Hemant Mehta's Blog, page 1769

Catholic Bishop Says Being Gay is Like Having Down Syndrome: It’s Not What God Intended

Here’s some unsolicited advice: If you don’t understand a topic, stop pretending to be an expert in it. So if you’re an unmarried virgin, your advice on sex and marriage ought to be taken with a huuuuuge grain of salt.

Irish Catholic Bishop Kevin Doran (below) didn’t take any of that advice. During an interview with the NewsTalk Breakfast radio show, his ignorance on a variety of subjects came through loud and clear.

Like when he said gay couples with kids weren’t really parents:

“This legislati...

Muslim Lawyer in India Files Suit to Allow Marriage to Underage Girls

Oh noes! The religious freedom to marry children is under attack in India!

On Thursday, Justice C T Selvam had disallowed marriage of a 15-year-old Muslim girl, saying, “This court cannot, and would not, pass an order by virtue of which little girls become child brides.”

Stung by the court’s ongoing meddling in theaffairs of Muslims,

On Friday, Madurai-based advocate M Mohamed Abbas filed a PIL [public interest litigation,intendedfor the protection of the public interest]faulting government offi...

Egyptian Apostate, Accused of Blasphemy, Wants to Flee Abroad: “Life Is Not Possible For Atheists Here”

Today, Karim al-Banna will learn ifan appeals court has decided toaffirm his three-year jail term for “insulting” Islam. If he doesn’t have to stay behind bars, Al-Banna, a former Muslim Brotherhood memberwho became an atheist,would like to leave the country. Egypt, he says, is a horribly inhospitable place for a non-believer.

“All I want now is to leave Egypt. Life is not possible for atheists here,” the 23-year-old engineering student told AFP from his home in the Mediterranean city of Alexa...

Reproduction Rights and Wrongs

A Vocal Atheist May Soon Be Appointed to the Los Angeles Superior Court

It’s no surprise that Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore is a Christian. He doesn’t just talk about it; he seems to put the Bible above the Constitution. So do a lot of activist judges these days.

That’s why I’m excited that Eddie Tabash (below), an atheist attorney, may soon be appointed to the Los Angeles Superior Court. Even though Tabash has debated a number of Christian apologists over the years, been a very vocal advocate for church/state separation, and chairs the Board of Di...

U.S. ISIS Fan Says He Planned to Kill Obama, and Pipe-Bomb “Buildings Full of Kafir”

Chris Cornell (not, not that one) was planning to get very busy.

An Ohio man claiming sympathy with Islamic State militants and charged with plotting to attack the U.S. Capitol said in a television interview that he would have shot President Barack Obama in the head.Christopher Cornell, 20, told Cincinnati’s FOX 19 WXIX TV that if he had not been arrested by FBI agents in January, he would have carried out an alleged plot to plant pipe bombs on the Capitol and at the Israeli Embassy.

In mid-Jan...

Saudi Arabian Government: The Media and International Groups Should Stop Interfering in the Raif Badawi Case

Saudi Arabia is not happy about various governments trying to free Raif Badawi (below), who may soon face the death penalty for the “crime” of “insulting Islam.” They don’t like the media criticism either.

In a statement issued today, translated into English here, the Saudi government said:

Saudi Arabia expresses its strong surprise and dismay of what is being said in some of the media on the issue of citizen/Raif Mohammed Badawi and the verdict against him. And while the Kingdom regrets these...

In New Netflix House of Cards Episode, Frank Underwood Spits On a Crucifix, and Real-Life Christians Are Appalled

Frank Underwood is a pretty loathsome man,but that’s par for the course when you’re a screen villain.

Underwood is the always-scheming, almost comically insincere Democratic congressman from South Carolinawho is the main character inthe Netflix series House of Cards. Heis played with admirableskill and gusto byKevin Spacey. I’m only about 10 episodes into season one, but today I skipped ahead to the just-postedthird season. That’s becausethe ending ofonenew chapterin particular — number 30, or...

This Student Filmed a Neat Documentary About Growing Up as an Atheist in Texas

When Candace Brand was younger, she moved from Maryland (which was fairly secular) to Texas (which is Texas), and that’s quite a culture shock when you’re an atheist.

She created a short biographical documentary for a class project about what her experience was like:

I just love this line:

I learned quickly saying the word “atheist” in the Bible Belt was like saying “Voldemort” in the Harry Potter books.

Everyone just gasps and freaks out. I’m sure a lot of us can empathize with that.

After Reminding Students They Don’t Have to Stand for the Pledge, These Young Women Are Getting a Lot of Support

Earlier this week, I posted about three student body leaders at South Portland High School in Maine. They had caused some controversy because, while reading the morning announcements and leading the Pledge of Allegiance, they reminded their classmates that they didn’t have to participate:

Student Body President Lily SanGiovanni and fellow senior Gaby Ferrell discovered under Maine law it is optional if a student wants to recite the pledge. SanGiovanni began adding “if you’d like to” before she...