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 John W. Loftus, the atheist author of How to Defend the Christian Faith. You would think Loftus should be a Christian. After all, he attended and graduated from Great Lakes Christian College, Lincoln Christian University, and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School where he learned under apologist William Lane Craig. But he’s spent the last several years debunking the faith. His books include Why I Rejected Christianity, Why I Became an Atheist, and The Outsider Test for Faith. I spoke with John about the worst argument Christian apologists use, how learning the Bible caused him to leave the faith, and whether rejecting Christianity is the same thing as becoming an atheist. Read more
I sometimes post stories about the religious “bubble,” where you’re not allowed to have any significant contact with people outside the faith — especially those who have left the faith. In some cases, like with the Jehovah’s Witnesses, if you leave, even your parents will cease having a relationship with you. The Exclusive Brethren, an evangelical Christian sect, are even worse. You only attend church schools, you work for church members, and spend your free time in church. You don’t watch TV or listen to radio, and even the Internet is limited to pre-approved websites. They’re “exclusive” for a reason. And yet, six years ago, Craig Hoyle escaped: Read more
John W. Loftus usually debunks religious arguments in his books, but his latest one gives Christians tips on how they can make a better case for their beliefs. (It’s not as weird as it sounds, I promise.) That book is called How to Defend the Christian Faith: Advice from an Atheist (Pitchstone Publishing, 2015): In the excerpt below, Loftus explains how Christian apologists have a lot of work to do because God left them with such an incredible burden: Read more
Saying the Pledge of Allegiance in school is optional. You can’t get in trouble for not saying it. You can’t get in trouble for not standing up. And if you do, the school could be in legal trouble. All of this should be obvious, but many students are unaware of their rights in these situations. Now, the superintendent of Florida’s Santa Rosa County District Schools is upset because students in his district are being told about their options. If he had his way (freedom), they would all be pressured (freedom) into saying it no matter what (‘Murica!). His complaint has to do with signs in classrooms that read: “Students are invited to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of our country, but they are not required to do so.” Read more
