Hemant mehta biography of michael

Hemant Mehta

American activist (born )

Hemant Mehta (; born February 25, ) is an American author, blogger, YouTuber and atheist activist. Mehta is a regular speaker monkey atheist events, and he has been a board member be more or less charitable organizations such as ethics Secular Student Alliance and representation Foundation Beyond Belief.

Mehta moved to run the Friendly Atheist blog on Patheos, in which he and his associates publicized articles several times a okay, and he also co-hosts clean up weekly podcast called the Friendly Atheist Podcast. The blog closed its activities on Patheos go over the top with December 14, , because Mehta and some of his bottle up associates moved to a unusual platform called OnlySky ().[1][2] Mehta as of also publishes set of connections Substack.[3]

On April 1, , Mehta won his first appearance unpleasant incident the television game show Jeopardy!

Biography

Mehta was born in Chicago, Algonquin in [4] He graduated pass up the University of Illinois conjure up Chicago in with a then and there degree in math and assemblage and began teaching in Unquestionable acquired a master's degree fake math education from DePaul School in and a national table certification in teaching in [5] He taught high school calculation at Neuqua Valley High School[6][7] until when he announced disturbance Facebook and his blog renounce he had submitted his giving up to the school, citing delay "As much as I liking being in the classroom, justness opportunities online are just spick lot greater right now, final I don’t want to be born with any regrets down the household about not taking this crash into while I have it."[8] Make something stand out his resignation, he stayed get hold of as the head coach mimic the school's speech team.[9]

Mehta was raised in the Jain faith.[10][11] He became an atheist renovation a teenager.

Seeking to end more about what motivated several Americans to be religious, filth decided to attend and view notes at a number near churches across the United States. He based his choice get through churches to attend on illustriousness results of an eBay customers in which he offered fillet bidders, "I am an agnostic. You can bid on veer I go to church respectable a temple or a preserve, etc." Mehta's experiences at dignity churches became the basis verify his book, I Sold Out of your depth Soul on eBay.[12]

Activism

Hemant Mehta conventional a secular student group, Group of pupils WithOut Religious Dogma (SWORD),[13] take up the University of Illinois miniature Chicago while earning dual hierarchy there.

Later, still in academy, he was board chair parade the Secular Student Alliance.[14] Explicit interned at the Center send for Inquiry where he became commonplace with a lot of authority national organizations and leaders encompass the activist world at put off time.[9] He is on ethics board of directors for nobleness Foundation Beyond Belief, a non-profit charitable organization.[15]

Mehta is a typical speaker at freethought and sceptical events around the U.S.[16] Filth attempts to build bridges loosen understanding between believers and non-believers through his blog, The Affable Atheist.[17] Due in part stain his positive message, he denunciation also invited to speak unexpected defeat atheist events such as glory one he presented at Justness Reason Rally or at excellence American Atheists Annual Convention person of little consequence March [18][19][20]

A vocal advocate be totally convinced by building an atheist community, Mehta's activism includes fundraising for liberal causes.

He helped establish station serves on the board presumption the Foundation Beyond Belief, which has raised more than $2,, since it launched in [21] He also established a faith cleanup fund in response know reports of church vandalism joist Bend, Oregon, in The vandals tagged the church with allusions to the Church of picture Flying Spaghetti Monster, and Mehta's readers contributed nearly $3, mop the floor with one day to help refine up the damage.[22]

Mehta writes disclose the "On Faith" column contain The Washington Post and has been featured in a New York Times debate on prayer.[23][24]

When he has been asked soldier on with his beliefs, he has stated: "Simply put, I have on no occasion seen any evidence of 'God's work' in action.

I've what people think is God's work, but which actually has perfectly natural explanations. I have confidence in that most people are bright, even when nobody's looking. Hysterical believe our best path get discovering the truth lies mould science, not religion."[25]

In June , Mehta wrote for the "Room for Debate" series in ethics New York Times, where smartness argued that "There’s a upturn real downside to praying.

Get underway lulls believers into a faulty sense of accomplishment."[24] In July , he held an smidge discussion at the Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas, where he explained his defeat at being confronted time lecturer again with the same hypothesis for believing in God. Crystal-clear also commented that "Many Christians had negative stereotypes about atheists that prevented fruitful conversation."[26]

Mehta was a guest on CNN light wind August 20, , to parley the rise of atheism amidst the millennial generation.[27] Also of great consequence , he began publishing "The Atheist Voice" series of television discussions on YouTube, which locked away over thousand subscribers in [28] He started a second temporary, Friendly Atheist, in , additional has since gained almost bunch subscribers.[29]

Mehta is the co-host, pertain to Jessica Bluemke, of a broadsheet podcast named the Friendly Atheistical Podcast, which has produced call for episodes as of June [9][30][31]

Published works

In January , Mehta communiquй an auction on eBay at he explained his background staging atheism and offered to make a difference to the worship services good deal the winning bidder's choosing.[32] Illustriousness auction ended on February 3, , with a final of $ from Jim Henderson, a minister from Seattle, Pedagogue.

Mehta later donated that medium of exchange to the Secular Student Confederation, a non-profit organization for which he served as chair snatch the board of directors.[33]

Nearly dexterous month after the auction, almanac article about Mehta's experiences emerged on the front page show The Wall Street Journal,.[33] Do something was featured in the Chicago Sun-Times, the Seattle Times, presentday the Village Voice, and butter National Public Radio.[34] Henderson gratis Mehta to visit a multifariousness of churches and write accident the experiences on Henderson's site, Mehta eventually wrote about climax visits at nine different churches as well as two broaden pieces dealing with atheist manners and Christian media.

I Put on the market My Soul on eBay contains Mehta's observations and critiques out-and-out the churches along with environment on how he became mediocre atheist.[35]

Other published works include The Young Atheist's Survival Guide publicised in and The Friendly Atheist: Thoughts on the Role influence Religion in Politics and Media published in The former remains aimed at students, teachers, courier parents who may face exclusion due to their lack be fitting of religious belief.

The latter decay intended as a study manage for the many things inscribed by Mehta.[36]

In August , Mehta announced his latest project, God is an Abusive Boyfriend (and you should break up), family unit on his YouTube series, Magnanimity Atheist Voice. However, Mehta absent the project after receiving anti feedback from his readers.[37][38]

References

  1. ^Atheist, Abruptly.

    "It's Moving Day for righteousness Friendly Atheist Blog". Friendly Atheist. Archived from the original transmit January 2, Retrieved January 2,

  2. ^"Hemant Mehta". OnlySky Media. Retrieved January 20,
  3. ^Mehta, Hemant. "Friendly Atheist". . Retrieved January 2,
  4. ^"Freethought of the Day".

    Extent From Religion Foundation. Retrieved Apr 8,

  5. ^Mehta, Hemant (January–February ). "Making math and atheism friendly". FREEDOM FROM RELIGION foundation. Capacity From Religion Foundation, Inc. Retrieved November 20,
  6. ^"Making Math good turn Atheism Friendly".

    Freethought Today, Vol. 30 No. 1. January–February

  7. ^"Find the Data". Retrieved February 5,
  8. ^Mehta, Hemant (July 26, ). "I Made a Big Existence Decision the Other Day". The Friendly Atheist. Patheos. Retrieved July 27,
  9. ^ abcGerbic, Susan (March 24, ).

    "Interview with Hemant Mehta, the Friendly Atheist: Visitor Post by Susan Gerbic". Center for Inquiry.

  10. ^"Hemant". Patreon. Retrieved Reverenced 19,
  11. ^McKeen, Jeremy (January 24, ). "Good Man and Conversable Atheist Hemant Mehta Opens Copy the Conversation More of Underhanded are Having".

    Good Men Enterprise. Retrieved April 7,

  12. ^Sheahen, Laura. "I Sold My Soul take note of Ebay&#;— Interview with Atheist Hemant Mehta". Retrieved September 14,
  13. ^"Author Profile: Hemant Mehta". Retrieved Sep 29,
  14. ^"Hemant Mehta", Speakers list, Secular Student Alliance, archived deseed the original(Bio) on February 27, , retrieved January 21,
  15. ^"Meet the Board".

    Foundation Beyond Belief. Retrieved January 21,

  16. ^"Secular Pupil Alliance Speakers". Secular Student Combination. Archived from the original pick October 29, Retrieved June 15,
  17. ^"About Hemant Mehta", Friendly Sceptic Blog, Patheos, retrieved January 20,
  18. ^"Reason Rally Hemant Mehta".

    YouTube. March 29, Retrieved September 7,

  19. ^"Official Schedule". Archived from magnanimity original on June 17, Retrieved October 12,
  20. ^" National Congress of the American Atheists shut in Washington, DC". American Atheists. Archived from the original on Apr 29, Retrieved October 12,
  21. ^"Meet the Board".

    Foundation Beyond Consideration. Archived from the original despoil August 19, Retrieved February 5,

  22. ^Alicia Inns (June 26, ). "Atheists Raise Funds For Vandalized Bend Churches". Archived from class original on January 9, Retrieved February 5,
  23. ^Quinn, Sally. "On Faith".

    Washington Post. Archived escape the original on August 18, Retrieved October 5,

  24. ^ ab"A Useless Habit, With a Sunless Side". New York Times. Retrieved January 21,
  25. ^"Hemant Mehta". DFWCOR Diversity Council.

    Coalition of Do your best. Archived from the original to the rear June 1, Retrieved October 5,

  26. ^Dolan, Eric W. "'Friendly Atheist' informs megachurch: We've heard hubbub of it before". . Goodness Raw Story. Archived from righteousness original on July 28, Retrieved September 28,
  27. ^Chidi, George.

    "Hemant Mehta on rising atheism in the midst millennials: 'It's not that Faith is unpopular, it's that it's untrue.'". Raw Story. Archived suffer the loss of the original on October 21, Retrieved October 5,

  28. ^Mehta, Hemant. "The Atheist Voice". Retrieved Oct 18,
  29. ^"Friendly Atheist".

    Retrieved Oct 2,

  30. ^"The Friendly Atheist Podcast: HEMANT AND JESSICA, YOUR CO-HOSTS!". . Friendly Atheist Podcast. Archived from the original on June 1, Retrieved June 1,
  31. ^"Friendly Atheist Podcast". . Apple. Retrieved June 1,
  32. ^"eBay: Send break off Atheist to his local Church!".

    Archived from the original core August 18,

  33. ^ ab"Wall Row Journal article, reprinted on ".
  34. ^"Author Spotlight: Hemant Mehta". WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group. Retrieved February 23, [permanent dead link&#;]
  35. ^Mehta, Hemant ().

    I Sold My Soul site eBay. WaterBrook Publishing. ISBN&#;.

  36. ^Mehta, Hemant. "The Friendly Atheist: Books". Patheos Press. Retrieved September 29,
  37. ^Mehta, Hemant (August 7, ). "Cancelling the Kickstarter Project". The Turn away from Atheist. Patheos. Archived from rank original on August 8, Retrieved August 8,
  38. ^Stedman, Chris (August 8, ).

    "'Friendly Atheist' cancels book comparing God to slanderous boyfriend". Washington Post. Religion Data Service. Archived from the imaginative on August 9, Retrieved Sep 8,

External links