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.
There’s a horrible practice in the Jehovah’s Witnesses known as disfellowshipping. Essentially, if you leave the faith, the people who remain in it (including your own parents) are told to shun you indefinitely. And if you leave, you can bet your reputation within the JW community will be ruined. If you’re an apostate, you’re not just someone who left the faith. You’re someone who lies and wants to siphon off other believers. Now, 62 ex-JWs — all considered apostates — have a message for the people who remain in the faith. They’re not evil. They’re not angry. They’re just normal people with a difference of opinion who still love those who remain trapped in the organization: Read more
Our latest podcast guest is Lauren Lane, the Founder and Executive Director of Skepticon, a national conference located annually in Springfield, Missouri that promotes skepticism, science education, and community building. I spoke with Lauren about how her team runs a free conference for more than a thousand people, how they improve the event every year, and what goes on behind the scenes. Read more
Another day, another group of Christians who are furious that their children are getting educated in school. This time, in Walton County, Georgia, Christian parents are angry over a homework assignment that correctly pointed out that Muslims believe Allah is the same God worshiped by Jews and Christians. Read more
