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.
Last night’s city council meeting in Grandville, Michigan featured a secular invocation, courtesy of atheist Steven Belstra. You may recall this is the same city where auto repair shop owner Brian Klawiter said earlier this year that he would not serve gay customers. (How he’d know they’re gay is anyone’s guess.) That’s why Belstra, according to the advance text of his remarks, made sure to reference the important of civil rights and LGBT equality in particular: Read more
Melissa Klein and her husband Aaron are the owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa, a bakery in Portland, Oregon. They were in the news a lot earlier this year for refusing to bake a cake for a lesbian wedding, then releasing the couple’s information to the public, decisions that eventually cost them $135,000 in fines. They didn’t take a personal hit, however, as like-minded Christians donated more than $350,000 in one online fundraiser for them and more than $515,000 altogether. Despite the windfall, they hadn’t paid the fine. And they also weren’t taking the proper steps to file an appeal, either. It was a gross violation of the law. Read more
Here’s the situation: A post office in Rupert, Idaho had a Nativity scene mural painted on its windows. The Freedom From Religion Foundation pointed out that’s illegal promotion of Christianity. The painting has since been removed. Now the town is flipping out because, you know, “Freedom!” Read more
