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.
Recently, Boy Scout den mother Jennifer Tyrrell was told she could not be her group’s leader anymore because she was a lesbian. If only more people involved with the Boy Scouts of America would do what David Sims, a local BSA board member, did in response on Friday: Resign because of the BSA’s discriminatory ways. Yesterday, after receiving the email from Paul Tucker, I first learned the story of Jennifer Tyrrell, the den leader for Pack 109’s Tiger Scouts in… Read more
It’s bad enough when you’re a Christian preacher who makes crazy statements on a college campus. It’s even worse when you make your kid do your dirty work for you, like one preacher did at The Ohio State University yesteday: Remind me again how this isn’t a form of child abuse? (Thanks to @ANDREW_R_W00D for the link!) Read more
Sam Harris has responded to some of the criticisms directed his way for his piece on profiling Muslims in the airport: 1. When I speak of profiling “Muslims, or anyone who looks like he or she could conceivably be Muslim,” I am not narrowly focused on people with dark skin. In fact, I included myself in the description of the type of person I think should be profiled (twice). To say that ethnicity, gender, age, nationality, dress, traveling companions, behavior… Read more
Remember how the Equippers church in New Zealand put up a billboard saying “Jesus Heals Cancer”? The billboard included tally marks indicating how many people had been “cured” by Jesus… After complaints, they replaced it with a sign reading, “Jesus heals every sickness and every disease — Matthew 4:23” — which was another lie… Now, the Advertising Standards Authority in the country has ruled that the church “breached advertising standards” (DOC) — basically, it’s a case of false advertising: …… Read more
Thanks, Rep. Pete Stark, for supporting the National Day of Reason in the House of Representatives! Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Thursday, May 3, 2012 as the 2012 National Day of Reason. The National Day of Reason celebrates the application of reason and the positive impact it has had on humanity. It is also an opportunity to reaffirm the Constitutional separation of religion and government. On March 24th, I was proud to address the tens of thousands of… Read more