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.
It was bad enough last year when the Ellwood City Municipal Building allowed a nativity scene out front without any other holiday displays to buffer it. It was an outright endorsement of Christianity. After complaints last year from groups like the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Mayor Anthony Court opened the door to displays from non-Christian groups as well. He even invited FFRF to submit their own display. The property currently hosts a crèche, a Santa scene, a snowman, Kwanzaa posters,… Read more
Steven Jackson, a sophomore at the University of Buffalo is gay. He’s also the treasurer for his college’s Intervarsity Christian Fellowship group. When staffers and board members found out Jackson was gay, they told him he needed to step down from his leadership position. Not because he’s gay. No. Of course not. Christians *love* gay people. The problem was that Jackson didn’t accept the anti-gay Bible passages as Absolute Truth. IVCF Vice President Leslie Varughese said the club’s executive board… Read more
In case you missed it last year, Brazos Valley (Texas) has an atheist marching band and they play vuvuzelas! Last year, the big story was how one woman was upset about the group because she had to explain to her children that atheists exist (oh no!): … I have older children… and they were curious and they asked questions and it was hard for them to believe and understand that there are actually people out there that don’t believe in… Read more
This is a guest post by Rod Chlebek. Rod is the web director for Michiana Skeptics based in South Bend, IN and a cost analyst by day. … Once a year, the Notre Dame Center for Ethics and Culture hosts its annual fall conference, this year entitled “Radical Emancipation: Confronting the Challenge of Secularism.” There was certainly a lot to choose from here; many lectures ran simultaneously. One in particular that caught my eye talked about “New Atheism.” Sounded perfect…. Read more
***Update***: Edmund Scientifics has responded to this post here. They say they’re transitioning the products to a different part of their website, but 1) They’re still in Psychology as I type this and 2) They’re still being sold without a disclaimer (or anything similar) that it’s fake science. … If you were looking to pick up awesome science-based gifts for friends or family members, Edmund Scientifics seems like a great site to visit. They have all the gifts you would… Read more