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.
Franklin Graham, the son of Reverend Billy Graham, has done everything in his power to tarnish his father’s legacy by associating his family’s name with homophobia. Last year, he used his dad’s image and name to urge North Carolinians to vote against same-sex marriage. Earlier this year, he told an interviewer that “there’s no way you can have a family with two females or two males”: When the Supreme Court ruled in favor of gay rights recently, Graham expressed his disappointment about that, too: It was God who created and defined marriage, and any person or institution that attempts to redefine it is ultimately challenging Him. So what do you do when he plans a huge festival in your city? Well, a group of pro-LGBT-rights protesters in Reykjavik, Iceland — where gay marriage has been legal for a few years now — have come up with a brilliant way to fight back against his event there next month: [Click headline for more…] Read more
In Ireland, where atheism is already on the rise as are godless funerals, a new study — being touted on multiple websites and by Richard Dawkins — seems to show that the percentage of young Irish atheists is pretty high, too: A student survey has uncovered some very interesting statistics regarding Irish students and their changing attitudes towards religion. … Shockingly, while less than 60% of respondents considered themselves Catholic; the second group to top the scale were Atheists at 20%. That’s not the only shocker: Only a third of Irish Catholic students said they believe communion wafers are the physical body of Christ. Which I thought was one of the items on the Catholic Checklist. And there’s this: According to the survey, students regard ‘looking good’ (5th) as being more important than ‘religious beliefs’ (6th), with friends and family topping the list of importance. Lots of interesting stuff. But I’m not accepting any of it yet. Neither should you. [Click headline for more…] Read more
A week ago, Ray Comfort posted to YouTube his latest “documentary” Evolution Vs. God: It’s full of selective editing and bad science… as you would expect. Jaclyn Glenn watched the movie — *shudder* — and responded to all of his points in a video of her own. It’s a much better alternative (and only in part because of the way she says “God”): [Click headline for more…] Read more
Right now, U.S. law prohibits non-profit groups — including churches — from endorsing political candidates: Under the Internal Revenue Code, all section 501(c)(3) organizations are absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office. Contributions to political campaign funds or public statements of position (verbal or written) made on behalf of the organization in favor of or in opposition to any candidate for public office clearly violate the prohibition against political campaign activity. Violating this prohibition may result in denial or revocation of tax-exempt status and the imposition of certain excise taxes. However, on “Pulpit Freedom Sunday,” pastors have openly defied this law by doing the one thing they’re not supposed to do: Tell their congregations who to vote for. (Some pastors have even sent the IRS videos of their sermons). More than 1,600 pastors participated in the event in 2012 alone, so this isn’t just a fringe group we’re talking about. (If you’re wondering why the IRS hasn’t taking action, the answer is simple: bureaucracy. A “high-level” employee has to authorize the audits and no one is currently in a position to do that. The IRS isn’t rushing to fill the spot, either.) In 2011, Senator Chuck Grassley, who sits on the Joint Committee on Taxation, asked the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability to issue a report proposing answers to questions dealing with taxes and religious organizations. Today, a report was released by the ECFA (which formed the “Commission on Accountability and Policy for Religious Organizations”) and they’re urging Congress to change the law so that church leaders can endorse candidates from the pulpit: [Click headline for more…] Read more
