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.
Studies show that most Christians don’t actually read their Holy Book very often. Atheists tend to be more familiar with the Bible which, for many, is the reason they’re atheists in the first place. It’s a book that is often boring, confusing, disturbing, and contradictory. Even dedicated scholars can’t agree on how it should be translated. Pastors like to pick their favorite verses for a sermon rather than confront the Bible as a whole. Micah Edwards tackles those issues in his entertaining book Okay, So Look: A Humorous Retelling of the Book of Genesis (Annorlunda Books, 2015). Read more
If you ask the IRS what constitutes a church, there’s a 14-point checklist (that Megareverend John Oliver so gracefully highlighted) that functions as a useful guide. But the IRS also says it’s a “combination of these characteristics” that determines whether a church gets tax-exempt status, suggesting that churches don’t need to meet all the criteria. Right now, in New Hampshire, there’s an ongoing debate over whether the Church of the Sword (COTS) is a legitimate church. Read more
Before I rip into the Cannon County High School football team, let’s say some nice things about them. They have a female kicker who’s very talented! That’s awesome for her and says a lot about the guys on the team for making her feel so welcome. They also have a roster of 30 athletes who seem to be passionate, and you have to respect students who are willing to put in the time and effort required of a football team. Okay. All that aside, there’s a serious problem with the team. The coaches have practically turned it into a church (the article is behind a paywall): Read more
Chaz Stevens is on a roll. The atheist-turned-Satanist has pressured another city commission in Florida to stop invocations altogether just so no one has to hear him speak. Remember: Stevens made this happen in Coral Springs last month (they didn’t want to see an invocation that involved twerking and/or a mariachi band). Deerfield Beach and Delray Beach have dropped their invocations for the same reason. And now it’s happening in Dania Beach (article behind paywall): Read more
