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.
The Atheist Alliance International 2012 North American Convention will take place in Kamloops, BC, Canada May 18th – 20th. The roster of speakers looks great, there’s a debate on god’s existence Friday night featuring Matt Dillahunty, and hotel rooms are still available (though probably not for very long). So get registered if you can make it! (Thanks to Loren for the link!) Read more
What happens when a local government allows groups to put up holiday displays on public property? They can’t legally favor one group over another, so they have to be fair about doling out spaces. In Santa Monica, California, 21 display places were up for grabs and a lottery determined who’d get the spaces. Atheists won 18 of the spots. (Though they’re only using three of them.) Christians won 2. Jews won 1. Guess who’s complaining? The Nativity story that once… Read more
Last month, the board of directors of the Foundation Beyond Belief (including me) met in Chicago to discuss the future of the organization, both immediate and long-term. One of the major issues we talked about was the number of charities we supported each quarter (10, including FBB) and how much money we were donating to them: We’ve heard that it’s often hard for members to get familiar with our slate of ten charities each quarter before a new quarter is… Read more
You know that whole “Don’t Be a Dick” thing? This is the sort of thing it’s referring to: Alright, let’s get some things out of the way. Is American Atheists president Dave Silverman talking about Islam (and not all Muslims)? Yes. Good. That’s where the focus ought to be. Is it an accurate statement? Where he states facts, yes. Muhammad was indeed married to a nine-year-old girl. Am I suggesting that Dave should keep his mouth (and typing fingers) shut?… Read more