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.
The Supreme Court will hear arguments today in the case of Zubik v. Burwell — another ridiculous challenge to the Affordable Care Act. In a compelling piece for the Washington Post, teacher Sonia Guizar writes about how she used to be a devout Catholic who shunned any form of birth control. But after having her first child, she knew she couldn’t afford another one. She needed contraception. Without coverage from her Catholic workplace, though, that was out of the question. She soon became pregnant with her second child. (So much for “natural family planning.”) Guizar says the Church’s opposition to sensible family planning is pushing her away from the faith — no kidding — and today’s Supreme Court case just confirms her feelings: Read more
When it comes to the Pledge of Allegiance, the policy at many school districts in the country amounts to: “Say it.” Kids who don’t want to participate for religious or personal reasons are often ostracized or punished. That’s why the new policy being considered by the Wake County School Board in North Carolina is such a welcome relief. Not only are they stressing the fact that it’s optional, they’re using it as an opportunity to talk about coercion and the First Amendment: Read more