This is our first show produced in the new Stephen Uhl Friendly Atheist Studio at Freethought Hall! In The News: full-page FFRF ad in the New York Times celebrating the birth of the Bill of Rights (December 15, 1791); FFRF asks hotels for bible-free rooms; Elkhart (Ind.) live nativity cancelled; FFRF Winter Solstice sign stolen from Indiana courthouse. After hearing Philip Appleman’s poem “Fleas” set to music, we talk with Laurie Lebo, author of The Devil in Dover, about the 10th anniversary of ...
Dec 14, 2015•42 min
In the News: Two seasonal state/church victories in Indiana; new FFRF lawsuit in New Jersey challenging public money to churches; Winter Solstice signs around the country; Nonbelief Relief report. After hearing Dan’s “Salt Lake City Blues,” we talk with Utah attorney Mark Naugle about how he has helped more than 3,000 people leave the Mormon Church, mainly as a result of the LDS position on same-sex couples.
Dec 07, 2015•41 min
After dissecting religion in politics (Fiorina: "people of faith make better leaders”) and reporting FFRF state/church victories in Minnesota and Indiana, we hear Etta James sing Randy Newman’s irreverent “God’s Song.” Then sociologist and author Ryan T. Cragun explains his new book: How To Defeat Religion in 10 Easy Steps .
Nov 30, 2015•42 min
We love Paris, and detest religious terrorism. In The News: Governor Kasich calls for an agency to spread “Judeo-Christian values,” but American values are from the Enlightenment, not religion. Mormons are leaving the church over their gay-marriage stance. After hearing John Lennon’s “Imagine,” we talk with Fernando Alcántar, a Mexican immigrant who was converted by American missionaries, became a Christian leader, and then became a gay atheist activist. His new book is To The Cross and Back: An...
Nov 23, 2015•37 min
After reporting an early FFRF holiday victory stopping a nativity scene from being placed in a Minnesota park, we discuss the recent study showing that nonreligious children are more altruistic and less punitive than religious children. We hear the trailer for the new movie Spotlight about the Boston Globe’s powerful investigation of the coverup of pedophile Catholic priests. Then we talk with Sarah Haider, one of the co-founders of Ex-Muslims of North America, who tells us what it is like to le...
Nov 16, 2015•43 min
Portland, Oregon, public high-school students disallowed from participating in a religious Catholic Grotto performance. Gideon bibles removed from Northern Illinois University hotel rooms. We announce Brooke Mulder as the winner of FFRF’s “Nothing Fails Like Prayer” contest for her secular invocation before Glendale, Arizona, city council. Then we hear veteran Steven Hewett (introduced by veteran Steve Trunk) talk about his successful lawsuit to remove a Christian War Memorial from the city of K...
Nov 09, 2015•42 min
Happy Halloween! Before hearing the song “Spooky Mormon Hell Dream” we announce state/church victories, lawsuits and complaints in Indiana, Arkansas, and Virginia, dealing with a nativity pageant, a city Facebook page, and praying coaches. We hear Anita Weier’s acceptance speech at the 38th annual convention for the “Freethought Heroine” award for getting atheism added as a protective class to city ordinances, and lead staff attorney Rebecca Markert recapping thousands of complaints and hundreds...
Nov 02, 2015•42 min
In the news: FFRF complains about Christian crosses on a Kentucky city water tower and a Minnesota public hillside. Listen to a Texas sheriff tell FFRF to “go butt a stump,” after another sheriff told us to “go fly a kite” after we complained about “In God We Trust” on police vehicles. Annie Laurie recites Emily Dickinson’s ode to “Indian Summer” and Dan Barker sings “Beware of Dogma." Then we hear excerpts of Ron Reagan’s FFRF speech accepting FFRF's “Unabashed Atheist” award.
Oct 26, 2015•41 min
FFRF unveils its northern “Atheists in Foxholes” monument and the first-ever “Atheist Marquee” at the national office in Madison, Wisconsin. We hear the welcoming remarks of Madison Mayor Paul Soglin at FFRF's annual “Non-Prayer Breakfast” during our 38th annual convention. Then we listen to atheist Bangladeshi author and poet Taslima Nasrin talk about the fatwah and death threats she has been facing for decades because of her outspoken criticism of Islam.
Oct 19, 2015•41 min
After discussing the the pope’s disturbing private visit with Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk who refuses to issue gay marriage licenses, we examine the duplicity of government officials who place religious images in public buildings and put “In God We Trust” on police vehicles, claiming these acts are not religious while at the same time admitting they want to proselytize for Jesus. Then we talk with David Clohessy, National Director of SNAP (Survivors’ Network of those Abused by Priests) ...
Oct 05, 2015•40 min
The “JESUS Welcomes You To Hawkins” (Texas) sign is coming down! An Arizona city stops favoring Christian prayers, and the University of Wisconsin Athletic Department donates sports memorabilia to FFRF. We protest the Pope’s visit to America with full-page ads in the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, Philadelphia Inquirer, plus JFK and Ron Reagan ads on TV. We listen to Kennedy’s 1960 Houston speech in favor of a secular government, and then hear philosopher Daniel Dennett read his For...
Sep 28, 2015•42 min
Many victories to report this week, including the successful FFRF lawsuit removing the Ten Commandments from a Pennsylvania school, Florida municipal prayer stopped, HS football-field baptism declared improper, Jesus painting removed, secular HS club finally allowed, city money withdrawn from Florida churches, football prayer discontinued. After “welcoming” the visit of Pope Francis to America with our “Stay Away Pope Polka,” we talk with Carlos Mendoza of the Guatemalan Secular Humanists about ...
Sep 21, 2015•41 min
Gov. Huckabee says Kentucky clerk Kim Davis (who defied gay-marriage orders) is “God.” In the News: more “Pray to Play” coverage, Indiana high-school live-nativity complaint, “Pope Chair” built by prisoners, de Blasio dispensing NYC tickets to see the pope. Victory: FFRF gets Georgia city to pull out of “Gospel Fest.” Then we talk with screenwriter Chris Matheson (Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Bill & Teds’ Bogus Journey) about his new humorous book, The Story of God: A Biblical Comed...
Sep 14, 2015•42 min
In the news: FFRF victory declaring the Ten Commandments unconstitutional at a Pennsylvania high school, a county clerk refusing to grant gay marriage licenses, group baptisms on the high-school football field, “In God We Trust” on police cars, a Jesus statue in a federal park, a year-long nativity scene in New Mexico. Our guest is Kansas biographer Vickie Sandell Stangl, author of Etta Semple: Kansas Freethinker and “Ideal” Woman.
Sep 07, 2015•43 min
FFRF’s “Pray to Play” exposé gets national coverage, including FFRF attorney Andrew Seidel on MSNBC “Sports Matters.” Dan Barker was interviewed on NBC's “Today” show about the Jesus painting in a Kansas school that was taken down after FFRF complained. After talking with Viet Nam veteran and plaintiff Steve Trunk about the decades-long saga of the cross on Mt. Soledad, we interview Executive Director of Americans United For Separation of Church and State, Rev. Barry W. Lynn, about his new book:...
Aug 31, 2015•42 min
After honoring the life of famed freethinking civil-rights leader Julian Bond and catching up on state/church news in Texas and New Mexico, we listen to part of John Oliver’s hilarious take-down of greedy churches and evangelists taking unfair advantage of lax IRS codes. Then we talk with FFRF attorney Andrew Seidel about FFRF’s letter of complaint to university athletic departments that hire evangelical chaplains who turn the football field into a mission field.
Aug 24, 2015•42 min
In the news: FFRF’s Ron Reagan ad on the penultimate Jon Stewart Daily Show, Jesus sign in east Texas town, bible verses removed from Arkansas city webpage, “In God We Trust” challenged on municipal vehicles. After hearing Bo Burnham’s anti-religious rap song “Rant,” we talk with author, poet, and critic Katha Pollitt about her new book Pro (about abortion rights), and her previous book Learning To Drive , which has became a major motion picture released this week starring Patricia Clarkson and ...
Aug 17, 2015•44 min
Ryan Jayne, FFRF’s law clerk and soon-to-be legal fellow, helps us celebrate many exciting state/church victories accomplished by FFRF’s attorneys. We honor the birthday of 19th-century agnostic orator Robert G. Ingersoll by hearing Dan Barker’s musical version of his famous “Trinity” lyrics. Then we interview author, poet and filmmaker Jeremiah Camara about his new feature-length documentary “Contradiction: A Question of Faith” that examines the effect of religion on African-Americans.
Aug 10, 2015•41 min
Jesus sign on city property, “In God We Trust” on patrol cars, Ten Commandments on high-school property, atheists barred from Boy Scouts, Tennessee freethought proclamation proposed. After talking about fish, large and small--Melville’s Moby Dick and Rupert Brooke’s Heaven --we interview Nebraska State Senator Ernie Chambers about his recent victory overturning capital punishment in that state.
Aug 03, 2015•42 min
Guatemalan secular humanists fight back after the legislature proposes to teach the bible in all public schools. After reporting on egregious state/church complaints in Texas and Minnesota, we celebrate many FFRF victories around the country. Then we talk with Florida activist David Williamson, director of FFRF’s chapter Central Florida Freethought Community, about the new lawsuit they filed (with FFRF, ACLU and AU) challenging Brevard County’s policy of excluding nonbelievers from board invocat...
Jul 27, 2015•43 min
After reporting on an FFRF state/church victory removing Christian crosses from a Texas county building, we hear “Blood Brothers,” the song Dan Barker wrote right after leaving the ministry. What happens when a minister no longer believes? Catherine Dunphy, a Catholic seminarian and chaplain who abandoned her faith and author of the new book, From Apostle to Apostate: The Story of the Clergy Project , tells us about how this new group is helping to “Save a Preacher."
Jul 20, 2015•43 min
FFRF has a new lawsuit (with AU and ACLU) challenging the Brevard County, Florida barring nontheists from opening meetings with a secular invocation. We report a victory removing the Christian flag from city property in Alabama, listen to Annie Laurie Gaylor’s “conversation” with four male theists on Fox News’ Sean Hannity show, and celebrate the birthday of life-long atheist comedian Phyllis Diller. Then we speak with clinical psychologist and professor Hector A. Garcia about his new book, Alph...
Jul 13, 2015•44 min
On this July 4 weekend we celebrate the Supreme Court decision recognizing gay marriage, and the July 4 birthday of American songwriter Stephen Foster. We talk with FFRF attorney Katherine Paige about the Colorado Supreme Court nixing vouchers to private religious schools. Then we interview Brady Henderson, legal director of the ACLU of Oklahoma, about their spectacular state supreme court victory this week calling for the removal of the Ten Commandments from the state capitol.
Jul 06, 2015•41 min
After reporting FFRF victories in Arkansas and Wisconsin and complaining about a loose-cannon Florida sheriff who preaches in uniform, Annie Laurie analyzes what is wrong with the pope’s recent encyclical on climate change and what is right about South Carolina’s move to remove the confederate flag. Then we talk with Rita Swan, founder and director of C.H.I.L.D—Children’s Healthcare is a Legal Duty—about her decades-long effort to fight the religious medical neglect of children after she lost he...
Jun 29, 2015•43 min
This week’s show is dedicated to the memory of FFRF’s principal founder Anne Nicol Gaylor, who died June 14 at the age of 88. After reporting some FFRF state/church victories (which continue Anne’s legacy), we listen to Anne’s voice (“Is it reasonable; is it kind?”), and read from the New York Times obituary/article about her. Then we read two of Anne Gaylor's articles from her 1983 book, Lead Us Not Into Penn Station .
Jun 22, 2015•42 min
Is Justice Scalia right when he says the human species is 5,000 years old? Can Jesus welcome visitors to a Texas town? Is Jesus the most Googled name on the planet? Is Christianity under attack by the liberal world? After answering those questions, we talk with Michigan activists Holly Huber and Mitch Kahle, who are fighting religious incursions into government, especially the public schools.
Jun 15, 2015•43 min
FFRF complains about South Carolina's Governor Haley calling the state to prayer, and University of Toledo football coach doing the same with his players. After announcing FFRF's financial help to beleaguered Bengali atheist and feminist Taslima Nasrin, we hear Roy Zimmerman's song “Kill a Doctor For Christ.” Then we interview activist Carole Beaton about her efforts to keep religion and government separate in Eureka, California.
Jun 08, 2015•43 min
Paris and the International Atheist conference in Gologne, Germany. Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee's outrageous opinion about the authority of the Supreme Court. Nebraska Senator Ernie Chambers' victory overturning the death penalty. Roy Zimmerman's song "I Want a Marriage Like They Had in the Bible" sets the stage for us to celebrate Ireland's historic vote for marriage equality by talking with Michael Nugent, head of Atheist Ireland, who joins us on the phone from Dublin.
Jun 01, 2015•43 min
On the first half of the show, we talk with evolutionary geneticist Jerry Coyne (author of the best seller Why Evolution is True ) about his new book, Faith vs. Fact: Why Science and Religion are Incompatible . Then we hear excerpts of Chris Johnson’s new film, A Better Life: An Exploration of Joy & Meaning in a World Without God .
May 25, 2015•43 min
In the News: The rise of the “nones” has reached 23%; FFRF reports victories in Florida and California. After celebrating the birthday of Bertrand Russell, we talk with Harvard educated atheist professor of religious studies Hector Avalos about his new scholarly book, The Bad Jesus: The Ethics of New Testament Ethics.
May 18, 2015•43 min
