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Hemant Mehta

@friendlyatheist.com
17K followers 132 following 12K posts

Jeopardy! champ. Waiting for Survivor to call me back. Writer. YouTuber. Podcaster. Mpromptu@gmail.com. (Send me story tips!) linktr.ee/HemantMehta Articles at friendlyatheist.com

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Hemant Mehta @friendlyatheist.com · 7h
The LDS Church says it sued podcaster John Dehlin because people might mistake his "Mormon Stories Podcast" for an official Church product. Then its own attorney accidentally undermined that argument. www.friendlyatheist.com/p/the-mormon...
friendlyatheist.com
The Mormon Church’s own lawyer just undermined its case against John Dehlin
David Jordan’s defense of the Mormon Stories lawsuit clashes spectacularly with the Church’s earlier attack on Heather Gay’s “Bad Mormon” trademark
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RespectWomen25 @respectwomen25.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
See photo in article: "And in case there was any confusion about what this is really all about, the Air Force’s press release included a helpful image of a uniform with a Christian cross on it."
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Hemant Mehta @friendlyatheist.com · 29/09/2026
I had the honor of explaining to @aprilajoy.bsky.social how Sen. Eric Schmitt completely screwed up his questions to Jack Smith because he confused the (Atlanta) Hawks with the (Iowa) Hawkeyes. Her reactions were fantastic. youtu.be/2Vg75qfeqz8
youtu.be
Sen. Eric Schmitt’s Jack Smith "Gotcha" Moment Implodes Over Hawks vs. Hawkeyes Screw-up!
YouTube video by Friendly Atheist
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Hemant Mehta @friendlyatheist.com · 29/09/2026
The Air Force is ordering service members to update their religious affiliation using Pete Hegseth’s shortened, Christian-heavy list. If they refuse, their records will be "automatically realigned" by the military. www.friendlyatheist.com/p/pete-hegse...
friendlyatheist.com
Pete Hegseth gutted the military’s list of official religions. Now Air Force members must choose.
Service members must choose from a less inclusive list—or let the military choose for them
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Hemant Mehta @friendlyatheist.com · 29/09/2026
In case you're wondering what former American Atheists president David Silverman is up to, he's celebrating genocide.
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Hemant Mehta @friendlyatheist.com · 29/09/2026
Sounds like Hamilton should make another commercial about this.
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Hemant Mehta @friendlyatheist.com · 28/09/2026
The Christians who want “Thou shalt not kill” in every classroom have nothing to say about a Republican who called for murder.
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Hemant Mehta @friendlyatheist.com · 28/09/2026
A $20 ticket gets Christians in the door. Then Life Surge pitches $97 seminars. Those seminars pitch courses costing up to $40,000. Tim Tebow and other faith-friendly celebrities supply the trust. Many customers are left carrying the debt. www.friendlyatheist.com/p/the-christ...
friendlyatheist.com
The Christian grift behind Life Surge’s celebrity-packed wealth seminars
Tim Tebow and other celebrities spoke at events pitching “Kingdom impact,” but some customers say they were left with crushing debt
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Hemant Mehta @friendlyatheist.com · 26/09/2026
The Daily Mail implied Noah’s Ark has been "100% confirmed." The actual researchers don’t say that. The evidence doesn’t say that. Geologists don’t say that. But the Christian group behind the claim needs $600,000—so congratulations on that miracle. www.friendlyatheist.com/p/scientists...
friendlyatheist.com
Scientists have not “100% confirmed” the resting place of Noah’s Ark
The Daily Mail turned a Christian company’s dubious claims about Turkey’s Durupınar Formation into a wildly misleading story
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ffrf.org @ffrf.org · 24/09/2026
We’re shocked to learn that a Christian evangelist may actually just be a conman. This is such a rare occurrence that we hardly know what to make of it.
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ffrf.org @ffrf.org · 25/09/2026
The Salem Witch Trials are a pretty compelling example of why we shouldn’t let religious superstition override evidence and reason. So perhaps we can understand why a pastor might not want students learning about them.
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Melanie Nicole 🇨🇦 @melanienicole76.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Satanic he says. The torture and murder of innocent souls on a religious witch hunt is Satanic. Maybe he needs to go and learn his history. I would say unbelievable but these days it's totally believable. Sigh
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ndweiss @11tulips.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Christians demonize town where so-called witches were demonized? ”We're going to send our kids to a witch museum? To me, like, that is awful.” He later voted against the trip as a whole… he didn’t want kids going to “what I would consider a Satanic witch museum.”
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Ken Jennings @kenjennings.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
There's a new one on tonight. I'm not sure you have time to catch up on the previous 9,400 episodes, so it might be hard to follow.
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Seth Masket @smotus.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Interviewing the inventor of napalm about his hats
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Hemant Mehta @friendlyatheist.com · 25/09/2026
A Christian pastor on a New York public school board voted against approving a senior class trip to Boston that included a stop at the Salem Witch Museum. He called it "Satanic." Then he admitted: “I can’t really say that I know the history of it.” www.friendlyatheist.com/p/christian-...
friendlyatheist.com
Christian school board member melts down over class trip to “Satanic” Salem Witch Museum
Batavia City Schools board member Dan Schmidt admitted he didn’t know the museum’s history—but condemned it anyway
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Hemant Mehta @friendlyatheist.com · 24/09/2026
I'll be going live tonight to talk about the past week in church/state separation! Join me! We'll be talking about the Jehovah's Witnesses, the Mormon "retention" problem, and so much more... youtube.com/live/Qg1-85l...
youtube.com
Friendly Atheist News Roundup 9/24/2026
YouTube video by Friendly Atheist
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Hemant Mehta @friendlyatheist.com · 24/09/2026
Christian evangelist Joshua Feuerstein says he stays at the Ritz-Carlton because the "old white hairy men" in the hot tub might be CEOs. He also flies first class to be near CEOs. Now he wants others to pay $4,500 for the "power of proximity." www.friendlyatheist.com/p/christian-...
friendlyatheist.com
Christian evangelist defends $4,500 networking trip—and his “need” for luxury hotels
Joshua Feuerstein says wealthy businessmen understand why proximity costs money, even if he won’t publicly explain exactly what they’re buying
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Hemant Mehta @friendlyatheist.com · 23/09/2026
The LDS Church has a retention problem. In 2007, 70% of Americans raised Mormon remained Mormon as adults. Today, it’s just 54%. Meanwhile, the share who became religiously unaffiliated has doubled—from 14% to 28%. Well done, team. www.friendlyatheist.com/p/nearly-hal...
friendlyatheist.com
Nearly half of people raised Mormon have left the LDS Church
The Mormon retention rate has plunged from 70% to 54% as former members embrace dramatically different social and political views
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ffrf.org @ffrf.org · 22/09/2026
Calling something a “victory for people of faith” doesn’t make it one. The White House’s list lumps religious liberty together with abortion, DEI, LGBTQ+ policies, school choice and more. “People of faith” are not a political monolith, and neither are their interests.
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Hemant Mehta @friendlyatheist.com · 22/09/2026
Today's @slate.com crossword is mine, with nods to a brewing controversy, tricky clues, and answers you will proudly roll your eyes at. Do it! slate.com/life/2026/09...
slate.com
Slate Crossword: Artist Known for Political Commentary and for “Poppin’ Some Tags” (10 Letters)
Ready for some wordplay? Sharpen your skills with Slate’s puzzle for Sept. 22, 2026.
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Hemant Mehta @friendlyatheist.com · 22/09/2026
The White House claims Trump delivered 250 “victories for people of faith.” I read all 250. The list is packed with exaggerations, repeats, and unrelated policies. The "victories" generally benefit conservative Christians at everyone else’s expense. www.friendlyatheist.com/p/trumps-top...
friendlyatheist.com
Trump’s “Top 250 Victories for People of Faith” collapse under scrutiny
The White House padded its list with exaggerations, repeated claims, and policies benefiting conservative Christians at everyone else’s expense
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Hemant Mehta @friendlyatheist.com · 22/09/2026
In case you were wondering, yes, Richard Dawkins is still an anti-trans bigot.
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Ben Collins @bencollins.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Zohran post about filling one pothole: We filled our 2,000th pothole! Wow! New York is the greatest city in the world! Zohran post about meeting with the president: Some guy was here and that is now over.
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Hemant Mehta @friendlyatheist.com · 22/09/2026
I did it, ma. I made the people at Breitbart upset.
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Hemant Mehta @friendlyatheist.com · 21/09/2026
James Talarico’s pastor was "caught" on hidden camera saying atheists are welcome at his church. White evangelical pastors say that all the time and they're praised for outreach. www.friendlyatheist.com/p/james-tala...
friendlyatheist.com
James Talarico’s pastor welcomes atheists. Conservatives think that’s a scandal.
Overhyped “undercover” videos targeted Rev. Jim Rigby for views that many evangelical churches already embrace
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Hemant Mehta @friendlyatheist.com · 20/09/2026
The most inside of inside jokes.
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ffrf.org @ffrf.org · 19/09/2026
A man recovering his ability to walk is wonderful news. Turning that recovery into “proof” of God is another matter entirely. Telling amputees they might be healed if they’d just have enough faith to “step out of the wheelchair”? That isn’t hope. It’s cruel.
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Hemant Mehta @friendlyatheist.com · 19/09/2026
The Jehovah’s Witnesses just GUTTED their blood transfusion ban! Members may now accept red cells, white cells, platelets, and plasma—nearly everything modern hospitals typically transfuse. This will save lives. It also comes decades too late. www.friendlyatheist.com/p/jehovahs-w...
friendlyatheist.com
Jehovah’s Witnesses just gutted their deadly blood transfusion policy
Nearly every form of transfusion used in modern hospitals is now a matter of personal conscience
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Hemant Mehta @friendlyatheist.com · 18/09/2026
In a 16-second video that went viral, an Alabama church showed a paraplegic man jumping up and down. They credit God with his recovery. Doctors told me the "miracle" has a medically plausible explanation. No divine intervention needed. www.friendlyatheist.com/p/an-alabama...
friendlyatheist.com
An Alabama church says God made a paraplegic man walk again. There’s a better explanation.
Lighthouse Apostolic Pentecostal Church’s viral miracle claim has a medically plausible explanation
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Hemant Mehta @friendlyatheist.com · 17/09/2026
I'll be going live tonight to talk about the past week in church/state separation! Join me! We'll be talking about megachurch surveillance cameras, Bo French's comments about Longhorns fans, and so much more... youtube.com/live/vVGI77m...
youtube.com
Friendly Atheist News Roundup 9/17/2026
YouTube video by Friendly Atheist
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Michael Hobbes @michaelhobbes.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Read only the first and last sentence of this paragraph
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Hemant Mehta @friendlyatheist.com · 17/09/2026
Some Democrats go after their opponents for their ties to Trump. In Illinois, @govpritzker.illinois.gov is going after Republican Darren Bailey for being a Young Earth Creationist who doesn’t accept science. You love to see it.
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Hemant Mehta @friendlyatheist.com · 17/09/2026
This is a really great video from @carlosmaza.bsky.social on why deplatforming bad actors is a useful tool (and not an impediment to free speech). youtu.be/PFfAQNTo5Rc
youtu.be
Deplatforming Works, You Cowards
YouTube video by Carlos Maza
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Hemant Mehta @friendlyatheist.com · 17/09/2026
The same.
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Hemant Mehta @friendlyatheist.com · 17/09/2026
Lawrence Krauss is mocking a trans scholar because he doesn't understand one of her research papers.
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Hemant Mehta @friendlyatheist.com · 17/09/2026
Southern Baptist leader Albert Mohler envisioned a country where blasphemy would be a crime. After backlash, he said, “I think I blew it.” But he still wants a nation governed by his brand of Christianity. He can't have it both ways. www.friendlyatheist.com/p/albert-moh...
friendlyatheist.com
Albert Mohler’s blasphemy reversal exposes the cruel logic of Christian Nationalism
A government that officially privileges Christianity can’t offer genuine equality or religious freedom to everyone else
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Hemant Mehta @friendlyatheist.com · 16/09/2026
A Texas megachurch has installed over 400+ Flock-like cameras at its largest campus. They say it's for security. But the cameras reportedly extend into staff offices and spaces where women have changed clothes. Nothing creepy about that at all. www.friendlyatheist.com/p/a-texas-me...
friendlyatheist.com
A Texas megachurch’s 400 AI-powered surveillance cameras are deeply disturbing
Lakepointe Church and Pastor Josh Howerton have installed a system capable of monitoring staff, tracking license plates, and destroying any expectations of privacy
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Hemant Mehta @friendlyatheist.com · 15/09/2026
Why the hell does Ed Sheeran think this kind of pathetic statement will absolve him of criticism?
I am not complicit. I have my personal views on this devastating conflict. Just because I choose not to speak publicly, it doesn't mean I don't have them, and it doesn't mean I don't care. Nor does it mean I don't support causes in my own, personal way.
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Hemant Mehta @friendlyatheist.com · 15/09/2026
I can't believe this needs to be said, but when you're reporting on what Kash Patel, the head of the FBI, said during a government hearing today, the proper spelling is "bestiality."
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Hemant Mehta @friendlyatheist.com · 15/09/2026
Virginia middle schoolers wanted to form an LGBTQ club. The King George County school board kept creating new obstacles to block it. The students sued—and they just forced the board to back down. www.friendlyatheist.com/p/virginia-m...
friendlyatheist.com
Virginia middle school students win LGBTQ club fight as school board members play victim
King George County officials spent a year blocking a Genders and Sexualities Alliance. A lawsuit finally forced them to reverse course.
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Hemant Mehta @friendlyatheist.com · 14/09/2026
Pastor Daimon King went to prison twice for crimes involving minors. He must register as a sex offender for life. Naturally, NC Republicans handed him a mic to pray for "integrity and honesty" at an event for Senate candidate Michael Whatley. www.friendlyatheist.com/p/gop-candid...
friendlyatheist.com
GOP candidate Michael Whatley’s “integrity” prayer was led by a registered sex offender
Pastor Daimon L. King, twice imprisoned for offenses involving minors, opened a North Carolina GOP campaign rally
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victoria zeller🫛 (RISEBALL, summer ‘27) @dirtbagqueer.rocks · 14/09/2026
i know ross douthat might have the charisma of pocket lint and a really annoying voice, but thats not why he’s on TV. he’s on TV bc he’s so fucking sexy
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Dave Itzkoff @ditzkoff.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
This is the best thing yet that @bencollins.bsky.social and @timheidecker.bsky.social have done at the new Onion
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Hemant Mehta @friendlyatheist.com · 13/09/2026
This is neat: When @americanhumanist.bsky.social holds its (virtual) conference next weekend, comedian Jordan Klepper will receive its "Humanist of the Year" award. Tickets still available! www.conference.americanhumanist.org
conference.americanhumanist.org
AHACON26 | September 19 | Online
At a time when human dignity, reason, and compassion are being tested, humanists are rising to meet the moment.
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Hemant Mehta @friendlyatheist.com · 13/09/2026
Today's @slate.com crossword is mine! It's big! Lots of fun misdirects and references :) Do it! slate.com/life/2026/09...
slate.com
Slate Crossword: It’s Typically Loaded with Sharp Objects (13 Letters)
Ready for some wordplay? Sharpen your skills with Slate’s puzzle for Sept. 13, 2026.
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Kristin Du Mez @kkdumez.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Aspire to live in such a way that reporters write stories on why people don’t like you. 🙃 baptistnews.com/article/what...
baptistnews.com
What’s so upsetting to evangelicals about Kristin Du Mez?
Unfortunately, not everyone in evangelicalism receives Du Mez’s scholarship with such openness, says Rick Pidcock.
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Dr. Nick Posegay @nposegay.northsky.social · 12/09/2026
Apparently Prof. Jerry Coyne is pretty well-known but this list is the first I'd heard of him: bsky.app/profile/frie...
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Hemant Mehta @friendlyatheist.com · 12/09/2026
Please don’t make me research them more :) As far as I’ve seen, they do their usual “of course this is bad but… wokeness!”
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