Rook Hawkins is the impetus behind the Rational Response Squad.  He lobbied me to start this idea that I had with him as my partner in crime.  We co-founded the Rational Response Squad together and had a very nice several year run catapulting the RRS to the front lines in the battle against theism.  I watched that catapult play a role on Rook, it took it's toll on us all.   Slowly Rook grew apart from the idea of working on a mission under an RRS banner.  He gravitated towards schooling in part because he was tired of being told he didn't have a degree.  A degree doesn't make an idea better.    I would have liked to work alongside of Rook for many years.  

Rook left the Rational Response Squad in 2008, and started using his real name Thomas Verenna.  Since then he has studied history officially and changed his positions on several beliefs he had when he was a show host and writer on the Rational Response Squad website.  The most notable change of position is his stance on Jesus mythicism.  As a Rational Responder he created a campaign for Jesus Mythicism. Since then he has stated "mythicism is close to an end."  He was an atheist as a Rational Responder but has since expressed a deistic viewpoint.  Some have suggested that some of these beliefs were adopted in order to fit in with a group of historians.  Honestly, I don't know what he's thinking. 

His flip flop might seem like a point that Christians would cling to in hopes to bolster their position.  Such thinking is flawed heavily of course.  His current views are not better because they are newer, or more refined, or informed... they must be better because they stand up to scientific testing and scrutiny.  His concept of god doesn't hold up to science, and I think even he would admit that.  And Christianity is still false whether you believe Jesus Christ was a real person or not.  

I've advertised his books, and will continue to offer my support.  I will continue to compile some of his better works into this area so that the writings exist as part of history.  

- Brian Sapient