Hemant Mehta's Blog, page 1687

A Designer Ponders What Atheist Architecture Would Look Like

As someone whose knowledge of architecture boils down to “That building looks tall,” it’s fascinating to see the work of Kacper Chmielewski. He knows that if you visit a lot of cities, especially in Europe, the most beautiful buildings are often tied to a religious faith.

So what would atheist architecture look like? Is that even a thing?

Here are just a few of his designs and descriptions:

Golden Dome of Maturity illuminates only oldest of oak trees, creating a place of reflection and a moment...

Christian Pastor: If Gay Marriage is Legalized, We Should Be Ready to Burn to Death

Texas pastor Rick Scarborough (below) is one of those people who thinks marriage equality marks the beginning of the end for Christians everywhere.

While nothing will actually change for the worse if gay people can get married, try telling that to him. On a recent conference call for the National Emergency Coalition, Scarborough explained how Christians should prepare to face the death penalty:

We are not going to bow, we are not going to bend, and if necessary, we will burn.

…

The preachers need...

Despite Warning, Florida Sheriff Will Deliver Another Sermon in Uniform This Weekend

Polk County (Florida) Sheriff Grady Judd is the guy who has no idea what the boundary lines are between church and state. He’s given government presents to local churches and delivered sermons at a local church in uniform.

A few days ago, the Freedom From Religion Foundation sent Judd a formal letter of complaint warning him to stop his endorsement of religion while in his position as Sheriff.

So guess what he’s done now?

He signed up to deliver another sermon in uniform at Fellowship Church in...

London’s High Court Says Jehovah’s Witness Elders Failed to Protect Child from Sexual Abuse

When “C” was a little girl growing up in the UK, she was sexually abused multiple times by Jehovah’s Witnesses ministerial servant Peter Stewart. She wasn’t his only victim, either, and when the Watchtower Society found out, they simply stripped Stewart of his title without also revoking his access to children or turning him into the authorities.

So C’s abuse continued for another four years… until she hit the age of nine.

C speaks with the BBC

The abuse took place at a number of locations, incl...

Navy Officials Go to Court to Defend Their Rejection of Potential Humanist Chaplain

Jason Heap (below) wanted to become a chaplain in the U.S. Navy. He’s perfectly qualified for the position, too: He earned two master’s degrees (including one in divinity), passed his physicals, and completed the paperwork… but what he doesn’t have is the endorsement of a religious organization that’s currently approved by the Navy.

That’s because Heap’s endorsement comes from the Humanist Society.

Last June, the Navy rejected his application. They didn’t say why, only that a lot of people were...

Great Advice for Ex-Muslims During Ramadan

Imtiaz Shams and Aliyah Saleem offer some excellent tips for ex-Muslims who may still be around their families during Ramadan but have no desire to participate in the religious tradition:

I never would’ve guessed some of these things. (Bonus points for Hack #2 and the Bonus Hack right after that!)

It’s Like the Atheist Version of Ocean’s Eleven…

It’s Yahweh’s birthday and he’s invited all the other Gods, past and present, to join Him in celebration!

But what he doesn’t realize is that a band of atheists led by Richard Dawkins is out to destroy them all…

The animators get bonus points for this quick cutaway:

(via Um Sábado Qualquer)

A New Comedy Show Tackles a Problem with School Prayer

Comedian Jerrod Carmichael has a new show coming out this fall on NBC and the first trailer tells us three things:

1) Whoever makes the trailers doesn’t even know how to spell the title character’s last name.

2) Based on this clip, I’m giving the show a half-season before it’s canceled. (What’s known in the comedy business as a Full Mulaney.)

3) Prayer in school is fodder for humor. The joke in the trailer isn’t bad, and if the religious mother serves as a comedy source, there’s plenty of materi...

A Couple of Quick Thoughts on Rachel Dolezal and Her Christian Upbringing

I’ve been trying to digest this whole Rachel Dolezal story over the past few days. As you probably know by now, the Spokane NAACP leader resigned after it was revealed she was a white woman passing herself off as black. Obviously, the deception is a problem even if her intentions were good. (I also wonder if she would’ve been even more effective in accomplishing her goals if she fought for the same civil rights as a white ally.)

But because this is an issue I’m not particularly well-versed in,...

Potential GOP Gubernatorial Candidate: Noah Never Retired, So You Shouldn’t Either

Greg Gianforte (below), the wealthy Christian whose family foundation has donated a lot of money to “Christian causes in education, poverty and evangelism” including the Glendive Dinosaur and Fossil Museum (a Creation museum in Montana), is considering running against Montana Gov. Steve Bullock in 2016.

Maybe he should run. It means we’ll get to hear his policy ideas on why we should never retire:

In a February talk at the Montana Bible College about how to find “godly purpose” in work, Gianfor...