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.
Bad title. Whatever. Two weeks ago, the Freedom From Religion Foundation sued (PDF) over Texas Governor Rick Perry’s upcoming Prayer Rally, calling it a violation of church/state separation. They wanted to know why a governor was using his title to promote a Christian rally. Today, a judge ruled against the good guys. U.S. District Judge Gray H. Miller ruled that the Wisconsin-based Freedom from Religion Foundation did not have standing to sue. The plaintiffs argued that the day of prayer… Read more
South Bend, Indiana is home to the University of Notre Dame — so you can imagine how the city loves its Catholic population. But now they’re crossing the line. The backstory: St. Joseph’s High School is a private, Catholic school. They want to build a new football field and athletic track. So they’re asking donors to contribute, right? Of course not. They want the South Bend Common Council to pay for it with taxpayer money. Instead of saying “No” –… Read more
Americans Atheists named Army Sergeant Justin Griffith their new Military Director, taking over the now-retired First Sergeant Kathleen Johnson (who is now AA’s vice-president). It’s a smart choice — very few people have done more to get the lack of Humanist chaplains and the discrimination of military atheists in the media than Griffith has. Of course, we also know him as the person responsible for the Rock Beyond Belief concert which was halted by military officials earlier this year. You… Read more
I knew about the interracial-dating ban that Bob Jones University used to have — they ended it in 2000 — but I’d never seen the actual rule in the handbook until yesterday: Darrell at Stuff Fundies Like points out the significance of the picture: Sometimes it takes actually seeing things written down to make them “real” to those of us who weren’t actually at the school when this policy was in effect. I know that’s the case for me. I… Read more
