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’s no surprise that our country doesn’t take science very seriously — just look at how NASA’s budget is getting cut. There’s another (potential) budget casualty that’s not getting nearly the same press, but it’s just as frustrating. Congress may halt progress on the James Webb Space Telescope: The House Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies voted July 7 to cut funding for the telescope, the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. If funding is eliminated, about 500… Read more
David Margolick has just released a short book (a Kindle Single) called A Predator Priest, a candid look at the Catholic Church sexual abuse scandals through the story of one priest and the family he destroyed. Is anyone surprised to hear that it’s a true story…? … Margolick [tells] the tale of Father Bernard Bissonnette, a remorseless priest whose victims included one Tommy Deary. Deary’s eventual suicide provoked his family to pursue Bissonnette through a wake of victims that crossed… Read more
If anyone else did it, there might be more of an uproar, but when a reverend does it, you might think twice. Rev. Geraint ap Iorwerth of Wales, at a celebration of the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, revealed artwork in which he had cut out the “nasty parts” of the Bible and put them on a giant Wall of Shame: “I find it highly offensive that people would think I have given my life to serving that… Read more
After recent storms devastated the city of Vinton, Iowa, guess where the volunteers for the cleanup effort are coming from? A [University of Northern Iowa] student group, the UNI Freethinkers and Inquirers (UNIFI), will be traveling to volunteer in the city cleanup on Saturday, July 23, 2011. The students will be meeting up with local secular groups and coordinating their efforts with the Vinton authorities. “Everyone needs a helping hand sometimes, and we’re glad to be able to offer it… Read more
I’m vegetarian. And I love Taco Bell. And this is a conversation I’ve honestly had at the drive-thru: Me: I’d like a BEAN burrito. Taco Bell Guy: Anything else? Me: A Mexican Pizza… but with BEANS instead of beef. Taco Bell Guy: Anything else? Me: An order of cinnamon twists. Taco Bell Guy: You want beans on that, too? Me: I hate you so much… Occasionally, they screw up my order. It’s rare, but it happens. I don’t realize it… Read more
