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.
Ashdown High School in Arkansas has a problem with prayer. It’s not that a lot of kids want to say them. That’s not an issue. That’s never been an issue. The problem is that everyone in the community seems to have no clue where to draw the line. They thought it was okay for the band director to lead the prayers. It’s not. So the Freedom From Religion Foundation sent them a letter at the behest of someone in the District (as is always the case; they don’t do these things on a whim). That seems to have stopped the band director’s involvement… but there’s still a problem: Read more
The Keller City Council in Texas has invocation prayers at meetings. It’s legal, so we have to live with it, but it doesn’t mean we can’t participate. That’s why, last year, my friend Zach Moore of the Keller Humanists requested to deliver one of those invocations. Mayor Mark Matthews initially said no to him, but eventually relented at the request of the pastor who coordinated the speakers. There was just one caveat: Moore could speak… but only if he was followed by a Christian speaker. In other words, they weren’t going to have a meeting without a Christian prayer. It’s like saying, “You can say what you want… but I’m always going after you in order to have the last word.” Read more
