Freethinking Fashion with Robert Affinis
Please welcome freethinker entrepreneur and social media mogul, Robert Affinis, to the blog today. I met him through this blog. I am thoroughly impressed with his own blog, The Heretical Reader. I also am loving his apparel business for freethinkers. I asked him if he would be willing to answer some questions about his experience with religion and how his path has led him to freethinking. Here’s the interview…
Robert Affinis
Q & A with Robert Affinis
M.A.: Tell us a bit about your background. Did you grow up with faith or religion? What type? How did that affect you as a child? Did you feel it was beneficial to your upbringing?
R.A: I grew up in a predominately Christian family; Baptist to be specific. To be honest Mindi, my entire family are Christians; passing down from generation to generation. Ever sense I could remember; I was exposed to church life. Every Sunday, I would accompany my mother to church; singing in the choir and attending children’s bible class was routine and systematic. At the time of my adolescence; looking back in retrospect, fear and misconceptions bombarded my mind; allowing to prolong my allegiance to the church and pastor; without inquiry; without suspicion. At the time, I believed attending church, reading the bible, and praying to Jesus was pleasing to him; not to mention, appealing to my family. I was told that children; especially African American children, should praise god for bringing our ancestors out of slavery; when ironically; it was Christianity that mentally and physically enslaved my ancestors…a historical aspect I would soon enough be exposed to.
M.A.: What event/thought/discovery sparked your exodus from faith?
R.A.: Well, when I reached the age of 13, Islam became attractive to me. Reading books by Elijah Muhammad and inquiring about the Nation of Islam, my cultural appetite was soon satiated. Learning about the exploitations of Africans and how their contributions were exploited to benefit America; all the while, their legacy being re-written by the victors entrenched my yearning to know more about my culture. I have to say; although, my mother was/is a staunch Christian, her perspective about me believing in some higher being was better than an atheistic mind. She took me to mosques to explore the Islamic religiosity of Muslims. I even began to learn to articulate prayer in the Arabic tongue. Although, a transition had been made from Christianity to Islam, at the age of 18, I realized a pertinent aspect within Islam: Africa was not Islamic until the Arab invasion; forcing the African indigenous people to submit under similar systematic controls of forced slavery. A strong thought occurred to me through all of my findings and research: all religions possess the same type of exclusive ideology and slave tactics; be it physical, mental, or both. Whether it was Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Catholicism, etc., the exclusive nature and common aspects to exploit the arrogance of exclusive claim amid humanities eagerness to believe in a higher power were all too common and ordinary. I realized Mindi that possessing cultural appreciation is a health aspect; especially in this country; however, mental slavery encompasses all minds; regardless of race, color, or creed. The comparisons of religions inculcated a spark of skepticism and the courage to speak out about my concerns.
M.A: What was the first step you took away from faith? How did it feel for you?
R.A: My initial step towards possessing a liberated mind was exploring the writings of Frederick Nietzsche and Ludwig Feuerbach. The two books that are memorable to me are the Genealogy of Morals (Nietzsche) and The Origins of Christianity (Feuerbach). Philosophy was a pertinent aspect for my mental growth in my late twenties. I realized that our educational institution was teaching our youth what to think and not how to think. Once the question of morality entered my mind and how ethics transcends morals; without the belief in a divine artificer, it felt like a 50lb weight was lifted from my shoulders.
M.A: If you could only name one major struggle about leaving faith behind, what would it be?
R.A: The biggest struggle was the non-appeal that I would have to my family and friends. It is not easy to disappoint loved ones; especially when I am the only child of my mother. She has been disappointed for some time now; however, she has come to grips with my lack of belief and just wishes me to live an ethical life. People may say they don’t care about people’s opinion of them, but in reality, depending on the person, we really have our concerns.
M.A: Did leaving faith revolutionize your life in any way OR did it pretty much stay the same?
R.A: Actually; yes, it did. I never thought about starting an apparel line for freethinkers. I never imagined that I would be a pro-gay black male. Homophobia reared its head when I was connected to Christianity. I believed that gay and lesbian people were damned to hell and needed salvation. Becoming a freethinker; specifically an atheist, freed me from the indoctrination of medieval ignorance.
M.A: Tell us more about your business of freethinker and LGBT apparel. When did you start it? What was the spark of the idea?
R.A: Expression is an essential part of life Mindi. It takes more than lectures in the halls of the intelligentsia to promote change and reverse the conditions of indoctrination. The idea was entrenched in me in 2007 to establish Affinis Apparel. The etymology of the word Affinis stems from “Affinity” meaning a natural liking based on similarity and connection; in this case, similar minds wanting freedom from indoctrination. In 2007, it was just an idea; however, after witnessing the injustices to those who lacked belief, an eager motivation consumed to become an activist for the freedom of religion. One interesting historical aspect that captivated me was the lack of belief W.E.B Dubois possessed. In the black community, Dubois is regarded as a commendable black intellectual male; first black male to graduate with a Ph.D. from Harvard. To be poignant; Dubois was an atheist.
African American actress Butterfly McQueen; known for her role in Gone with the Wind declared this sentiment:
“As my ancestors are free from slavery, I am free from the slavery of Christianity.”
James Baldwin; a prominent journalist and gay African American man stated this in 1987:
“Christianity has operated with an unmitigated arrogance and cruelty—necessarily, since a religion ordinarily imposes on those who have discovered the true faith the spiritual duty of liberating the infidels.”
The LGBT (lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, and Transgender) was an additional component to the apparel line. The connection between religion and homophobia is too blatant. The talk of worshiping and loving god (whatever interpretation that is) in the spirit, I thought; well, spirit possesses no gender; leaving god as A-sexual (genderless). So; if spirit has no gender, then love also transcends gender. Woman and man are only created for means of procreation; however, love possesses a separate function; with no bearing on procreative yearnings. The LGBT are being ostracized for loving one another and it is nothing, but religious sexual bigotry fueling it Mindi. Thinking about the coorelation between religion and homophobia, I figured, why not couple the two perspectives and advocate both: the freedom from religion and the promotion of gay rights.
With these findings amid others, the motivation and tenacity to establish an apparel line for free thinkers across the world was satiated. No more did I feel that I was alone in the world; no matter what the obstacles, fashion was now going to exemplify meaning and not just empty trends.
M.A: Do you feel that you now have a mission in life because of what you have been through?
R.A: Yes I do. Individuals that have gone through the muck and mire of life possess the greatest perspectives on resolve. I mean; how can you articulate to someone about the follies of religion when one hasn’t been religious themselves. The best drug counselors or alcohol counselors are the ones who were ex-users. Can you imagine Mindi; telling a child not to drink or smoke weed when you haven’t smoked a joint in your life? I believe the respect level increases when one has been exposed to life’s trials and tribulations.
M.A: If you could go back in time to the day you realized you could not trust in faith/religion, what would you tell yourself? What advice would you give to anyone struggling with belief in God, a religion, or a church?
R.A: I would tell myself wake up and become an ardent proponent of mental liberation. I would possess the courage to free people from the bondage of mental slavery. For those struggling with fleeing the strongholds of societal religiosity, I give this advice: Without courage and risk, there is no reward.
There is a euphemism that I wrote years ago; however, it is still applicable to this very day:
The freeman is the thinking man; his voice the instrument of conviction. However, courage becomes absent when betrayal mimics the sound of silence.
M.A: Any closing thoughts or anything you would like to share that I did not ask?
R.A: Never allow silence to prevail and stunt your progressive mind. Never live your life through the appeasements of other people’s eyes; in turn, you’ll never find happiness for yourself.
I thank you for the opportunity of having me here, M.E. Anders. It was a pleasure. I want to add I appreciate and I’m astounded by the work you do; manifesting to the world the problematic woes of religion and how to break free from cult strongholds. It is courageous and admirable the energy and passion you put forth aiding individuals to awaken to a new existence; without boundaries; without fear. I applaud you!
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Robert Affinis’ Bio:
Robert Affinis is a writer, advocate, and entrepreneur exemplifying aspects of the religious and gay community. Originally from North Jersey and currently residing in Phoenix Arizona, Robert is founder of AFFINIS Apparel; promoting freethinking and advocating the universality of human rights through fashion. He is also a member of Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF) and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC).
His current academic credentials involve Industrial/Organizational psychology; the crux of any healthy and productive company system is to disclose the relations between human felicity and corporate policies and procedures—a redundant; yet, overlooked matter.
Robert has two beautiful daughters to his credit; ages 10 and 7 and I quote him:
“There is nothing like the bond that is possessed between a father and his daughters; it is indeed a special kind of love that transcends all that is tangible”.
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Readers: Do you have any additional questions or comments for Robert? Does your journey parallel his in any way? What one take-away did you benefit from in this interview? Leave your comment below.
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