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 Putnam County Board of Education in West Virginia will have two open seats in the upcoming election, and three of the candidates vying for those spots participated in a forum last night for the editors of the Gazette-Mail. For some reason, the topic of evolution vs. Creationism came up. And none of the three men — Bruce Knell, Sam Sentelle (incumbent), and Jack Coyner (incumbent) — took a firm stand on the side of science: Read more
If you ever wonder why it’s legal for public high schools to have Bible clubs, the answer is simple: The Equal Access Act. Simply put, if a school allows the formation of any extra-curricular club (Chess club, Drama club, etc.), then officials can’t discriminate against a religious club, or a Secular Student Alliance, or a Young Republicans group. That’s why the controversy over a Gay-Straight Alliance at Franklin County High School in Tennessee is so strange. As soon as the group was announced, Christians began complaining about it, doing everything they could to gin up resentment against it. One man even said that a pro-ISIS club wouldn’t be far behind: That was nearly a month ago and things haven’t gotten any better. In fact, during a school board meeting this week, members considered the nuclear option: Read more