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.
Glenn Beck almost said something sensible on his show yesterday. He was talking to a caller who said she supported Ted Cruz because he “makes the Bible his compass and bases his standards on something that is unchangeable.” Beck explained that you don’t need to follow the Bible to live out what the Founding Fathers wanted. (That’s where the sensible stuff ended.) Read more
Yesterday, while Bernie Sanders and Ted Cruz won their respective primaries in Wisconsin, another important story flew under the radar: Rebecca Bradley won a ten-year term to the state’s Supreme Court. Bradley once wrote of her disdain for gay people, whom she said were “degenerates who basically commit suicide through their behavior.” She also said feminism was “largely composed of angry, militant, man-hating lesbians who abhor the traditional family.” Read more
There are questions about religion that we’ll still be debating for centuries to come, and there are questions about religion you didn’t even realize anyone had to ask. This one falls in the latter group. You may be aware that Orthodox and conservative Jews who honor Shabbat refrain from doing any work during a stretch of time from Friday night to Saturday night. (It’s the day of rest, after all.) This has led to a number of silly work-arounds since, you know, human people may need to turn on a light switch. But what about Amazon Echo? That’s the voice-activated device that responds to the name “Alexa” that lets you play music, set a timer, or order certain goods from the website — all without lifting a finger. If you’re an Orthodox Jew, are you allowed to use the product on a Saturday morning when you’re observing Shabbat? Read more