The first half of our show this week deals with the many Christian nationalist executive orders and actions of the Trump administration. We hear part of the "Stop Project 2025" rally in Madison, Wis. Then, we listen to Black/Latino atheist actor Jon Huertas, best known for playing Miguel Rivas in NBC's "This is Us," as he spoke to FFRF's Denver convention about "True Freedom: Breaking The Shackles Of Religious Indoctrination."
We cover a range of state/church news on the federal and state levels. We announce FFRF's Scopes Trial Centennial celebration to be held in Tennessee in July. After hearing the irreverent Monty Python song, "Every Sperm is Sacred," we memorialize the life of former Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards, an ardent proponent of feminism and democracy and author of the book Make Trouble , by replaying our 2018 interview with her on Freethought Radio.
This week we comment on the overtly religious nature of President Trump's inaugural "Christian Coronation," including invocations and benedictions claiming we are "one nation under God." Then, we speak with journalist Gareth Gore about his book on the Opus Dei called OPUS: The Cult of Dark Money, Human Trafficking, and Right-Wing Conspiracy inside the Catholic Church .
Most of the news on this week's show centers on Trump's nominations, many of whom are blatant Christian nationalists. FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence describes our newest lawsuit, just filed this week, challenging unconstitutional tax exemption for religiously owned commercial rental properties in Madison, Wis. Then we talk with a former "church lady," Carolyn Shadle, who was the Director of Religious Education at a Presbyterian church before she abandoned her faith. Her new book is called Fr...
We celebrate the release from prison of Nigerian humanist Mubarak Bala who was convicted of the "crime" of blasphemy. FFRF Senior Litigation Counsel Sam Grover updates us on our lawsuit challenging the law requiring the posting of the Ten Commandments in Louisiana public schools. Then, we hear some shocking stories about early Christianity from Catherine Nixey, author of the book Heretic: Jesus Christ and the Other Sons of God .
We listen to Seth Andrews, host of "The Thinking Atheist" podcast, read Dan Barker's article "The Top 10 Absolute Worst Old Testament Verses." Then, we hear Washington Post columnist Kate Cohen's entertaining and thought-provoking speech at FFRF's 2024 convention called "Tampon Tim and the Long Reach of Religion."
After reporting on state/church news in Iowa, California, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Texas and Washington state, we listen to jazz vocalist Susan Hofer sing "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" accompanied by Dan Barker on the piano. Then, we hear Brandon Wolf, a survivor of the 2016 Pulse Nightclub shooting, as he accepted FFRF's $50,000 Henry Zumach "Freedom From Religious Fundamentalism" award on behalf of the Human Rights Campaign.
The Winter Solstice (December 21 this year) is the real reason for the season. We celebrate this festive time of year with music and freethought humor, including songs and performances by Kristin Lems, Dan Barker, Tim Minchin, Roy Zimmerman, Irving Berlin, Trey Parker, Tom Lehrer, the London Humanist Choir, Ken Lonnquist and Brent Michael Davids.
After covering state/church news in Illinois, Wisconsin, California, West Virginia and Minnesota, we celebrate "Bill of Rights Day" (Dec. 15) by hearing Dan Barker's song "The Battle of Church and State." Then, we speak with renowned biblical scholar John J. Collins of Yale Divinity School about his book, Does the Bible Justify Violence?
After criticizing some of Trump's Christian-nationalist departmental and cabinet picks, we speak with FFRF Deputy Legal Director Liz Cavell about this week's oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in a case dealing with Tennessee's law (based on religious doctrine) banning medical care for transgender minors. Then, we hear New York Times columnist Michelle Goldberg, author of the book Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism , accepting FFRF's Clarence Darrow Award, where she desc...
This Thanksgiving, we give thanks not to a deity, but to real people. After reporting state/church news and victories, we hear Tahira Clayton and the Godless Gospel group perform Dan Barker's song "Let's All Give Thanks." Then, we talk about the "fine-tuning" argument with astronomer Kelsey Johnson, author of the new book, Into the Unknown: The Quest to Understand the Mysteries of the Cosmos .
We talk about Trump's cabinet picks and report on state/church news around the country. FFRF's Senior Litigation Counsel Sam Grover joins us to talk about our recent complaint over Oklahoma Superintendent of Education Ryan Walters pushing religion in public schools. Then, we hear Annie Laurie Gaylor and Maryam Namazie (Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain) debate the topic "Feminism and Religion are Incompatible" at Cambridge University last week.
As we prepare for President-elect Donald Trump's second term, we hear a speech from Bradley Onishi, author of Preparing for War: The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism -- And What Comes Next , about the growing threat of Christian nationalism.
After the election results, FFRF is determined to keep fighting. We hear the song "Keep Marching On" from the Broadway musical "Suffs." Then, Bonnie Garmus, author of the award-winning best-selling feminist/freethought novel Lessons in Chemistry , tells the charming and funny story about how she lost her faith as a teenager in the Presbyterian Church.
It's a scary show this week. We report on our Denver billboard saying: "Keep Freedom Alive: Stop Project 2025." Dan Barker talks about his trip to Nigeria to visit humanists and freethinkers combating superstition in that country. Annie Laurie Gaylor describes the danger to women's rights in the current election. Then, we talk with Alex Aronson, founder and president of Court Accountability, who describes the scary details of Project 2025.
After we report on state/church news and victories in Florida, California and North Carolina, FFRF Legal Director Patrick Elliott describes FFRF's new lawsuit challenging proposed bible distribution in Oklahoma public schools. Then we hear author and journalist Katherine Stewart, accepting FFRF's "Freethought Heroine" award, warn of the dangers of religious nationalism.
We announce FFRF's new lawsuit against bible-toting Oklahoma state Superintendent Ryan Walters. Producer Leo Costello interviews "Democracy in Chains" author Nancy MacLean, who is touring with "Bad Faith" documentary screenings. And veteran reporter Linda Greenhouse tells us how some justices are engaging in "grievance Christianity."
After reporting state/church news in Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Alaska, we devote a segment to the dangers of the proposed Christian-right authoritarian "Project 2025." Then, we hear the engaging speech by Ron Reagan (son of the former president) given at FFRF's annual convention last month, where he tells us about the authoritarian threats to our planet and to democracy -- and what we can do about those threats.
Coach Deion Sanders is at it again, and FFRF is again complaining to the University of Colorado about his mixing religion and government. We report state/church complaints and victories in Mississippi, Missouri and Texas. After we hear Roy Zimmerman's hilarious satirical song, "I Want a Marriage Like They Had in the Bible," FFRF Senior Policy Counsel Ryan Jayne and State Advocacy Specialist Ryan Dudley tell us about the FFRF Action Fund's work tracking and influencing legislation affecting the r...
Annie Laurie reports on religiously motivated abortion referenda in seven states around the country, as well as the repressive 19th-century Comstock Act that is still invoked today to limit women's rights as it did with Margaret Sanger. We hear Dan Barker's tribute song to Margaret Sanger called "No Gods, No Masters." Then we speak with scholar Matthew D. Taylor about his new book about the January 6 insurrection, The Violent Take it By Force: The Christian Movement that is Threatening Our Democ...
After reporting state/church news in New York, Alabama, Mississippi, Missouri and Virginia, we hear Dan Barker's song "Life is Good!" performed by Tahira Clayton and the Godless Gospel singers. Then, we speak with Tia Levings, author of the bestselling book A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy .
Margaret Downey, president of the Thomas Paine Memorial Association, tells us about an exciting celebration of the birth of the "Forgotten Founder" Thomas Paine on his Jan. 29 birthday. Then, FFRF Director of Communications Amit Pal speaks with the actor, theater director and artist-in-residence at UW-Madison Vamsi Matta, a Dalit (the most oppressed in the Hindu caste hierarchy) who is fighting back against religious discrimination.
FFRF Legal Director Patrick Elliot and FFRF Legal Fellow Hirsh Joshi join us to talk about state-church developments in Utah, Alabama, Colorado, Missouri, Tennessee and Minnesota. Then, we speak with Michigan State University Professor Josh Cowen about his new book, The Privateers: How Billionaires Created a Culture War and Sold School Vouchers .
After news updates, the hosts recap the "Celebrate Dissent" conference in Oslo about ex-Muslims. Annie Laurie Gaylor then interviews co-host Dan Barker about Contraduction , his new book on "the death of the Design Argument."
After summarizing secular activism and victories around the country, we talk about secularism and Hindu nationalism in India (the world's largest secular democracy) with our two guests: activist Shabnam Hashmi from India and Professor Barry A. Kosmin from here in the United States. Interspersed through the show is the music of freethinking jazz legend Charlie "Bird" Parker, whose birth anniversary we celebrate today.
We announce FFRF's Chicago billboard saying "Keep Freedom Alive: Stop Project 2025." After reporting state/church complaints and victories in Texas, Missouri, Florida, and Arkansas, we announce FFRF Action Fund's "Secularist of the Week." Then, we take a time machine back to 2006, our first year of broadcast, to hear our first interview with philosopher Daniel C. Dennett, the year of release of his blockbuster book Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon .
After reporting on efforts to keep state and church separate in Tennessee, Indiana, Oklahoma, and Florida, we get acquainted with FFRF's new multimedia producer Leo Costello. Then, South Carolina humanist and atheist debater Herb Silverman, founder and president emeritus of the Secular Coalition for America, tells us "How to talk to Christians."
After reporting on state/church news around the country, FFRF's Senior Counsel Sam Grover tells us about the FFRF court victory against the Texas governor that took nine years to finalize! We hear the song "Because" by Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir. Then, we speak with "Reverend Billy" (William Talen), the "pastor" of the secular Earth Church in New York City who uses performance art to combat consumerism and save the planet.
We describe our legal efforts to gain information about the attempt by the Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Education to put the bible into every classroom, and similar attempts in Tennessee to inject religion into government. We hear Rupert Brooke's poem "Heaven" (from the point of view of a fish) set to music by Dan Barker. Then we talk with Cara Fitzpatrick, author of the new book, The Death of Public School: How Conservatives Won the War Over Education in America .
Project 2025 and "divine intervention" are discussed, as well as state/church complaints and victories in Oklahoma, Louisiana, Illinois, New Jersey and Tennessee. FFRF Anne Nicol Gaylor Legal Fellow Sammi Lawrence joins us to talk about our legal victory allowing a nonreligious after-school group to meet on campus alongside the religious Good News Club in Memphis, Tenn. Then, we talk with evolutionary psychologist Will M. Gervais about his new book Disbelief: The Origins of Atheism in a Religiou...
