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.
In periods following great tragedy, like we saw at Newtown, churches provide a lot of comfort, albeit with their wishful statements that the victims are in a better place or that this was all part of God’s plan. Atheists don’t have the luxury of false hope. But that makes it hard to cope with loss. It’s even harder when you’re trying to explain death to children without invoking the supernatural. The Washington Post’s Michelle Boorstein explores that very problem: Read more
Most religious beliefs aren’t matters of life and death. You might waste your time praying to a god. You might have to eat a tasteless communion wafer sometimes. Even accepting Creationism just prevents you from understanding the beauty of science. But that’s usually the worst of it. Jehovah’s Witnesses, on the other hand, hold a belief that makes no sense and has led to multiple deaths: They refuse to undergo blood transfusions even if it means saving their own lives, a belief that stems from irresponsible interpretations of the Bible. It’s especially disgusting when the children of JW parents are the ones who are suffering and their parents would rather see their kids die than have the life-saving procedure done. Read more