from analyses of various religious Youtubers’ videos, reactions to religious-based controversy in the media and live stream responses to religious entertainment content that can only be best described as cringe worthy — see Provo’s Most Eligible. He has looked at mainly forms of Christianity on his channel — because of his exposure to it in his past — through a lens different than I have ever seen or heard before. Aside from his religion analyses, he is a member and advocate of the LGBT+ (or GRSM, as he prefers) community, identifying as pansexual, and cares deeply about progressivism in politics and society. One of the best ways I can describe to you his channel is to share this quote from Snow himself: “I don’t actually care if you believe in God. I care how you treat other people and I care what those motivations are.”
What I love about Snow’s videos the most is that I can trust his input and explanations of complex issues within religion because of his lengthy (20 year) history in it and passion for conducting further research about the various disadvantageous traditions throughout the world of religion. His detailed, research and experience based examinations are nothing short of riveting. While religion has the potential to bring peace and harmony to those who partake in it, it also has the potential to harm those who stray from the norm, the homogenous model of the typical member immensely. This is the message that I get from his channel. The denunciation of the LGBT+ community, thought control, sexism and overall strict attitudes of some churches are what Snow has shown me in a new and educated light. I simply can’t get enough of his channel.
If religion (or atheism) interests you in any way, I highly recommend you check out Mr. Atheist. You can find his channel here for “nearly daily atheist content” that I’m positive will keep you entertained as well as informed. He has quickly become one of my favorite and most watched YouTubers.