Hemant Mehta's Blog, page 1738

Humanist Delivers Invocation in Washington House: “We Are All Sharing the Same Speck of Dust” in This Universe

Yesterday morning in the Washington State House of Representations, the opening invocation was delivered by Robert Ray, President of the Humanists of North Puget Sound:

I would like to open this invocation by asking everyone, look around you. Beside you, in front of you, and behind you, is a person that is, in so many ways, the same as you. We may have different backgrounds and beliefs. We may come from different ethnicities and religions. But when it comes down to it, we are all sharing the s...

Tennessee Attorney General Says Bill to Make the Holy Bible the Official State Book is Unconstitutional

Following the lead of Republicans in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama, Tennessee State Rep. Jerry Sexton (below) filed a bill earlier this year to make the Holy Bible the official state book:

HB 615 will be voted on today in the House, but yesterday, the state’s Attorney General Herbert Slatery said passing the bill would lead to a constitutional violation:

“The Bible is undeniably a sacred text of the Christian faith,” Slatery wrote in the opinion obtained by The Associated Press. “Legislat...

This Guy Secretly Videotaped His Jehovah’s Witness Apostasy Trial

A Jehovah’s Witness named Isaac recently criticized the Church’s teachings — an unforgivable sin — resulting in what’s known as an “Apostasy Trial.” (That’s not the official name of it, but same idea.) He basically had to go in front of a couple of Elders and explain himself. They would ultimately decide whether he gets to remain in the Church or be banished for good.

Isaac managed to secretly videotape the entire proceeding, giving us an inside glimpse into how the religion’s judicial process...

Friendly Atheist Podcast Episode 50: Dr. Susan Blackmore, Meme Researcher

Our latest podcast guest is Dr. Susan Blackmore, a writer, researcher, and speaker best known for her book The Meme Machine.

At the American Atheists 2015 convention in Memphis, Tennessee, Jessica spoke with Susan about the mystery of consciousness, Blackmore’s fascination with memes, and why she avoids most forms of social media.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on the podcast. If you have any suggestions for people we should chat with, please leave them in the comments, too.

You can subscribe t...

Should a Texas County Issue $350,000,000 in Bonds to Improve Roads? The Answer May Depend on God

In Montgomery County, Texas, residents and elected officials are debating a proposal to “issue $350 million in bonds to maintain and expand roads.” I’m sure there are good people on both sides of the issue, but volunteer prayer-leader Mary Hammer Menzel made it clear last week during a meeting of the Montgomery County Commissioners Court that God would totally vote in favor of the bonds.

Everyone else? They’re “tools of Satan”:

Menzel said she stood by the prayer.

“That’s their problem, not mine...

Why Are Stained-Glass Windows with Religious References Up in This Public University’s Library?

Southern Connecticut State University just did a bit of redecorating for the Hilton C. Buley Library on campus… and they installed some stained-glass windows with religious phrases and figures on them:

[The] three windows that have caught more than one person’s eye, not only for their color or brightness but because they all feature a Christian religious figure or phrase or both.

…

If a complaint on this particular decision… was brought to Americans United for Separation of Church and State they...

Rep. Louie Gohmert: “Christians Are the Only Group in America” That It’s Okay to “Abuse and Misuse”

I would never go so far as to say atheists are the most hated people in America. While we rank lowest in certain polls regarding our electability, keep in mind that there are only a handful of options in the first place. Expand that list and our stock goes up considerably.

But I think it’s safe to say Christians are nowhere near the top of the list when it comes to Most Persecuted Groups in the Country.

Tell that to Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX), who made that claim on a recent radio program:

[Pilgr...

Atheists Won’t Challenge New Jersey Judge’s Ruling in Favor of Keeping the Pledge of Allegiance in Schools

The American Humanist Association’s Appignani Humanist Legal Center announced last year that it had filed a lawsuit against the Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District in Monmouth County, New Jersey. If successful, the lawsuit would put an end to saying the Pledge of Allegiance in the state’s public schools.

Much like their (failed) lawsuit in Massachusetts, the plaintiffs were anonymous (presumably to avoid harassment from Christians) and the argument was all about discrimination. It wasn’t...

After Oklahoma Teacher Handed Out Bibles to Her Third-Graders, District Promises It Won’t Happen Again

A couple of weeks ago, in Duncan, Oklahoma, Woodrow Wilson Elementary School teacher Erica Mackey announced she had a surprise for her third-grade students:

The student reports that Mrs. Mackey announced that she had “the holy Bible” and asked if anyone would like one. Nearly all the students walked up to her desk and she handed them out. After seeing his classmates take Bibles from the teacher, the child felt peer-pressured and coerced to do the same.

Thankfully, that child told his mother, an...

Atheist Billboard in Knoxville (Tennessee) Removed After Just 5 Days After Complaint from Local Business Owner

Last week, I posted about how the Rationalists of East Tennessee put up a billboard in Knoxville, Tennessee:

As far as reactions went, they seemed overwhelmingly positive, even from local Christians. Which is exactly what you’d expect from a harmless message that reads “Don’t believe in God? You’re not alone!”

I guess I spoke too soon. Despite the month-long contract, the billboard was removed from its location earlier this morning, just five days after initially going up:

The reason? I’m told b...