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.
Kimberly Winston writes about “The Freethought Trail,” a self-guided walking tour through West-Central New York that covers locations and people important in freethought history, including the Robert Green Ingersoll Birthplace Museum and the National Women’s Hall of Fame: [Click headline for more…] Read more
Many atheists will tell you that, even though they don’t go to church anymore, they still miss the music. In New York, a group of atheists and agnostics (and a few straggling theists) are part of a group called the Renaissance Street Singers that offer public performances of religious music for the sole reason that they just love the pieces: [Click headline for more…] Read more
Last week, seven billboards reading “Don’t believe in God? Join the club!” were put up across South Dakota (one for every citizen… zing!): That didn’t sit well with William Kreider, the owner of Sioux Falls’ BSR Construction (tagline: “Locally owned and operated with Christian ethics”). So he has responded with a digital billboard of his own, quoting the infamous Bible verse from the Book of Psalms, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.” It’s right in front of the atheist billboard, depending on how you’re looking at it. [Click headline for more…] Read more
In Jennifer Kline’s article about college atheist groups, this passage is just incredible: Ethan Conklin, director of outreach for the University of Central Florida’s Secular Student Alliance (SSA), has seen his share of “really messed-up situations,” he says. “We have members whose families don’t talk to them anymore, friends who isolated them. All because of that one word: ‘atheist.’” Consequently, many students seeking like-minded friends are hesitant to openly reveal their involvement in SSA. The club has a public Facebook page but recently created a second group, which is private and visible only to approved members. Conklin explained that several members feel uncomfortable sharing their interest in a secular club with their families, friends or workplaces. The secret page allows those people to remain connected without the publicity of a “like.” They have a second Facebook group just for the people who can’t publicly “like” something about atheism?! How depressing is that. (Does the Fellowship of Christian Athletes ever have this problem?) Maybe I shouldn’t be that surprised, though, since even the Secular Student Alliance makes it very clear in their national conference booklet that we should all be aware that there are students who may not wanted to be “outed”: [Click headline for more…] Read more