Freethought Radio

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SCOTUS Right and Wrong Jul 02, 2020

Show notes

The Mississippi flag swaps one exclusion (Confederate symbol) for another ("In God We Trust"). FFRF Senior Counsel Patrick Elliott explains our amicus brief supporting California's social-distancing requirement for churches and tells us what was wrong with the Supreme Court's Espinoza pro-voucher decision. Then FFRF's "Anne Nicol Gaylor Reproductive Rights Intern" Barbara Alvarez tells us what was right about the Supreme Court's June Medical decision about abortion.

The Best Medicine Jun 25, 2020

Show notes

For our first broadcast of the summer, we hear actor John de Lancie (who played Q on "Star Trek: The Next Generation") deliver a very moving virtual commencement address to graduating seniors in the Secular Student Alliance. Then we speak with award-winning NYC stand-up comedian and author Leighann Lord, who comments on the bird-watching incident in Central Park, and about her thoughts on Father's Day in her "People With Parents" podcast.

Freedom To Be Yourself Jun 18, 2020

Show notes

We celebrate this week's Supreme Court Bostock decision affirming civil-rights protections to the LGBTQ community. FFRF attorney Patrick Elliott explains how that case relates to religious liberty. After hearing the song "Freedom From Religion," we talk with Jon Steingard, the former lead singer of the Christian rock band Hawk Nelson, who just announced on Instagram that he no longer believes in God.

Supreme Court in the Balance Jun 11, 2020

Show notes

The Texas lieutenant governor and a Texas mayor are improperly mixing religion and government. We ask the Pennsylvania governor not to hand state money to churches. After hearing the freethinker Nina Simone's 1964 civil-rights protest song "Mississippi Goddam," we talk with eminent Chicago Law School professor Geoffrey R. Stone about the Supreme Court's upcoming decisions about abortion and state/church separation.

Religion and Racism Jun 04, 2020

Show notes

The President of the United States terrorizes fellow Americans in order to stage a Christian Nationalist photo-op. After hearing the protest song "No More" by Broadway composer Charles Strouse, we talk with author and filmmaker Jeremiah Camara about his movie Holy Hierarchy: The Religious Roots of Racism in America and about how we can address oppression and inequality in our country.

Pandemic Pandering May 28, 2020

Show notes

President Trump and public officials continue to pander to the Religious Right during the pandemic. FFRF legal fellow Dante Harootunian announces a state/church victory removing a Christian cross from a city mural in Illinois. After hearing the freethinking song "Let The Mystery Be" by Iris Dement, we talk with The Nation columnist Katha Pollitt about her recent column "Why Did the ERA Die? FX's 'Mrs. America' Has Some Answers."

Coronavirus Conspiracies May 21, 2020

Show notes

Churches or churchgoers in at least 19 states are hypocritically suing the government for shutting down public worship services. After hearing the Stephen Foster "comfort music" song "Hard Times Come Again No More," performed remotely by Rufus Wainwright and friends, we talk with Michael Shermer, editor of Skeptic magazine and author of the new book Giving the Devil His Due, about "COVID-19 Conspiracists and Their Discontents."

Think! May 14, 2020

Show notes

The virus of religion is worsening the pandemic. We talk about religious favoritism at the national and local levels, from the U.S. Supreme Court to states and counties that put ideology over science. Then we speak with Bonya Ahmed and Imtiaz Shams, founders of the new THINK project that is producing quality videos about science, reason and humanism in many languages for countries (including Bangladesh) with little access to such information.

Neighborhood Atheism May 07, 2020

Show notes

Guess what well-known person is a humanist? Today we talk about U.S. representatives calling for a National Day of Reason (not Prayer), FFRF's full-page ad in the New York Times, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's remarks on access to contraception, and a U.S. mosque broadcasting calls to prayer. Then we speak with atheist rapper Baba Brinkman and hear his songs "Stay Home!" and "Neighborhood Atheism."

Eradicate Superstition Apr 30, 2020

Show notes

Are clergy "essential" workers? FFRF is complaining about favoritism to religion during the coronavirus pandemic. Our comfort music this week is "Smile," written by the freethinking Charlie Chaplin. FFRF Director of Communications Amit Pal joins us as we talk by phone from locked-down India with Avinash Patil, the courageous executive president of the Organization to Eradicate Superstition in Maharashtra, India, whose founding president Narendra Dabholkar was murdered by religious fanatics.

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