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.
Remember the “Charlie Charlie Challenge,” the “game” that went viral back in May? It worked like this: You get some paper and make a grid with the words “Yes” and “No.” You then put pencils on the axes, one atop of another, so they balance. Finally, you ask Charlie — a supposedly Mexican demon with a not-very-Mexican name — any question you want. If the top pencil moves, it means Charlie is answering your question… For some reason, grown human adults were taking this seriously for a while, but I thought we were generally over this as a people. That’s not the case in South Africa where one primary school is bringing in local religious leaders to stop the scourge of this evil game: Read more
Here’s a question reporters should ask every conservative Christian running to the side of Kim Davis: Why was she in prison? The wrong answer: Because of her religious faith. The right answer: Because she refused to obey the law, despite being an agent of the government. Following her release from prison this afternoon, though, the wrong answer is all we were hearing. Just listen to what Mike Huckabee says at the end of this clip: Read more
I know Kim Davis was released from jail earlier today, but there are some real legal issues that need to be sorted out. Are the marriage licenses currently being issued by her deputy clerks valid? Do the licenses have to include Davis’ name on them? Should Kim Davis be in jail right now? Marty Lederman, a professor at the Georgetown University Law Center, has a really thorough writeup attempting to sort through those questions as they pertain to Kentucky law. Not every question has a straightforward answer, though, making things even more confusing. (Keep in mind he posted this before she was released.) This may be the kicker: Read more
