Johnny Monsarrat Gives Atheist Advice, Sets Guinness World Records Title

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Johnny Monsarrat Gives Atheist Advice, Sets
Guinness World Records Title
1888 Press Release - Johnny Monsarrat explains
how he set a Guinness World Records title with
his community art project where he provided
handwritten advice about life to nearly 12,000
questions. Boston, MA-NH - Johnny Monsarrat set
a Guinness World Records title this month by
giving advice through an atheist art project
called Wheel Questions. The project began in 2008
as an outdoor installation where pedestrians
could submit a handwritten question about life,
such as "How can I get kids in school to stop
teasing me?" or "Why did Josie have to die?" Like
an advice column in a newspaper, Johnny Monsarrat
would turn the cards over and write answers,
displaying them both on the installation itself
and on its website. The installation has traveled
to Plymouth, Massachusetts, to New York City, and
to festivals in Boston and beyond. Johnny
Monsarrat said, "The advice columns in most
newspapers already give secular advice. You make
good decisions, they'll say, by paying attention
to reality. But they don't like to comment on
religion. I see religion as a bit part of
people's lives, both positive and negative. I
don't shy away from negative comments when they
need to be made - for example, when religion
keeps two people who love each other apart."
Monsarrat's willingness to talk about religion
from an atheist's perspective makes his advice
unique, although only a fraction of the questions
he gets are about belief.
While most people are happy with a believe in
God, Johnny Monsarrat feels that differences in
belief can also cause conflict, in-between people
and internally. Surprisingly, he doesn't advocate
giving up belief. "Believe what you want to,"
Monsarrat said, "but make good decisions. More
than 90 of all Catholics use birth control even
though it's against their church's beliefs. They
rationalize it, and I think that's great. Use
your head to make smart decisions and don't just
follow belief blindly. You don't have to walk
away from God. Just move one church closer to the
choices that are best for you."
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Johnny Monsarrat's answers also give comfort to
those whose beliefs aren't of the religious type.
For example, those who believe in the healing
power of crystals or that love must involve
"soulmaters" also benefit from his advice to keep
ones feet on the ground. "I know your secret," he
wrote in one answer. "You are not in a rut. You
are not trapped. You know what you're doing is
foolish. Ask a friend for help and make a
change." About Johnny Monsarrat Johnny Monsarrat
is a leader in the secular movement, which
communicates the power of rational thinking and
science, and reaches out to people in need who
feel overwhelmed by social and family pressure to
conform to a religion. The movement also seeks to
reduce prejudice against nonbelievers and foster
their acceptance in society. A recent Pew study
found that American discrimination against
minorities running for President was more biased
against atheists than against Muslims, gays,
blacks, women, and every other group of
people. http//monsarrat.net/