Hemant Mehta—writer, video blogger, and famous for selling his soul on eBay—is the friendliest atheist you’ll ever meet, which makes him perfect for a profile on The Good Men Project. We caught up with him between his shifts at Patheos Atheist and Atheist Voice on YouTube to talk about the Man-Box, the shift in our current cultural thinking, and the why Obama hasn’t called him yet for that Secular Advisor Cabinet position.

(GMP Jeremy McKeen): Hemant, for starters, we’re having the “conversation no one else is having” at the Good Men Project, and I’d love to know what makes a man good in your opinion. How do you judge the “measure of a man (or woman)” for yourself and others?

I appreciate people who make others a priority in their lives, whether they’re teachers, cops, nonprofit workers, etc. It’s easy to be cynical in this world, but I’m fortunate to know a lot of wonderful people who sacrifice so much for very little in return.

Also, you’re constantly having conversations on Patheos, Friendly Atheist (including your YouTube channel and podcast)—what conversation do you feel that we as a society aren’t having enough of? What taboos are left for us to talk and write about?

We’re afraid of discussing things that might make our lives a little more difficult. It’s convenient to believe in God, even though the evidence isn’t there. It’s easy to eat meat even though a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle is more ethical. It’s easy to accept what the majority believes, even when you think they may be wrong.

We need people willing to take uncomfortable positions, who have the ability to back up their reasons.

Regarding the movement over the last few decades by atheists to become more vocal—as well as our current voice in America and around the world—what’s the point we’re getting to? As we see other cultures who aren’t as religious as Americans easily dismiss God and religion as immediate cultural touchstones, is there a “there” we’re getting to?

I would like to see irrational thinking fade away so we can make more policy decisions based on evidence and data. So much of our political discourse involves a side that refuses to accept science, numbers, and common sense because it might go against their sacred beliefs.

Religion’s never going to go away, but certain groups (including atheists) are doing a better job today of calling out bullshit where we see it.

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“God is an abusive boyfriend” (a book Hemant started but discontinued after an unfavorable response) struck a nerve among readers—will you eventually finish the book or release it online or maybe as a series of memes?

It certainly struck a nerve, though not the one I intended at the time. I had made a YouTube video built off of that premise and the response was overwhelmingly positive. So I wanted to create a book with similar content—but a couple of bloggers refused to see past the title, assumed it was making light of physical abuse, and ran with it. That obviously wasn’t my intention, and I could have made that explicitly clear even if it meant changing the book’s title, but some people would rather pick fights than try to talk through any concerns.

At the moment, I’m not going to finish that project. But the premise of the video isn’t going away. I wasn’t the first to bring it up and I’m sure I won’t be the last.

Who/what are you reading right now? Who should we be reading?

I’m reading a lot of scripts for the competitive forensics team I coach.

Honestly, I’ve been on a book hiatus for a while because there are so many magazine articles in my Instapaper account that I can’t wait to get to. The New Yorker is incredible; everyone should buy a subscription if they can afford it, just to support the work they do.

Will Trump or Bernie’s lack of overt religious faith matter if they become the nominees? I can’t imagine Zionist Evangelicals voting for either.

Evangelicals will vote for Trump if it means getting a Republican in the White House. Remember: they have candidates like Mike Huckabee who never hides the fact that he’s one of them, and yet there’s virtually no enthusiasm for him. That tells you how seriously they take their beliefs.

And Bernie Sanders will rise or fall on his ideas and principles. You love him or you don’t. I doubt his lack of overt religious faith will hurt him because he just doesn’t make a big deal about it one way or the other. It’s not like he’s openly atheist.

And do you think there will ever be a non-religious, secular, or atheist advisor to the President the way he has spiritual advisors?

I hope so. There should be. There’s certainly no lack of qualified, secular counselors who can act as sounding boards for Presidents from any party and offer sensible advice. It’d be more useful than prayer, in any case.

You were raised in the Jain tradition, and this sets you apart from most atheist speakers and writers in that you aren’t the typical ex-Evangelical voice. How has this been a struggle or advantage for you in your life as a speaker and writer?

It’s been helpful in the sense that people can’t dismiss me as an angry ex-Christian. I don’t fit the mold that most pastors create when talking about atheists. I don’t have the anti-church baggage that so many atheists rightfully have. So when I speak or write about the good and bad of religion, it is, in a way, coming from an outside perspective. I think it helps me relate to people who didn’t grow up in mainstream, traditional churches.

We talk a lot about “Man-Box” stereotypes about masculinity at the Good Men Project. What challenges do you see to being and raising a man in modern society, and what do we as a society have wrong in terms of addressing boys and men’s identity?

At least in my world, there’s a belief that a good man and good father has to instill religious morals into his kids. As if positive ethics can’t come from anywhere else. Churches perpetuate that stereotype as much as any other group. It’s outdated, untrue, and needs to end.

What’s next for you after the books, shows, and speaking? Secular advisor to the President? Atheist vegetarian cookbook? Children’s book?

I sit by my phone, but the President never calls…

For now, my focus is on coaching my team. After that, I’ll think about what projects to pursue next. The plate is full right now with the blog, YouTube, and podcast!

And—I have this hypothetical conversation with my wife and friends, and I usually choose to be Jewish or Buddhist. If you had to be one religion (for whatever reason), which one would it be?

You can’t go wrong with being a Pastafarian. rAmen, everyone.

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Photo courtesy of Hemant Mehta