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.
It’s bad enough that many government officials have to take an oath of office that includes references to God. But it’s so much worse when that oath applies to federal scientists who are even less likely to believe in such nonsense. In India, however, if you’d like a Junior Research Fellowship to the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) — arguably the largest research and development group in the country — you apparently have to sign a pledge that includes the phrase “So help me God” when accepting the position. Read more
When it comes to speaking at religious events, the rules for elected officials are pretty damn simple: Don’t do it while acting as a representative of the government. That means Bob the Christian can tell you how awesome Jesus is, but Bob the Mayor has to remain secular while on duty. Those lines crossed numerous times last month in Mission Viejo, California. Both Assistant Sheriff Don Barnes and City Councilwoman Wendy Bucknum (who is also Mayor Pro Tem) appeared in their official capacities during a National Day of Prayer event. Bucknum even bragged about how the event was taking place “on city property.” Read more
Here’s an interesting move: ABC News had scheduled Christian hate group leader Tony Perkins (of the Family Research Council) to appear on today’s episode of This Week, then quietly removed him from the lineup after many people complained. Whether the removal was the direct result of the complaints hasn’t been confirmed, but given Perkins’ previous statements about LGBT people, it’s difficult to see what he would have contributed to any discussion on the Orlando shootings. Read more
Avijit Roy was killed in February of 2015 as he and his wife were returning home from a book fair in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Two attackers came after them with cleavers and “hacked them mercilessly.” His wife survived. Roy did not. This morning, police got into a gunfight with Roy’s alleged assailant “Sharif” and killed him: Read more
A terminally ill five-year-old who said she wouldn’t want to go to the hospital if things got really bad passed away this week. Julianna Snow died in her home, surrounded by the people she loved. But was it unfair for her parents to tell her that her choices were “Heaven” or “hospital”? A lot of critics say so. I’m not buying it. Read more