Hemant Mehta's Blog, page 1700

Yes, Emily, Caitlyn Jenner is a Hero

A Christian blogger named Emily is very unhappy with Caitlyn Jenner. She can barely bring herself to use Jenner’s name; when she does, it’s in quotation marks. And she wants you to know that “Bruce Jenner is not a hero.”

Since it’s just a perfect example of someone who thinks being Christian is grounds to stop being a decent human being, and because this post has generated an insane number of views and discussions, it’s worth explaining why she gets it so horribly wrong.

Bruce Jenner is not a h...

Novelist: I Was “Misinformed and (Quite Frankly) Wrong” When I Opposed Charlie Hebdo‘s Courage Award

Back in April, the PEN American Center planned to give its Freedom of Expression Courage Award to the staff (or what remains of it) of Charlie Hebdo.

Several writers balked at the honor. They were offended that Charlie Hebdo, which they deemed an offensive publication, was being rewarded for its “anti-Islamic” material.

Ultimately, more than 200 writers signed a letter of protest against the award (which was still given to the magazine’s staff).

I’m happy to say that one of those writers, Jennif...

What Did We Learn from Last Night’s Interview with the Duggars?

What were the takeaways from Megyn Kelly‘s interview last night with Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar?

The Duggars think people are after them in part because they’re Christians.They think the bigger story here is how their private police records were exposed to the public, and how the public was never supposed to see them… not how one of their kids touched several of his sisters on their breasts and vaginas.They think their daughters have been “victimized more” by the press than anything Josh Dugg...

Child in Spain Diagnosed with Diphtheria Because His Parents Didn’t Vaccinate Him

It’s bad enough when people don’t get vaccinated because they believe in pseudoscience. But when the vaccines are free and you’re putting your children at risk, it’s completely irresponsible:

See? It’s not that hard.

A six-year-old child who lives in the Catalan city of Olot (Girona) has been admitted to hospital with the first recorded case of diphtheria in Spain since 1986.

Catalan health authorities have confirmed that the little boy had not been immunized against the infectious disease, desp...

Watch Matt Dillahunty Respond to the Idea That Atheists Treat Science as a Religion

In the latest video for his Atheist Debates project, Matt Dillahunty responds to the silly notion that atheists are religious… about science.

I haven’t had a chance to watch the whole thing yet, but if any moments stand out, please leave the timestamp/summary in the comments!

Seth MacFarlane Mocks His “Genius” Award By Pointing Out How It Comes from the Network Airing Duck Dynasty

Over the weekend, Family Guy creator Seth McFarlane received a “Genius” honor at the Critics’ Choice Television Awards.

If that sounds a bit overblown to you… well, he felt that way, too.

But during his acceptance speech, he used the opportunity to both mock the award and the network that was airing it.

Let’s also not forget, I’m being called a genius on the network that airs Duck Dynasty.

This is a show whose cast members believe hurricanes are caused by gay marriage. I wish I were joking.

The wh...

Puerto Rico House Passes Legislation Establishing the National Day of Prayer

The Puerto Rico House of Representatives passed legislation this week establishing the National Day of Prayer on the first Thursday in May.

Because they believe in pandering to the voters as much as politicians in the U.S.

Rep. Víctor L. Vassallo Anadón, sponsor of this legislation

“Over the years, Puerto Ricans have always been distinguished by their faith. This even is part of our history as a people. Today, in every corner of our country, people of all faiths come to God through prayer and me...

Jesus Appears in Church Painting Rust Stain… Just as God Intended

A church in Newport, Rhode Island thinks it’s been inhabited by magic.

St. John the Evangelist Church has a 12th Station of the Cross painting, which for years now has had a stain underneath it. A stain no one can remove.

So of course it’s the blood of Jesus:

On Sunday, the Rev. Nathan J.A. Humphrey’s sermon addressed the “mysterious red mark,” suggesting that, whether of earthly or divine origins, it was evidence of Jesus’ presence in the church.

…

Theoretically, the tin of the painting could acc...

Emails Document Teaching of Creationism in Louisiana Public School Science Classes

Zack Kopplin continues his series of articles documenting the problem of Creationism creeping into Louisiana schools with his latest piece in Slate.

This time, he got copies of emails proving that the Book of Genesis literally made its way into a high school science class.

What I imagine Zack looks like 23 hours of the day

Like this one from Airline High School science teacher Shawna Creamer to Principal Jason Rowland:

You wanted me to let you know when I was planning the Creation point of view....

Rick Santorum, Criticizing Pope Francis, Seriously Said We’re “Better Off Leaving Science to the Scientists”

Rick Santorum has a message for Pope Francis: Pipe down about climate change and get back to theology and morality. It’s an interesting position for a committed Catholic to take, not least of all since Pope Francis’ take on climate change is that addressing it is a moral imperative.

But it’s not just that the former Senator seems to think he knows better than the Pope about how to be pope that makes this story interesting. It’s that he, a politician who has no problem denying the scientific co...