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 this thing called Google that protects you from sticking your foot in your mouth. Minister David Brassfield of the Newalla Church of Christ in Oklahoma must not have discovered it yet, because he gave members of his church the following handout over the weekend, suggesting that atheists can’t be found in times of crisis: After our recent major loss of life and property, thousands of people and many organizations stepped up to help. The list included churches, benevolent groups with religious ties, and even local casinos. What you did not see on the list were groups who have been critical of religion and are unbelievers in God. The Freedom From Religion group got the 10 commandments removed from an Oklahoma school, but they could not be bothered with helping the victims of the storms. Neither could you find the ACLU, any agnostic or atheistic organization, nor anyone or anything associated with the Humanist Movement on the list of those who were helping the hurting. People who are members of these organizations are conspicuously absent whenever people need comforting, whether it is from natural or manmade tragedies. Like I said, you have to try really hard to avoid finding evidence of atheists helping out tornado victims. [Click headline for more…] Read more
Today, Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami, a Hindu monk and publisher of Hinduism Today, will give the opening prayer in the U.S. House at the request of Representative Ed Royce (R-CA). Hopefully, it’ll go more smoothly than the last time a Hindu gave the invocation. In 2007, when Rajan Zed did it, a Christian Right group protested in the House chambers: [Click headline for more…] Read more
Take South Carolina, a school named Liberty, and a Christian valedictorian… and mix them all together. What do you think’s gonna happen at graduation? Prayer, of course. And not just a brief thanks to God, but a full-out Lord’s Prayer: The backstory to this is well worth exploring… [Click headline for more…] Read more
If you’re a middle school student — or any student, really — you probably prefer reading a book that you chose instead of one your teacher chose for you. So, at Hadley Junior High School in Glen Ellyn, Illinois (not far from where I live), the English teachers include in their curriculum the opportunity for students to choose their own books to read, discuss, and analyze. This past December, one group of students chose to read The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, a book (and popular movie) about a teenager named Charlie who has to deal with issues that are pretty heavy (and all too relatable) for any adolescent. It covers sex, suicide, drugs, crushes, and so much more — which is a large part of why so many students are drawn to it: The district has a policy when it comes to books chosen by students, and the teachers let the parents know about it early in the school year. In essence, it says that parents have final say when it comes to their child’s independent reading: If parents feel a book is inappropriate, their child doesn’t have to read it. The teacher will then help the child find a different book. There’s no penalty for that, of course. Sounds simple enough. Because this particular book has some mature themes, the teacher told the students that they should get permission from their parents before tackling it, reinforcing the policy already in place. That’s when one of the student’s parents flipped out. [Click headline for more…] Read more
The juxtaposition here is incredible. Franklin Graham, the son of Billy Graham (and tarnisher of his legacy), wrote an article asking “Is Our Nation Intolerant of Christianity?” The very first line in the piece goes like this: Recently I was at a White House meeting with Vice President Joe Biden… Stop. Just stop. You’ve already disproven your thesis in the first sentence. If you get to have a meeting with the Vice President of the United States, I think it’s safe to say you’re doing just fine. When those meetings are closed off to you because it might be political suicide to be seen in public with a Christian leader, then we’ll talk, okay Franklin? Read more