Guest Ayaan Hirsi Ali, author of "Infidel," will talk about her escape from an arranged marriage in Somali, about becoming an atheist, and how religious terrorism has changed her life. The entire show will be devoted to the harm of religion to women, in honor of International Women's Day.
This weekend's guest, Prof. James Coors, will talk about evolution in tribute to Charles Darwin, born in February. Jim is the Foundation's newest officer and a retired professor of agronomy. Also featured: A clip of Dan Barker's opening remarks in a recent debate, "Can you be good without God?"
A lively show dedicated to the contributions of African-American freethinkers during Black History Month will include an interview with Norm Allen, editor of "African-American Humanism: An Anthology," and will feature music and movie clips.
TOPIC: WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE TEN COMMANDMENTS AND A STAMP HONORING MOTHER TERESAJournalist Christopher Hitchens, author of "God Is Not Great" and an expose on Mother Teresa, "The Missionary Position," gives a sneak preview of his April Vanity Fair article about the Ten Commandments, and talks about the controversy over the Mother Teresa stamp, among other topical issues. The hosts also parse Pres. Obama's speech before the National Prayer Breakfast.
Professor Richard Dawkins discusses his latest book The Greatest Show on Earth.
Nonbelief relief for Haiti and the biblical roots of Islamist brutality toward rape victims will be discussed. Guest Jerry Coyne is professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Chicago, where he speciallizes in evolutionary genetics. His new book, Why Evolution is True, has been much praised by Richard Dawkins, next week's guest!
Saturday's program features interviews with Mikey Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation over "Jesus rifles" and with freethinking novelist and MacArthur Fellow Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, whose new book, Thirty-Six Arguments for the Existence of God: A Work of Fiction, was just released (and was reviewed yesterday in The New York Times). Goldstein is married to evolutionary psychologist Steven Pinker, who serves on the Foundation's new honorary board.
This weekend's show will comment on the Rev. Pat Robertson's remarks on Haiti and look other imprecatory prayer. The special guest: Philosophy's best and "Brightest": Daniel C. Dennett of Tuft University, author of the bestseller about religion, "Breaking the Spell."
Tune in for "the ABCs of atheism," a look at the threat posed by the bible and bible-toting evangelists to Uganda gays, and an interview with Dann Glenn, internationally known jazz musician and nonbeliever.
Tune in for a special broadcast of the pith and wisdom of Ruth Hurmence Green (born in January), author of The Born Again Skeptic's Guide to the Bible—an interview taken 30 years ago about what's wrong with the bible, and an interview of Michael Gordon, a retired IRS attorney, who will tell us how the parish exemption works, and how the IRS law preferentially permits "ministers of the gospel" to exclude housing costs from taxable income.
After discussing lots of timely news and FFRF activism attracting media around the nation, the Foundation interviewed Asheville, N.C.'s first atheist city council member, Cecil Bothwell, who attracted international attention when he won office there, despite a prohibition against atheists running for public office in that state. An investigative reporter, Bothwell is author of the only critical biography of Billy Graham, The Prince of War.
TOPIC: THE UNCHRISTMAS SHOWTo provide respite from the seasonal state/church and religious onslaughts, Freethought Radio devotes most of its program to great secular songwriting. The very special guest is Lynn Lane, 86, widow of the legendary songwriter Burton Lane, who reminisces about her husband and lyricist Yip Harburg, both unbelievers, and creators of "Finian's Rainbow," now a hit Broadway revival. After a little news, the hosts dissect one of the show's irreverent pieces, "The Begats," pl...
Margaret Downey, president of the Freethought Society of Greater Philadelphia, will talk about why her FFRF chapter erects a "Tree of Knowledge" every year by a courthouse creche and how officials have tried to sabotage that solstice observance. Well-known journalist Hanna Rosin will talk about her cover story in the December Atlantic: "Did Christianity Cause the Crash? How Preachers Are Spreading a Gospel of Debt." The hosts will replay Ken Lonnquist's "O Isthmus Tree."
Author and Jesus Seminar member Robert M. Price, a professor of theology at a seminary, talks about what moved him out of his fundamentalist fold into freethought, and tackles some of the biblical myths about Jesus and Christmas. The hosts talk about timely topics, including Dan's London debates last week and seasonal state/church violations.
Freethought Radio will talk with world-renowned opera singer Markella, who has gone from Greek Orthodox to unorthodox. Markella has recorded a new pop song, "The God Delusion." Timely news updates include local coverage of FFRF's splashy 10-billboard campaign in Albuquerque. A bonus: a clip of Jay Leno's joke about FFRF's 32nd annual national convention in Seattle.
Freethought Radio will talk with Harvard's Humanist Chaplain, Greg M. Epstein, author of the new book, Good Without God: What a Billion Non-Religious People Do Believe.
Freethought Radio will play some coverage of FFRF's jolly new bus sign campaign in Seattle, play some coverage of its 32nd annual convention there and discuss how religious lobbies sabotaged the House health care reform bill over abortion. Shawn Francis Peters will talk about the Christian Science lobby's promotion of a "sham" repeal of faith exemption in the Wisconsin Legislature. The show will also tackle the federal lobbying by the Christian Science lobby to mandate coverage of prayer as "med...
Editorial cartoonist Steve Benson unveils his brand-new Seattle bus sign that he designed for the foundation (HO! HO! HO!). Ernie Harburg, retired scientist and son of famous songwriter Yip Harburg will discuss the smash Broadway success of the revival of Finian's Rainbow and tell us about his new book.
Scary theocratic developments in the news, will be followed by an interview with one of America's scariest figures: an IRS tax auditor! Retired IRS auditor Robert Baty will expose the many tax privileges and benefits accruing "ministers of the gospel" in the IRS tax code, which are being challenged in a new federal lawsuit by the Freedom From Religion Foundation. An "ode" to John Keats, born on Halloween, and October's other famous freethinkers, will be featured.
Scientist and "Lucy" discoverer Donald C. Johanson will talk about his atheism, evolution and how he feels about "Ardi" displacing "Lucy." FFRF'er John Whiteside will talk about why he underwrote a billboard blitz in Las Vegas for the Foundation, featuring 10 billboards variously reading: "Imagine No Religion," "Beware of Dogma" and "Praise Darwin: Evolve Beyond Belief."
This weekend's show features a conversation with the legendary author Ursula K. Le Guin, winner of many literary awards and best-known for her classic science fiction and fantasy writing. Also: an interview with Grand Junction, Colo. activist and FFRF member Anne Landman about local attempts to protest public piety by politicians on government time, and timely updates.
Topics: "Unabashed atheist" Ron Reagan, host of Air America's Ron Reagan Show, is back for a new interview as a preview to his appearance at FFRF's 32nd annual FFRF convention in Seattle in November. Also featured: an interview with Foundation member Karen Buchanan, the original complainant in FFRF's request to the city council of Lodi, Calif., to drop prayers. That request has set off months of controversy and Karen talks about her dismay at the Council's 5-0 vote in October to continue "uncens...
An important interview with Rita Swan, director of Children's Healthcare is a Legal Duty, will focus on insidious amendments to healthcare reform bills that would force medical insurers to cover prayer as medicine. Local California atheist and Lifetime FFRF'er Sue Robinson will talk about why she testified against government prayer in Turlock, Calif., where there has been heated debate over an FFRF state/church complaint Bonus: news coverage of FFRF's mini-blitz of freethought billboards in Detr...
Freethought Radio will include timely updates on various state/church and freethought activism, including a segment about a state/church prayer controversy heating up in the Dallas, Texas area. In honor of the Sept. 26 anniversary of the birth of nontheist George Gershwin, the Foundation will air his irreverent classic, "It Ain't Necessarily So," and talk about other famous freethinkers born in the month of September. Washington State FFRF activist Darrell Barker will update listeners on the con...
Freethought Radio will discuss new billboards in Indianapolis, bus signs in San Francisco, and the furor Foundation complaints over government prayer is creating in Tehachapi, Calif. (a TV news clip will play on the controversy there). A teaser trailer for the new film, Creation, concentrating on Darwin's loss of faith and starring major actors, will play, with discussion about how the film so far has been rejected by film distributions in the United States, while it is being praised worldwide. ...
Freethought Radio will interview 2 timely guests: Foundation member Ed Hensley, who will talk about why he is 1 of 9 plaintiffs challenging an egregious Kentucky law requiring "dependence on God" by the state Department of Homeland Security, and bestselling atheist author and scientist Victor Stenger. Stenger will talk about his hot-off-the-press book, The New Atheists: Standing Up for Science & Reason. The show will include brief commentary on the prosecution of a Sudanese feminist for wear...
Energetic state/church actions by the Foundation will be featured. Staff attorney Rebecca Kratz will also talk about the Foundation's unique amicus brief in the upcoming Mohave "veteran monument" cross case before the U.S. Supreme Court, written in part on behalf of FFRF's "atheist in foxhole" veteran members. Tune in also for some commentary on Rev Steve Anderson's sermon bragging about how he prays for the death of President Barack Obama, and a short state/church quiz! Test yourself on just ho...
Topics: Jazz as "Religion", FFRF Legal Victory in Denver SchoolsA unique legal victory for the Freedom From Religion Foundation, ending a religious endorsement by Cherry Creek Public Schools in Denver, Colo., will be discussed by the always-interesting guest, Robert R. Tiernan, the attorney who brought the case. And jazz legend/great Ben Sidran will join the cohosts in studio for a conversation about music, irreverence and lots of jazz music.
Co-host Dan Barker will talk about recently experiencing the bizarre creationism museum in Kentucky. Brad Pitt's nonreligion and new Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayer's request for "divine guidance" will get some play. Interviewed will be linguist and Daniel Everett, author of Don't Sleep, There are Snakes: Life and Language in the Amazonian Jungle (2008). In an amazing adventure, Everett--a missionary to the Pirahas dedicated to learning their language in order to proselytize them--left the...
David Diskin will talk about the hullabaloo over the Freedom From Religion Foundation's request to the City Council in Lodi, Calif., that it drop prayers to open the meetings. David was one of the organizers of a rally on Aug. 5 to counter religious zealots who descended on the town. And Jeff Sharlet will be a returning guest. The author of the timely book exposing the nefarious fundamentalist group at the heart of power in Washington, D.C., The Family, will discuss The Family's relationship wit...
