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.
Finally, we know the return investment on our tithe. As guest Glenn Beck listened intently, Christian pseudo-historian David Barton recently explained on his “Foundation of Freedom” series what you get in return for your gift to God: Spoiler: Barton didn’t see the problems with his own numbers. Read more
Donald Trump said in a Town Hall interview with Chris Matthews (airing later tonight on MSNBC) that women who have abortions need to have “some form of punishment.” Whether that’s a fine or jail time, Trump wasn’t sure, since he never likes to think through any of his grand ideas, but the implication was clear: Women who exercise their reproductive rights need to be penalized for it. Meanwhile, Trump is still defending his campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, who’s been charged with battery for grabbing a reporter. “I don’t discard people,” Trump said. So there you go, women. If you want a safe and legal abortion, be sure you’re working for Donald Trump first. Problem solved. Read more
As longtime readers are surely aware, two of the biggest complaints against the Boy Scouts of America over the past decade have been their policies against gay members and atheists. (They’re a private group, so they’re legally allowed to do this, but they get plenty of support from the government and public schools, which is the problem.) In 2013, the ban on gay scouts was finally lifted. In 2015, the ban on gay scout leaders went away, too. The ban on atheists is still in effect. Enter the Unitarian Universalist Association. They’ve long been on the side of civil rights and have many non-religious members. In 1998, they cut all ties with the BSA because of the bigotry. And even as the barriers went away these past few years, the UUA maintained that separation, showing solidarity with atheists. That’s why it’s extremely disappointing that the UUA has now reconciled with the BSA, signing a “Memorandum of Understanding” that will lead to more cooperation between the groups: Read more
I’ve posted before about how a Colorado school district held an illegal Bible giveaway for elementary school students — as a result, Satanic coloring books will be made available for those kids later this week. (Success! Even though it’d be better if religion was kept out of the school altogether.) Looks like British Columbia has a similar problem. And atheists are making sure there’s a similar result. Read more
When you think about homeschooling, you almost instinctively think about conservative Christianity. The two seem tailor-made for each other. There are conventions and curricula that cater to Christians who want nothing to do with public schools, whatever their reasoning may be. But that poses a huge obstacle for atheist parents who decide homeschooling is also the best option for them. Finding tutors and textbooks that aren’t offering up some brand of fundamentalist Christianity is harder than you think. So is finding a social group for your kids that doesn’t involve Bible study. Read more