"Don't mourn — organize!" Those are fitting words by freethinking labor organizer Joe Hill for discouraged secularists after another right-wing justice has joined the Supreme Court. FFRF legal fellow Colin McNamara tells us about the educational letter he helped us send to Kentucky governor Matt Bevin, who has officially encouraged all children to "bring your Bible to school." Then we talk with Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the American Humanist Association and author of the book Creatin...
Oct 11, 2018•48 min
More FFRF state/church victories and school-prayer challenges to report in Georgia and Alabama. After hearing the Joe Hill song "The Preacher and the Slave" (sung by Dan Barker and Kristin Lems), we talk with FFRF attorneys Patrick Elliott and Ryan Jayne, who listened to Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's entire initial testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee and conclude that his confirmation would be a disaster for the separation of state and church.
Oct 04, 2018•48 min
The 2018 evangelical "Values Voter Summit" shows that the religious right has abandoned all pretense of values. FFRF attorney Chris Line tells us about some of his recent state/church victories in Utah, Georgia, and Alabama. Then we talk with biographer Angelica Shirley Carpenter about her new book, the long-overdue first biography of a 19th-century freethinking feminist (who, as L. Frank Baum's mother-in-law, was dubbed "The Mother of Oz"): Born Criminal: Matilda Joslyn Gage, Radical Suffragist...
Sep 27, 2018•48 min
FFRF urges the IRS to investigate President Trump's "spiritual adviser" Paula White over illegal church politicking. Annie Laurie explains how Judge Kavanaugh's alleged attempted rape mirrors biblical teachings. FFRF urges investigation into Catholic Church sexual crimes against children. After talking with FFRF attorney Ryan Jayne about a New Jersey county petitioning the Supreme Court to overturn our federal victory prohibiting tax dollars from repairing churches, we interview Cornell scholar ...
Sep 20, 2018•48 min
We have two state/church victories to report. FFRF lead attorney Rebecca Markert tells us about our recent win in federal appeals court, ruling that a tall Christian cross in a public park in Pensacola, Florida, is unconstitutional, and we hear a news story about FFRF's successful letter to a West Virginia school district which prompted them to stop Christian prayers over the loudspeakers at high-school football games. Then we speak with Congressman Jared Huffman (of California) who founded the ...
Sep 13, 2018•48 min
FFRF's Director of Strategic Response Andrew Seidel has been watching the Senate confirmation hearings for Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court and concludes that he is "a wrecking ball aimed at the wall of separation between church and state." After listening to Dan Barker's song for children, "Keep An Open Mind," we talk with former Adventist pastor Ryan Bell, who is now National Organizing Manager for the Secular Student Alliance, promoting freethought on college and high-school ...
Sep 06, 2018•48 min
After analyzing the erroneous remarks President Trump delivered before evangelicals at the White House this week, we describe FFRF's new ad in the New York Times: "It's Time to Consider Quitting the Catholic Church." We hear a clip of comedian Julia Sweeney as she was interviewed on FFRF's Freethought Matters TV show. Then we talk with William C. Stone, the lead attorney in the historic 1980 Supreme Court case Stone v. Graham , which declared the posting of the Ten Commandments in public schools...
Aug 30, 2018•49 min
Educator and author Sikivu Hutchinson, founder of Black Skeptics of Los Angeles (BSLA), describes the four new winners of FFRF's and BSLA's "Catherine Fahringer Memorial Student Scholarships" for students of color. After hearing the "freethought" lyrics of "Dancing In The Dark," we time-travel back to 2006, during Freethought Radio's first year of broadcast, to listen to our first interview with Ron Reagan, the atheist son of President Ronald Reagan.
Aug 23, 2018•49 min
The Pennsylvania Catholic Church scandal is the horrible news of the week, involving hundreds of pedophile priests and thousands of victims. After hearing the song "Check It Out," which Dan wrote when he was transitioning out of the ministry more than 30 years ago, we talk with former Catholic priest Stephen Uhl, a long-time generous FFRF member, about why he left the priesthood and what he is doing to bolster secular public education.The Pennsylvania Catholic Church scandal is the horrible news...
Aug 16, 2018•48 min
We have another public school state/church victory to report in Indiana, and a school prayer complaint in Mississippi. We celebrate the birthday of the famous 19th-century agnostic orator Robert Green Ingersoll. Then we talk with Adam Chodorow, professor at the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, about the powerful friend-of-the-court brief he wrote (signed by 22 law professors) for the federal appeal of FFRF's challenge to the IRS Clergy Housing Allowance that gives a huge tax break to minister...
Aug 09, 2018•48 min
After criticizing Attorney General Jeff Session's new (so-called) Religious Freedom Taskforce, FFRF attorney Patrick Elliott tells us about our newest lawsuit, challenging the "Lord's Prayer" at Parkersburg, West Virginia, city council meetings. We celebrate the magician James Randi's 90th birthday by hearing him describe how he was "never religious." Then we talk with Arctic explorer Lawrence Millman about the senseless 1941 religiously motivated murders in Hudson Bay, described in his new book...
Aug 02, 2018•48 min
After listening to national coverage on "Megan Kelly Today" of FFRF's complaint about a Christian lip-sync video by a Texas police department, we talk with victorious litigation attorney David Kaloyanides, who handled FFRF's federal lawsuit against a California school board whose meetings include Christian prayer and preaching, resulting in a resounding unanimous decision in our favor this week from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Then we talk with Daniel Mach, Director of ACLU's Program on ...
Jul 26, 2018•49 min
Cardinal McCarrick (a fox guarding the chicken coop) is sacked for sexual molestation. FFRF complains about a Texas police department worship video and about Tennessee's law requiring the posting of "In God We Trust" in classrooms. After discussing the Russian connection to the National Prayer Breakfast, we hear part of Samantha Bee's "Goodbye Roe v. Wade" monologue. The we talk with author Susan Jacoby, whose article "The White House is Tearing Down the Wall Between Church and State" ran this m...
Jul 19, 2018•49 min
FFRF Strategic Response attorneys Ryan Jayne and Andrew Seidel describe the dangers to state/church separation and to civil rights of Trump's nominee to the Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh. Then we talk with author and The Nation columnist Katha Pollitt about her essay in today's New York Times, "Roe Isn't Going Down Without a Fight," which details exactly what we can do to preserve women's rights and true religious liberty.
Jul 12, 2018•49 min
FFRF's Program Assistant Kristina Daleiden tells us about the new "Secular America" campaign to register voters and how some FFRF chapters are already involved. After listening to Representative Jared Huffman (CA) interview Representative Jamie Raskin (MD) and FFRF's Director of Strategic Response Andrew Seidel on his "Off the Cuff" podcast, we talk with author and sociologist Abby Scher about her recent article in The Progressive: "No Health Care For You: The Trump team wants to make it easier ...
Jul 05, 2018•49 min
Nonbelief Relief announces charitable grants to combat hunger, oppression, and discrimination around the world. After lamenting the resignation of Supreme Court justice Anthony M. Kennedy, and the recent bad anti-Muslim and anti-abortion Supreme Court decisions, FFRF attorney Patrick Elliott describes our new lawsuit challenging the Ten Commandments at the Arkansas capitol. Then we talk with screenwriter Chris Matheson (Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure) about his new book, The Trouble With God...
Jun 28, 2018•49 min
For our summer solstice show, FFRF attorney Sam Grover announces two state/church victories in Texas. FFRF's Director of Strategic Response Andrew Seidel reveals the connection between the White House bible study and Attorney General Jeff Sessions' claim that President Trump's inhumane immigration policy is based on the bible. Then we are joined by FFRF Director of Communications Amit Pal to talk with author and researcher Frederick Clarkson of Political Research Associates about his recent reve...
Jun 21, 2018•49 min
We listen to some of Vice President Mike Pence's religious pandering as he spoke (at his own invitation) to the Southern Baptist Convention this week, promising believers that he and Trump "will always stand with you." After covering positive freethought news from around the world, we hear the words of American patriot Thomas Paine in the song "The World is My Country." Then we talk with well-known "Wellness" advocate and multiple triathlon world champion Donald Ardell (79), who, in addition to ...
Jun 14, 2018•49 min
FFRF attorney Liz Cavell discusses the recent disappointing Supreme Court Masterpiece Bakery decision, explaining that it is not as bad it could have been, and that it is still illegal to discriminate on the basis of religion. After hearing the song "Poor Little Me," written by Dan Barker and Broadway composer Charles Strouse (whose 90th birthday is today), we talk with Irish-American actor/author/politician and radio host Malachy McCourt, whose most recent book is Death Need Not Be Fatal ....
Jun 07, 2018•50 min
Jane Donnelly and Michael Nugent of Atheist Ireland tell us about their involvement in the successful May 25 referendum repealing the Amendment 8 abortion ban and the decline of Roman Catholic power in their country. Then we talk with Peruvian ophthalmologist Dr. Hector Guillen, the main organizer of the first international Latin American Freethought Conference, involving 12 countries fighting for secular government, that took place in Arequipa, Peru in May.
May 31, 2018•49 min
After 67 years, James A. Haught, the hard-fighting editor of West Virginia's largest newspaper, the Charleston Gazette-News, is still advocating for reform. Haught, who has authored a dozen freethought books, tells us what it has been like fighting governmental corruption working for a progressive-minded paper in one of the most conservative states in the country. Then we listen to the stories of Samson's wedding and Pinehas's racism excerpted from the audiobook of Dan Barker's book GOD: The Mos...
May 24, 2018•49 min
Sarah Haider, co-founder of Ex Muslims of North America (exmna.org) will receive FFRF's "Freethought Heroine" award at our convention in San Francisco in November. She talks to us about the irony that while the number of Ex-Muslims is growing rapidly in the United States, the challenges of leaving Islam are becoming more dangerous. Then we interview international lawyer, chess promoter, and private investment fund manager Richard A. Conn, Jr., about his new book: Earthbound Parent: How (and Why)...
May 17, 2018•49 min
Rev. Franklin Graham, an evangelical moralist, says the Stormy Daniel controversy is "no business" of anybody. Boy Scouts rebrand their image but still exclude nonbelievers. We listen to Representative Jared Huffman explain on C-Span why he created the first Congressional Freethought Congress. After hearing Irving Berlin's song "Pack Up Your Sins And Go To The Devil In Hades," we talk with New York City standup comedian (and atheist) Leighann Lord, who just made it to the finals (top 5 out of 20...
May 10, 2018•49 min
This week we celebrate the formation of the new Congressional Freethought Caucus, promoting science and state/church separation in government. FFRF attorney Liz Cavell explains our victory declaring a cross on the Lehigh County, Pennsylvania seal unconstitutional. We again protest the National Day of Prayer by hearing the words of the federal judge who ruled it unconstitutional. After hearing Dan sing "Get Off Your Knees And Get To Work," we talk with victorious state/church plaintiff David Stek...
May 03, 2018•49 min
There was a lot of media coverage about FFRF's unanimous New Jersey Supreme Court victory stopping counties from using public money to repair churches. FFRF attorney Rebecca Markert describes the amicus brief we filed in opposition to President Trump's recent travel ban, claiming it violates the Establishment Clause and the "no religious test" provisions of the Constitution. Then we talk with psychologist and author Valerie Tarico, a former fundamentalist, whose cogent article, "Why is the bible...
Apr 26, 2018•49 min
Breaking news: The New Jersey Supreme Court just handed FFRF a unanimous victory declaring state grants to repair churches to be unconstitutional. FFRF attorney Ryan Jayne gives us the details. Author and researcher Linda LaScola, editor of the Patheos blog "Rational Doubt," congratulates "#MeToo" atheist women for speaking out against sexual harassment in the freethought movement. Then the Peruvian author Ricardo Zavala, president of the Freethinkers of Peru, describes the first-ever Latin-Amer...
Apr 19, 2018•49 min
FFRF attorney Patrick Elliott describes our lawsuit over the state of Kentucky denying a personalized license plate that says "I'm God." Classical pianist Jarred Dunn performs Debussy and Chopin on FFRF's Steinway piano. Then we talk with FFRF attorney Andrew Seidel, who has become the Director of FFRF's Strategic Response team, about overtly theocratic public officials who don't know where to draw the line between state and church.
Apr 12, 2018•49 min
Atheists in the Bible Museum! For the first half of the show, we talk with FFRF attorney and Director of Strategic Response Andrew Seidel about our visit to the Museum of the Bible in Washington DC. Andrew describes many of the inaccuracies and exaggerations in the less-than-objective institution. Then FFRF Director of Communications Amit Pal interviews Annie Laurie and Dan about the 40-year history of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, established as a national group on April 5, 1978.
Apr 05, 2018•49 min
We have a fun "April Fool's" show this week. After discussing the partial (but strong) victory in our Indiana school nativity lawsuit with FFRF attorney Sam Grover, we hear Irish comic Dave Allen rip into the Catholic Church. Then we talk with New Orleans "dark humor" novelist Patty Friedmann about her new book, Organized Panic , which comically explores the challenges of living in a "mashed up" family of believers and nonbelievers.
Mar 29, 2018•49 min
We protest Kentucky Governor Bevin's declaration of "Christian Heritage Week." After we celebrate freethinking songwriter Stephen Sondheim's 88th birthday, FFRF Attorney Patrick Elliott tells us about the Ten Commandments plaque that we got removed from a Minnesota County courthouse. Annie Laurie memorializes former Wisconsin Attorney General Bronson La Follette, a friend to freethought. Then we talk with Mandisa Thomas, founder and president of Black Nonbelievers.
Mar 22, 2018•49 min
