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.
The Secular Coalition for America has a Washington DC-based office headed by Edwina Rogers. The Center for Inquiry also has a DC-based Office of Public Policy headed by Michael De Dora. And the American Humanist Association is based in DC and does public policy work, too. And now, American Atheists is looking for someone to assist with the implementation of its public policy goals: [Click headline for more…] Read more
This morning on NBC’s Today, weatherman Al Roker visited Silver Spring, Maryland’s Forest Knolls Elementary School as part of his “Wake Up With Al” tour. It starts off all well and good and cute. Roker even helps with the morning announcements. Then, at the 1:37 mark, they all say the Pledge of Allegiance together — even the Today show anchors join in via satellite: That by itself wouldn’t bother me. Most schools say the Pledge and that’s really not the point of the segment. But then they discussed what just happened and things got weird: [Click headline for more…] Read more
Reader Lauren found this recipe in a Presbyterian Church Cookbook owned by her mother-in-law: Anyone else get a little freaked out by the Leviticus reference on the list…? Feel free to look up the ingredients yourself, but you’ll be happy to know no homosexuals were harmed in the making of this cake. [Click headline for more…] Read more
Congress’ Joint Committee on Taxation just released a report on recommendations to revise the U.S. tax code (which hasn’t been comprehensively revised in over 25 years). Wait! Don’t fall asleep yet! In one section, the committee highlighted comments and suggestions they received in regards to charitable and tax-exempt organizations, and it appears they took the advice (PDF) of the Secular Coalition for America. It’s not quite “Tax the Church” but the message is “Don’t give churches any special privileges.” [Click headline for more…] Read more