FAQs
Why did you write this book?
1
As a child of Holocaust survivors, a child of immigrants, as a father, and as a grandfather, I see the vulgarity and greed of religious fundamentalists. I see the chaos, the disrespect for our institutions, the disregard for the Constitution, and the shamelessness of the religious hypocrites. I wrote this book to provide a 75-year-old perspective to people feeling alienated and hopeless in this current environment. And why now? I see the situation spinning out of control—people are lost—and I have a perspective that I hope contains some guidance. I hope to be the grandfather you need at this time.
Are you anti-religion?
2
Absolutely not. I am anti-fundamentalism, and I am against the scourge of fundamentalism taking over our institutions.
I am a 3,500-year-old tribal Jew, and I reject any cult that separates men from women. I reject misogyny (on behalf of the generations of women in my life). I have known many wonderful religious and non-religious people in my life. However, like most true patriots, I object to religion’s overstepping in our culture and government: from prayer meetings in the White House to censorship in our libraries and religious symbols in our schools. While there are the best and the worst in all religions, religious fundamentalists are blatantly disloyal to the ideals of our founders. True patriots respect the separation of church and state in our Constitution.
Is this book (or you) anti-government?
3
No. I am against the corruption made extreme by Citizens United, which allows dark money into our political system. Why in the world would we give power to corporate or political interests who can’t vote, don’t say the pledge of allegiance, and have no duty of loyalty to our country? I am an anti-monopoly capitalist who is against subsidizing fundamentalism with our hard-earned dollars. I can’t help but believe in the vision our Founding Fathers had for a more united and prosperous nation. They were fleeing imperialism in Europe; they didn’t want us to be under the thumb of a king or a pope. I believe that our system will heal itself, given time. I believe that America is better than fundamentalism.
My parents fled right-wing haters in Europe, and they rejoiced in the freedoms and opportunities of America. I am fighting for the America that believes in the separation of church and state, the dignity of the human being, the America that unifies our country instead of dividing. And make no mistake, we are always going to have to fight for it. If the US is going to represent the decency and the freedoms that are so critical to me, then I have to fight for it today.
What led you to the allegorical dialogue structure of the book?
4
I struggled to write this book for over 10 years. I wrote it twice, but I was unable to articulate in narrative form what I was trying to say, and for some reason it didn’t work. I was rejecting the concept of the book being so personally about me, and I wanted the book to be about my ideas. However, I was forced to make this book more personal in order to get closer to my truth. The allegorical dialogue allowed all parts of my brain/consciousness/character to express themselves.
The third time was the charm. With my brilliant editor, Elizabeth Smith, we structured the dialogue with Pfoot, whom I had been photographing for years, as the antagonist. And it worked.
Why did you choose the foot as a character representation?
5
First of all, Pfoot chose me. I loved the absurdity of taking pfotos of pfoot as people took pfotos of me. Then I remembered that showing my foot is a sign of resistance in many cultures.
By giving Pfoot a voice and by bringing Pfoot to life, I was able to articulate the dialogue that goes on in my head with humor and with irreverence without being pedantic. Why the “p”? You will have to ask Pfoot.
What is your current relationship with Judaism?
6
I am a non-liturgical tribal Jew. I love the humor, the food, the neuroticism, and the achievements of my culture. I do not belong to a temple, as I have been there, done that, and it failed me personally. However, it is important to me that my grandchildren have a bat mitzvah and be introduced to the liturgy. Then it is up to them. I could not find a way to attach to Judaism as a religion, but I rejoice in it as a culture.
As for sharing my personal family Jewish histories, whose stories are my epigenetic biographies; they are at the core of who I am. My father was tormented by the genocide of his entire family in the Holocaust. I grew up with ghosts and was named after a ghost. When people ask me when I first knew about the Holocaust, I answer, “When I was in the womb.”
Where did the photographs in the book come from?
7
They came from my great love of absurdity.The photographs featured in the book were taken all over the world during my travels: from the top of Machu Picchu mountain to Amazonian river villages—and some right here around my home in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
What is your goal for a reader’s takeaway after reading this book?
8
Like I say in the book: It is not important that the reader agrees with me; it is important that I make the reader think. And ultimately for those who relate to the book, I hope to put words to thoughts they have inside them but were unable to articulate before they read the book. I hope to inspire readers to action in their communities, to continue the fight against religious fundamentalism in our country. Ultimately, I hope thoughts coalesce around my ideas that can lead to positive action for those who love our country.
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“The enemy of reason is my enemy.”
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The Secularist’s Bible
And Other Astonishing Absurdities
by Stan Biderman
The Secularist’s Bible is at once an urgent clarion call to secular resistance, an absurdist memoir, and a family history of Holocaust survival—unified by one driving imperative: we must unite to defend democracy from fundamentalist onslaught.
Available September 2026
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Published by The Secularist Press