Publication Date
4-7-2022
Abstract
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn (April 7, 2022) – East Tennessee State University’s Secular Humanist Alliance (SHA) student group will host the event “Dave Warnock, an Atheist with ALS – Book Reading and Q&A” in the Martha Street Culp Auditorium located at the D.P. Culp Student Center on Monday, April 11, from 7-8:30 p.m.
The event is free and open to the public, and will feature Dying Out Loud (DOL) platformer Dave Warnock, who will discuss his book “Childish Things: A Memoir” in which he details his experiences with evangelical Christianity, living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) – commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease – and the sincere significance of “seizing the moment.”
Warnock started the DOL platform after receiving an ALS diagnosis on Feb. 26, 2019.
“A series of doctor visits with a final confirmation electromyography at Vanderbilt Hospital led to the cold and clinically fatal diagnosis of ALS – along with instructions to put my clothes back on and where to find the elevator. No information, no follow-up plan, no counselor referral. Just go home and die in three to five years.” said Warnock. “Suddenly, this one life we do have became infinitely more precious and incredibly brief to me. Instead of succumbing to the depression, anger and hopelessness this diagnosis often brings, I immediately decided to begin living life to the fullest.”
Warnock also speaks openly about his nearly 40 years as a pastor and church leader, and the damage he feels evangelical Christianity can cause.
“In conveying my own personal experience, I have come to learn and see the trauma fundamentalist religion has inflicted on people,” said Warnock. “Since starting these conversations, I’ve been invited to speak all over the world, and this is how DOL began. It has been incredibly heartening that my message is resonating with multitudes of people. It inspires me to keep traveling and talking with others as much as I can while I still can.”
For more information about the event, contact SHA at secularhumanistetsu@gmail.com. For further information, contact Student Activities and Organizations at sao@etsu.edu or (423) 439-6633.
Document Type
News Article
