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BY HEMANT MEHTA MARCH 30, 2021 Earlier this month, a church called The Pursuit NW in Snohomish, Washington got a letter from the state’s attorney general warning them against gathering in person in violation of the state’s COVID restrictions. As we know all too well by now, such a sensible request is considered Christian Persecution by religious […]
BY HEMANT MEHTA MARCH 31, 2021 Dozens of students representing 25 different Christian colleges and universities have filed a lawsuit against the Department of Education for giving federal funding to faith-based schools that discriminate against LGBTQ people. It’s an attempt to force the Biden administration to stop giving money to these bigoted Christian institutions. “The Plaintiffs seek safety and […]
BY HEMANT MEHTA MARCH 15, 2021 When John* was only eight years old and in second grade, a staffer at Bishop Kelley Catholic School in Michigan “drugged and raped [him] in the teacher’s lounge.” Specifically, Aloysius “Father Al” Volskis gave the boy two blue pills which he thought were going to help his cold symptoms. Instead, in a […]
BY HEMANT MEHTA FEBRUARY 1, 2021 Steven Brandenburg is the notorious pharmacist from Wisconsin who was charged with ruining hundreds of COVID vaccines because he believed they were a giant hoax. But as is so often the case, it turns out he doesn’t just cling to a single conspiracy theory. He’s absolutely full of them. They involve the […]
BY HEMANT MEHTA JANUARY 20, 2021 American Atheists and Americans United for Separation of Church and State are giving the Trump administration a going away present: They’re suing the Department of Education and Secretary Betsy DeVos in response to a policy that forces colleges to “financially support religious student groups that discriminate.” They’re referring to a rule published last […]
BY HEMANT MEHTA JANUARY 10, 2021 You may have heard that Derrick Evans, a newly elected Republican delegate from West Virginia, has resigned after getting arrested and charged with federal crimes for his role in the Capitol siege. The moron incriminated himself when he was seen shouting “Move! Move!” as well as “We’re in, we’re in! Derrick Evans […]
BY HEMANT MEHTA OCTOBER 17, 2020 Why is this the painting the people at the Shreveport Police Department in Louisiana decided to hang up in the same hallway where members of the public “wait to be interviewed by police officers”? It’s not just a religious image; the story of Jesus, at least in theory, is about a […]
OCTOBER 2, 2020 BY FREEDOM FROM RELIGION FOUNDATION Yes, we’ve been recently busy with Amy Coney Barrett here at the Freedom From Religion Foundation, but, no, we haven’t let her monopolize our attention. We correctly guessed that Barrett would be President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee and our Strategic Response Team had an incisive dissection of her […]
BY HEMANT MEHTA OCTOBER 9, 2020 Someone wasn’t social distancing… Last Wednesday night, an eyewitness was walking by Saints Peter & Paul Church in Pearl River, Louisiana when the person spotted an unusual sight inside the building: a partially naked priest, two women “in corsets and high-heeled boots,” fancy lighting, sex toys, and a phone […]
BY HEMANT MEHTA OCTOBER 1, 2020 There are plenty of books that explain evolution, debunk Creationism, and get into the weeds of public policy regarding how we teach science. But historian Adam Laats believes we will only be able to get past the controversy if we have a better understanding of how it developed and how we’ve […]
BY HEMANT MEHTA OCTOBER 1, 2020 This is what happens when you nominate someone without extensively vetting her first. I’ve been fairly adamant in saying that Amy Coney Barrett shouldn’t be questioned about her Catholic faith, except for when it could interfere with her Supreme Court decision-making. Even though the whole nomination charade right now is utterly […]
BY HEMANT MEHTA OCTOBER 1, 2020 Last month, The Satanic Temple announced a new campaign meant to fight back against abortion restrictions throughout the country — especially as the ground collapses under the precedent of Roe v. Wade. The Satanists said that all first trimester abortions must be “exempt from state regulations that hinder access” to the procedure […]
BY BETH STONEBURNER SEPTEMBER 24, 2020 Attorney General William Barr spoke at the (virtual) National Catholic Prayer Breakfast yesterday and was awarded the “Christifideles Laici Award” for — and I’m not making this up — his Christ-like behavior. He used his acceptance speech, naturally, to further trash the concept of church/state separation. That crucial link between religion […]
BY HEMANT MEHTA SEPTEMBER 23, 2020 With Donald Trump expected to name his Supreme Court nominee on Saturday, and with all eyes on Judge Amy Coney Barrett, conservatives have already latched on to a talking point about how any questions regarding Barrett’s faith and how it might influence her legal thinking are inherently anti-Catholic. More than anything, they’re pointing […]
BY HEMANT MEHTA SEPTEMBER 23, 2020 Jesus was arrested. Or at least a guy who looks like Jesus. A guy who at least claims to be God’s voice in this world. Also, he lives in Siberia. Oh, and he used to be a traffic cop before he formed his cult which currently has several thousand […]
BY HEMANT MEHTA SEPTEMBER 15, 2020 Back in November, the ACLU and its Tennessee chapter sued the Smith County School System in Nashville over its longstanding illegal promotion of Christianity. That case has finally been resolved with some welcome news from a judge. Here’s the backstory: According to Kelly Butler (an Army veteran) and his two kids, and Sharona and […]
BY HEMANT MEHTA SEPTEMBER 12, 2020 In our latest podcast, Jessica and I discussed the past week in politics and atheism. We talked about: — Christian hate-pastor Steven Anderson no longer has his YouTube channels. I may have had something to do with that… (0:48) — Pastor John MacArthur‘s church has been shut down by a judge for violating COVID rules. (13:16) — A Hobby Lobby store urged […]
BY HEMANT MEHTA SEPTEMBER 15, 2020 For weeks now, North Valley Baptist Church in Santa Clara, California has been defying local COVID restrictions by holding massive indoor services that break the law by not requiring face masks, not taking social distancing seriously, and including singing (which spreads the virus). That’s why county officials posted a multi-page notice on the […]
BY HEMANT MEHTA SEPTEMBER 16, 2020 Ohio’s Gov. Mike DeWine has just signed into law House Bill 272, a bill that prohibits local government officials from shutting down places of worship… even in cases of a pandemic. The bill was passed with the support of nearly every Republican in the State Senate and every Republican in the State House. The relevant portion […]
BY HEMANT MEHTA SEPTEMBER 18, 2020 The loss of Ruth Bader Ginsburg tonight is a stunning blow to progressives across the country and it throws yet another wrench into the upcoming election. You can bet Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will nominate a replacement ASAP (the obvious hypocrisy be damned) and Donald Trump will do everything he can to rush through the youngest […]