Hemant Mehta is the founder and editor of FriendlyAtheist.com, a YouTube creator, and podcast co-host. He is a former National Board Certified math teacher in the suburbs of Chicago. He has appeared on CNN and FOX News and served on the board of directors for Foundation Beyond Belief and the Secular Student Alliance. He has written multiple books, including I Sold My Soul on eBay and The Young Atheist's Survival Guide. He also edited the book Queer Disbelief.
In a bizarre decision yesterday, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 that the Rowan County Board of Commissioners in North Carolina could open up their meetings with prayer led by the commissioners themselves. Prayers that are virtually all to Jesus. It’s a slap in the face to anyone who thought Greece v. Galloway meant the prayer process would be open to anyone, including atheists, Satanists, and other non-Christians. Read more
Washington University in St. Louis professor Leigh Eric Schmidt has a new book coming out soon called Village Atheists: How America’s Unbelievers Made Their Way in a Godly Nation all about how godless people were treated in our country more than a century ago. He explores those perceptions through the eyes of four people who may well be described as the “New Atheists” of their time. We’ll be posting a podcast episode with Dr. Schmidt and an excerpt from his book soon, but I wanted to draw your attention to an interview he did with The Atlantic’s Emma Green because there was a remarkable line about how difficult it was for outspoken female atheists earlier in our history: Read more