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.
Well, that was quick. Last week, I mentioned that the Perth County Council (In Ontario, Canada) had removed saying the Lord’s Prayer from their agenda, replacing it with a “Moment of Reflection.” That upset Councillor Walter McKenzie who wanted the prayer reinstated. He said people were opposed to their removing it, so why try to fix something that wasn’t broken? That’s where all of you came in. You wrote to McKenzie and the other councillors. You called their offices. You… Read more
Reader Donna spotted this church sign outside United Pentecostal Church in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia: The person without faith has a greater handicap than the person without feet. Besides the fact that it’s just offensive to disabled people, how do you respond to something that idiotic? I didn’t know. So I asked Twitter. The responses were hilarious and insightful 🙂 How would you respond to the church’s message? Read more
You can argue that the PA Nonbelievers/American Atheists billboard that featured a Bible verse about slavery wasn’t offensive if you took a second to read the fine print and understand the (anti-slavery) meaning behind it: But it’s also true that the intended message wasn’t conveyed properly. Most locals just didn’t get it. And even some of you who knew precisely what the message was didn’t like it. If that’s the reaction, then the billboard creators are at fault. Billboards are… Read more
Take a look at the subject of the OC Weekly’s cover story: Bruce Gleason of the Backyard Skeptics! Bruce Gleason, a 57-year-old Villa Park resident, has become something of a legend in the community of godless Orange Countians who read his quotes in news reports, devour his writing on his website and watch his public-access, cable-TV show on atheism. But while his method may be satire, his message is as serious as sin, he says: defending the skeptic community in… Read more