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.
Christian Alise Wright (who has written guest posts on the site before) explains how her husband’s atheism caused her to lose a few things… and why she’s better off because of it: My assumptions about what atheists think about Christians. Obviously I don’t know all of the atheists in the world, but my interactions with the bulk of the atheists that I’ve met online and those I’ve met in person through Jason have pretty much shattered how I assumed that… Read more
Zack Kopplin, the former high school student (now at Rice University), worked tirelessly to repeal the wrongly-named “Louisiana Science Education Act” — a bill which actually “encourages the state’s science teachers to miseducate their students about the scientific standing of evolution and climate change.” Even though his work didn’t lead to a repeal, he’s now at least getting recognized for his efforts. He’s one of four recipients of the Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Award: … the award was established… Read more
Religious people often say to atheists that they’ll “come to god” when tragedy strikes. In jail? Break out the Bible. Alcohol addiction? Submit to god. Dying? That’s why Jesus invented death-bed conversions. Jen Keane lost her father to cancer about a month ago. But, in spite of what her family is going through, she hasn’t lost her ability to think rationally: In the weeks since, I have thought often about my own beliefs. As I’m not religious, and have no… Read more
We keep saying church ought to taxed and the New Hampshire Supreme Court has found a novel way to do it… kind of. Here’s the backstory: When the Liberty Assembly of God (now called Destiny Christian Church) opened, they were given the same religious tax exemption all churches get. In 2008, the New Hampshire Board of Tax and Land Appeals (BTLA) realized that most of this property wasn’t really part of the church — there was a school and dormitory… Read more
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Advertising Standards Authority in the UK, the ASA released a list of the most “complained-about ads of all time.” Not making it into the Top Ten list: The Ariane-Sherine-inspired ad that began the worldwide atheist billboard barrage: Taking the #4 spot on the list: The response ad put out by The Christian Party: Complainants objected that the strap line ‘There definitely is a God. So join the Christian Party and enjoy your life’… Read more