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.
This is just a brief note to let you all know I’m going to be gone for the next few days so I can focus on my wedding 🙂 (In atheist-speak, I’m getting Hitched.) While I’m gone, Paul Fidalgo will be running the show. Paul is the Communications Director for the Center for Inquiry, a blogger at Near-Earth Object, and the host of a new podcast (The Obcast) that features wonderful long-form conversations with people in the science/tech worlds. If you’re not already subscribed to his show, you should take care of that now. There are a few more posts in the queue, but I’ll be back early next week after taking care of all the chaos and stress and happy-fun-excitement that a wedding brings (and going on a hastily-planned mini-honeymoon in downtown Chicago). Be good to Paul while I’m away! Read more
In 2012, Greg and JaLea Swezey were sentenced to five years of probation after they allowed their 17 year-old son Zachery to die of appendicitis… even though it was completely preventable: The Swezeys were not practitioners of Christian Science, but they were members of the Church of the First Born, a church that also endorses “faith-healing.” Why see a doctor when God will cure all?! (Except when He doesn’t.) Now, it’s happened again — to another family from the same church. [Click headline for more…] Read more
Earlier this week, the Kentucky Department of Education did something every state’s education department should do: They sent an email to every public school district superintendent in the state (173 of them in all) reminding them what the law says about church/state separation: [Click headline for more…] Read more
Remember Sigfried Gold, the atheist who found solace in prayer even though he didn’t believe in God? Now, he’s back to respond to his critics. And I don’t think he’s converting many people to his ways in the process… … My fellow atheists have suggested, not always politely, that I’m not an atheist, that I’m not really praying, and that praying is not acceptable behavior for atheists. As politely as I can manage, I would like to defend myself on all three counts. … Now, I can’t claim to speak for all non-reality-based people, but I don’t need imaginary friends, either. I lived for 45 years without them. I just happened to find that when I started talking to an imaginary friend, certain struggles began to evaporate. It became easier to act according to my conscience. [Click headline for more…] Read more