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.
Jeremy Runnells, the author of the viral Mormon phenomenon known as the CES Letter, is facing an LDS Church disciplinary council and very possible ex-communication. It has been more than two-and-a-half years since Jeremy published the document asking a director of the LDS Church Educational System (CES) for clarification of Church history that he found disturbing. Read more
In 2012, the Reason Rally, a gathering of atheists in Washington, D.C., brought together an estimated 20,000-30,000 people from across the country. A similar (and much larger) event is taking place at the Lincoln Memorial on June 4, though information on what’s going on that weekend and who will speak at the rally has been scant up to this point (in part due to staffing changes over the past few months). But details about the event are coming together quickly. Last night, the website was updated with an expanded speaking roster and more information on the events surrounding the rally. Read more
For prisoners who are granted parole or finish their sentences, it can be very tough to assimilate back into society. If they’re lucky, they’ll have the help of individuals or organizations that can serve as a sort of training area from the moment they leave prison, teaching them vital skills, helping them obtain necessary paperwork, offering useful social programs, and showing them how to get food and apply for housing. Florida works with several groups that provide these services, but two of them — Prisoners of Christ and Lamb of God Ministries — are explicitly Christian organizations. They’re voluntary, but there’s a question of whether the state should be using taxpayer money to support any faith-based group that does this sort of work. Read more
