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.
A couple of days ago, I posted about how Arkansas State Senator Jason Rapert, who had already proposed and passed a bill to install a Ten Commandments monument on the grounds of the State Capitol, was now trying to fundraise to build that monument. He began a GoFundMe campaign to crowdsource funding on behalf of a private company, the American History & Heritage Foundation, Inc., a group that seems to have been created for the sole purpose of putting up this monument. As of this writing, Rapert has raised $6,000 of his requested $16,600. (He says he has additional funding worth $3,000 outside of GoFundMe.) Yesterday, however, the American Humanist Association’s Appignani Humanist Legal Center denounced Rapert’s fundraising scheme in a letter sent to his office, explaining how his proposed monument would very likely violate the law and lose a legal challenge: … The Appignani Humanist Legal Center cites Sen. Rapert’s leadership in the Appeal to Heaven legislative caucus, a national network of conservative Christian elected officials who openly profess their commitment to governing based on biblical principles. “Many people in Arkansas have already expressed concern about the Ten Commandments monument and its excessive state entanglement with religion,” said David Niose, legal director of the American Humanist Association. “We urge Sen. Rapert to stop this project and turn his attention to the practical, real-world needs of all of his constituents, both religious and nonreligious.” The letter warns that Sen. Rapert should cease his fundraising activities for the Ten Commandments monument or risk likely litigation that will result in an unnecessary waste of taxpayer money. How did Rapert respond? By turning on a video camera, ripping the letter up, and posting it on Facebook. Because he has the emotional maturity of a 12-year-old. Read more
Yesterday, the National Organization for Marriage (a group best known for opposing marriage) posted this image on Facebook, boasting of “two million people march in Rome for man woman #marriage on family day.” Maybe they missed all the rainbow flags in the picture, but those people aren’t celebrating marriage inequality. They’re there for a gay pride rally, in support of proposed legislation in Italy that would grant legal recognition to people in civil unions. Seriously. Go to that link. The original picture is right there. Read more
Earlier this month, I posted about a new website to help Mormons leave the Church for good. QuitMormon offers free legal representation for people ready to resign their membership. QuitMormon has only been in operation for a month now. But in a message posted to the Ex-Mormon subreddit yesterday, attorney Mark Naugle provided an incredible update: Read more