Hemant Mehta's Blog, page 1713

Why Science and Religion Are Not Compatible

The video below, part of The Atheist Voice series, discusses why science and religion are not compatible.

A rough transcript of the video can be found on the YouTube page in the “About” section.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on the project — more videos will be posted soon — and we’d also appreciate your suggestions as to which questions we ought to tackle next!

And if you like what you’re seeing, please consider supporting this site on Patreon.

Scottish Reverend: Humanists Want School Libraries to Carry Godless Book to “Indoctrinate Young Children”

Last year, Scottish schools gave students an anti-bullying guide encouraging Christian prayer. It was a veiled way to push God into the classroom.

So the British Humanist Association announced this week that they would be countering that by delivering a copy of Alom Shaha‘s The Young Atheist’s Handbook: Lessons for Living a Good Life without God to every school:

Alom Shaha

… BHA Chief Executive Andrew Copson said, ‘We couldn’t be happier that young people in Scotland will now have access to this...

War Memorial with Jesus Fish Symbol Still Sits Outside the Boone County (Missouri) Courthouse

Last year, we learned that a war memorial outside the Boone County courthouse in Missouri had finally covered up the Jesus Fish symbol that had been there for 20 years:

That happened as a result of a letter that Americans United For Separation of Church and State sent county officials back in May of 2014. Officials feared a losing lawsuit and decided it wasn’t a battle worth fighting.

But then they began to change their minds.

A dozen people spoke against the decision to cover the religious symb...

Dry Cleaner Owes Damages to Customer, but Can’t Stop Writing “Buggerer” and “Sodomite” on His Checks

Some people just can’t let go of a grudge…

When Byron Batista dropped off four throw pillows at Rosali Cleaners, he was surprised to get one of them back all torn up. No big deal. He figured he would just talk to the owner. That didn’t go over so well:

The owner “blamed me and said I tore them apart all the while running around behind her counter, flipping me off and pretending to stick her finger in her backside.”

So he took her to court where he won a $75 for damages.

The owner then made out th...

Duck and Cover: The Atheists Are Coming

YouTuber MisterSharp appears to have discovered a public information video on atheists from the 1950s.

Totally accurate.

(via Sean McGuire)

HBO’s VICE Goes to Uganda to Witness U.S. Evangelical-Led Homophobia in Action

Friday night’s episode of VICE on HBO featured a disturbing segment on the anti-gay climate in Uganda and how it was in large part inspired by American evangelical Christians. (Remember: This is the country that once considered a bill that could apply the death penalty to homosexuals. I think Christians refer to that as “loving the sinners.”)

That clip is just insane, with the Ugandan telling reporter Isobel Yeung (while laughing, I might add) that he and his friends rape lesbians and kill gay...

On New Show, Comedian Jim Gaffigan Explores How People Might Treat Him if He Was Caught Holding a Bible

Comedian Jim Gaffigan posted a first look at his upcoming eponymous show on his website — it received 500,000 views in the first 48 hours — and it’s just fantastic.

In the episode, Gaffigan, a practicing Catholic who still pokes fun at religion in his act, has to bring home a Bible for his wife. When a picture of him holding that Bible goes viral, everyone begins treating him differently. Some people think he’s too embarrassed to be seen in public with it while others quickly assume he hates g...

Murder Trial Hinges on Whether Jehovah’s Witness Victim Could Have Survived with Blood Transfusion

In early 2013, David Quevedo became angry after his San Francisco 49ers lost to the Baltimore Ravens in the Super Bowl. He soon got in a fight involving Omar Silva, who lived in the area, and the altercation turned deadly hours later when Quevedo shot Silva multiple times.

Silva didn’t make it. His final words were “Jehovah, Jehovah, I’m dying, I’m dying.”

Now, the question of whether Quevedo will be convicted of first-degree murder — and face life in prison — hinges on whether Silva could have...

Christian Businessman Builds 14-Story Bulletproof Cross in Pakistan. This Can Only End Well…

I guess no one close to this guy had the heart to tell him, “What the hell are you thinking?!”

Christian businessman Parvez Henry Gill is building a 14-story Christian cross in Karachi, Pakistan.

But don’t worry. Everything will be fine. Because it’s bulletproof.

It is being built at the entrance to Karachi’s largest Christian cemetery, towering over thousands of tombstones that are often vandalized. Once his cross looms over such acts of disrespect, Gill said, he hopes it can convince the membe...

Actually, This Plan Would Probably Backfire on Churches…

You know, I get the joke Mike Luckovich of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is going for in this cartoon…

… but access to the Internet is one of the main reasons people are turning away from religion in the first place. It destroys the bubble of ignorance many churches used to create.

If anything, churches should install WiFi jammers everywhere they can if they don’t want people leaving the faith.

(Thanks to Robert for the link)