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.
Our latest podcast guest is Susan Gerbic, leader of the Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia project, the goal of which is to improve the content of skeptic-related content on Wikipedia. Gerbic is a photographer and skeptical activist from California. She contributes to the Skepticality podcast and Skeptical Inquirer magazine. She’s also the co-founder of the Monterey County Skeptics. I spoke with her about why editing Wikipedia is so important, how she avoids charges of bias in the articles, and how you can join her cause. Read more
It was back in March when Pastor Creflo Dollar asked his parishioners to donate $65 million so he could buy a new plane. (For Jesus, of course.) He later cancelled the fundraiser after a hell of a lot of negative media attention, but blamed it on Satan trying to “discredit” his voice. What got lost in this discussion is why he needed this new plane in the first place. Because he already had one a year earlier. But this is what happened to it: On November 24, 2014, Dollar’s Gulfstream III was permanently damaged in a runway accident at London’s Biggin Hill Airport. The plane veered off course, mistaking lights on the edge of the runway for lights on the center of the runway. No one was injured, but the cost of repair made no economic sense. The UK agency tasked with investigating the accident recently released its final report on the matter. Read more
Every now and then, a Christian apologist will rant about how these “New Atheists” are the worst people ever. It’s nothing new, and I find some comfort in knowing they’re on the defensive. But it’s always fun to see what they’re so upset about. The latest entry comes from David Robertson, writing at Desiring God. He wants to warn Christians about atheism and its proponents. Read more
