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.
There’s this article at Salon about how magic shops are going by the wayside because, nowadays, it’s so easy to learn how magic tricks are performed. Magicians aren’t the sole possessors of knowledge anymore: Today, any 10-year-old kid can type “magic tricks” into Google and gain access either via YouTube or other websites to the biggest trade secrets in a matter of minutes. He can watch a video or buy an expensive apparatus without leaving his house, seeing a live… Read more
Because a judge ruled that the Cranston High School West prayer banner was a Constitutional violation, it is currently covered up, waiting to be removed: On Thursday night, there is a committee meeting at Cranston High School East during which it will be decided whether or not the district will appeal the judge’s ruling. If the committee members were smart, they would just accept the ruling and take the banner down. But this committee isn’t known for being very rational…… Read more
***Update***: I’ve updated this post with some arguments as to why the “discrimination route” might have a chance. … When Michael Newdow sued to remove “Under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance a decade ago, he argued that it violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. It was a promotion of religion in the classroom. The case eventually went to the Supreme Court, where the justices dismissed the case, saying Newdow didn’t have standing to bring the case. Now,… Read more
If you haven’t seen it yet, Washington Governor Christine Gregoire signed the bill for marriage equality earlier today and her pre-signing speech is just beautiful to listen to: The only disappointing part is where she explains in a positive way how religious groups will be exempt from having to solemnize or affirm gay unions. If that’s what it takes to get the bill through, fine, but when Christians are rewriting history decades (years?) from now, never forget that marriage equality… Read more