Bree Olson, whose real name is Rachel Oberlin, was born and raised in Woodburn, Indiana.
Olson is an atheist with some Catholic roots.[1] (Her Ukranian grandmother was a survivor of the Holocaust, but there's no indication that Olson has a Jewish background.[2] ) She says that between the ages of 10 and 13 she was "really, really Christian" and spent time studying the Bible. But it didn't sit too well with her. She said,
After studying. . . the whole Bible I decided, this so isn't true. I gave it a chance, I gave it a try. . . and I'm like, this is bullshit, this is not true. . . . Everyone just makes up religion to feel better about dying.[3]
She continued on the topic of death to an atheist, saying that she thinks there can be great comfort in religion:
I know that when we die, there's no heaven and so that really bums me out. I wish I could be Christian and say yeah, that's great, I'm going to heaven, but I know I'm not. I know I'm just gonna be six feet under. So it kinda sucks to know the truth.[4]
But she also made it a point to clarify that she has nothing against religious people. She thinks religion can do wonderful things for communities and says she has many great friends who are religious. She also says she doesn't want to convert anyone to atheism and doesn't talk about it all that much. She just thinks "their beliefs are fucked."[5]
Political ulcers and flocks of sheep
Olson isn't too interested in politics–anymore that is. She said she used to follow political news closely, but that it was so upsetting, she felt like it was giving her ulcers.[6] The day after the 2012 presidential election she tweeted,
They came together like sheep and cared about something they knew nothing about as they waved their 10 cent flags made in China.[7]
Despite her recent decision to check out of politics, you might think she was a liberal. After all, she's an animal rights vegan[8] who's in PETA's good graces[9] and she says she's had "crazy good dreams" about Obama.[10] But she also apparently watches conservative television news outlet Fox News.[11]
She's also pro-choice, laments big box stores' negative impact on small independent business, and is against creationism being taught in schools.[12] But she's not interested in liberal feminism–and not because some feminists criticize the porn industry. She sounded super conservative when she said she thinks it would be better to go back to a time before pornography was so mainstream:
I think that when it was more traditional with women at home and the men go out and earn the money and the wives stay home and take care of the kids everything was more under control and happy and wholesome back in those days.[13]
So I don't really know how to categorize Bree Olson. Maybe she's more of a libertarian? Or maybe she's liberal with a few conservative positions? I don't know. Maybe you can't put Bree Olson in a corner.
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