Friendly Atheist

Hemant Mehta (born: ),https://ffrf.org/news/day/25/02/freethought/#hemant-mehta better known online as the Friendly Atheist, is a YouTuber who discusses religion and atheism.
==Personal life==
Hemant Mehta was born in Chicago to a family that practised . He abandoned his faith as a teenager. At the University of Illinois at Chicago, he formed the school's first nonreligious group, Students WithOut Religious Dogma (SWORD). He graduated in 2001 with degrees in maths and biology.https://ffrf.org/news/day/25/02/freethought/#hemant-mehta He is a former National Board Certified high school maths teacher in the suburbs of Chicago, where he taught for seven years.https://www.youtube.com/c/FriendlyAtheist1/about
He has a wife and family.https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/2014/07/26/i-made-a-big-life-decision-the-other-day/ Hemant is a vegetarian.https://www.patreon.com/Hemant
==YouTube==
===Friendly Atheist===
Most of Hemant’s videos discuss issues with the Bible, one chapter at a time. His other videos discuss subjects such as The 8 Different Kinds of Biblical Marriages and the Worst Anti-Evolution Argument a Creationist Has Ever Made.https://www.youtube.com/c/FriendlyAtheist1/videos
===The Atheist Voice===
This channel uploaded short commentary videos in support of atheism. On October 3, 2019, Hemant announced his move from The Atheist Voice to Friendly Atheist. This was the last video uploaded to the channel.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFzAhh_chFM
==Advocacy and recognition==
Hemant edits FriendlyAtheist.com. He appeared on the Atheist Voice, and co-hosts the Friendly Atheist Podcast with Jessica Bluemke.https://friendlyatheistpodcast.com/2016/03/27/hemant-and-jessica-your-co-hosts/
Hemant has appeared on CNN and FOX News. He has served on the board of directors for and the .https://www.youtube.com/c/FriendlyAtheist1/about
Mehta was a 2019 recipient of the 's Nothing Fails Like Prayer Award, given to people who offer secular invocations. His acceptance speech questioned whether atheism is still taboo in politics, and is available here.https://ffrf.org/news/day/25/02/freethought/#hemant-mehta
===Blog===
The Friendly Atheist blog highlights events, issues and people that are important to the atheist community.https://ffrf.org/news/day/25/02/freethought/#hemant-mehta
==Books==
Hemant co-authored The Reluctant Apostate: Leaving Jehovah’s Witnesses Comes at a Price, with Lloyd Evans.https://www.amazon.com/Hemant-Mehta/e/B001JRXMSU He edited the 2017 book Queer Disbelief: Why LGBTQ Equality Is an Atheist Issue by Camille Beredjick.https://ffrf.org/news/day/25/02/freethought/#hemant-mehta
===I Sold My Soul on eBay===
Mehta decided in 2006 that he wanted theists to learn more about how religious institutions are viewed by the non-religious. This led him to "sell his soul on eBay" by posting on eBay that he would attend the highest bidder's choice of religious institution. For every $10 from highest bidder, attended one service. The winner, bid $504 and decided Mehta would go to a variety of churches and write about his experiences. This resulted in I Sold My Soul on eBay, which was published in 2007.https://ffrf.org/news/day/25/02/freethought/#hemant-mehta The money went to the Secular student Alliance.https://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/2007/09/i-sold-my-soul-on-ebay-interview-with-atheist-hemant-mehta.aspx
===The Young Atheist's Survival Guide===
The Young Atheist’s Survival Guide was published in 2012.https://ffrf.org/news/day/25/02/freethought/#hemant-mehta
He has also released a podcast called The Supreme Court vs. Church/State Separation.https://www.youtube.com/c/FriendlyAtheist1/about
===God Is An Abusive Boyfriend===
God Is An Abusive Boyfriend is a book Hemant started but never finished. Due to the title, some people assumed the book made fun of physical abuse.https://goodmenproject.com/ethics-values/hemant-mehta-jrmk/ He stated that “the execution was poor and it upset a lot of good people.”https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/2014/08/07/canceling-the-kickstarter-project/
==References==
Category:Commentary YouTubers
Category:American YouTubers
Category:Users who joined in 2019