Friendly Atheist Podcast

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Ep. 194 - Jesus And The Wedding Cake Of Bigotry Dec 09, 2017

Show notes

Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics.

-- The Supreme Court heard the case of an anti-gay Christian baker. (1:13)

-- Roy Moore only has one issue on his platform: Abortion. Should Democrats have run an anti-abortion candidate? (10:40)

-- Pat Robertson told a woman collecting unemployment checks that she needs to keep tithing if she wants to find a job. (27:50)

-- Kim Davis will be challenged for her county clerk seat by a gay man whose marriage license she once denied. (29:43)

-- The Pope may change the Lord's Prayer. (32:10)

-- A GOP-appointed Florida commission may put church/state separation on the 2018 ballot. (35:04)

-- Why would Mike Pence stick with Donald Trump? Because it's part of God's Plan for him. (40:48)

-- Ravi Zacharias, whose falsified his credentials for years, blames you for his lies. (48:29)

-- A former priest was finally convicted of a murder that happened 50 years ago. (56:44)

-- Jessica unleashes an epic rant brought about by the question: Is hugging still okay? (58:09)

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Ep. 193 - Will Anything Prevent A Roy Moore Victory? Dec 02, 2017

Show notes

Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics.

-- Donald Trump screwed up Christianity 101 at the White House Christmas Tree Lighting. (1:17)

-- Will anything prevent evangelical Christians from voting for Roy Moore in next week's special election to the Senate? (7:36)

-- In a tragic story, an atheist activist killed his wife, then himself, in a "suspected murder-suicide." (27:26)

-- American Atheists' new billboard campaign says "Just Skip Church‚ It's All Fake News!" (32:24)

-- Does the Creation Museum's new exhibit make Creationists look dumb? Or did I speak too soon? (34:10)

-- And what can we learn from Ark Encounter's attendance numbers? (39:15)

-- Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias can't explain his biographical lies. (45:25)

-- These Christian standardized exams are bad indicators of college performance. (58:13)

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Ep. 192 - Business Is Open On Sunday Nov 25, 2017

Show notes

Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. (We had an echo during the recording. Sorry! We'll fix it next time.)

-- A Scottish shop owner got pushback for keeping her store open on Sundays. (1:16)

-- A New Zealand megachurch will lose its tax exempt status after failing to file tax returns. (7:26)

-- Why are these UK water companies okay with workers who use divining rods? (12:33)

-- This guy wants to launch himself in space to prove the world is flat. (16:30)

-- The problems with atheist conventions. (23:35)

-- Bob Marshall, the VA Republican who lost to transgender challenger Danica Roem, is furious that his letter to the editor was edited. (52:37)

-- An Australian official won't support marriage equality because of crocodile attacks. (56:55)

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Ep. 191 - Why, Al Franken, Why? Nov 18, 2017

Show notes

Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics.

-- How should we be reacting to the news that Sen. Al Franken once groped and kissed a model without her consent? (0:42)

-- Roy Moore's defenders are not making him look good. (18:17)

-- An Australian lawyer will help a Christian couple get divorced after marriage equality passes. (24:43)

-- An assisted suicide bill was defeated in New South Wales, in part due to misinformation. (27:30)

-- Will Donald Trump hurt the "pro-life" movement in the long term? (31:49)

-- A conservative Ohio lawmaker resigned after getting caught having an affair in his office with another man. (37:44)

-- Should Muslim Barbie wear a hijab? (42:00)

-- Televangelist Jim Bakker says "They outlawed 'Merry Christmas' a few years ago." (44:45)

-- Did this truck driver break any laws when she put a derogatory message about Trump on her back window? (48:55)

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Ep. 190 - Roy Moore Needed An 11th Commandment Nov 11, 2017

Show notes

Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics.

-- The Texas shooter was allegedly an atheist. Is it true? What would that even mean in this situation? (0:49)

-- Roy Moore, the family values Christian and Senate candidate, allegedly molested a 14-year-old girl several decades ago. (14:41)

-- Congressman Jared Huffman said he doesn't believe in God... and no one seemed to care. (31:50)

-- Ex-Jehovah's Witnesses are making their presence known in Kingdom Hall meetings. Is that a good tactic? (40:31)

-- Donald Trump supposedly wants to revoke the Church of Scientology's tax exemption. (52:24)

-- Does your church have secrets? FaithLeaks wants to know. (1:01:25)

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Ep. 189 - Canada Appreciates Science Nov 04, 2017

Show notes

Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics.

-- Some critics are angry that Canada's Governor General Julie Payette mocked pseudoscience. (1:05)

-- Pat Robertson tried comforting a grieving mother by trashing atheists. (13:00)

-- The GOP's tax plan would let pastors endorse candidates from the pulpit without punishment. (18:58)

-- A Christian pastor (wrongly) claimed there are no atheist relief groups. (27:06)

-- A Christian activist offered a disturbing rewrite of a Disney show with a gay main character. (35:11)

-- A Christian college is forcing freshmen to take a class in patriotism. (45:20)

-- There's no single "atheist movement" and we have to acknowledge that. (51:59)

-- Harvey Weinstein has a Bible verse on his hat. (1:13:54)

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Ep. 188 - Alberta's Sex Miseducation Lessons Oct 28, 2017

Show notes

Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics.

-- Arkansas State Senator Jason Rapert and the Ten Commandments monument going up (again) in Arkansas. (0:30)

-- Alberta Catholic schools want to teach an alternative sex ed curriculum. (13:25)

-- The dad from Duck Dynasty is spreading the lie that crime soars in areas without God. (24:40)

-- A new Satanic billboard says "Our religion doesn't believe in hitting children." (32:10)

-- No one in this TX school district understands the Establishment Clause. (36:40)

-- The Catholic Church won't allow a gravestone marker calling out abusive priests. (43:36)

-- Pastor Robert Jeffress says we've let atheists "seize control of this country." (49:13)

-- An Indiana county ended a life-saving needle exchange program because Jesus said so. (55:49)

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Ep. 187 - Jacindamania Oct 21, 2017

Show notes

Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics.

-- The new Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, is an ex-Mormon who describes herself as Agnostic. (1:41)

-- There's a push for Christian churches to clarify where they stand on issues involving LGBTQ rights. (8:18)

-- An ad campaign for the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter makes no sense at all. (19:40)

-- Most Americans no longer believe you need God to be good. (28:00)

-- Here's how a Religious Right group is misleading Congress about support for the Johnson Amendment repeal. (35:06)

-- The Boy Scouts of America will let girls join! But open atheists are still banned. Don't worry. A Christian alternative still proudly bans everyone who isn't a straight, cisgender boy. (44:04)

-- Young people are shedding their faith long before they go to college, contrary to the plot of movies like God's Not Dead. (56:35)

-- Go watch this incredible (and short) documentary of an atheist who escaped the train to Auschwitz during World War II. (1:11:00)

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Ep. 186 - Stephen Mansfield, Author of Choosing Donald Trump Oct 13, 2017

Show notes

81% of evangelical Christians voted for Donald Trump last year, despite his bragging about sexual assault, despite his multiple marriages, despite his wealth and complete lack of concern for the poor, despite his flip-flopping on matters of abortion and saying women who had them needed to be punished, despite the lies and racism and bigotry. It seems like they were going to vote for whoever the Republican candidate was no matter what. And that no matter what continues to play out today. Trump is a deeply unpopular president whose decisions and morals are constantly questioned. He may be nominating the Religious Right's Dream Team to judicial seats, including the Supreme Court, but beyond that, it's hard to see how he fits the mold of a "family values" conservative who inspires loves for Jesus. So how did he do it? How did he convince evangelicals to support him, not just in the election, but to this day? And will there be any consequences for evangelicals moving forward? Stephen Mansfield explores all those questions in his new book Choosing Donald Trump: God, Anger, Hope, and Why Christian Conservatives Supported Him. I spoke with him about whether Trump's presidency will hurt evangelical Christianity, if there's anything Trump can do to lose the Religious Right's support, and why Trump's pandering rhetoric is so powerful.

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Ep. 185 - Your Post-Vegas Thoughts And Prayers Aren't Helping Oct 06, 2017

Show notes

Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics.

-- Your thoughts and prayers after the shooting in Las Vegas aren't helping. (1:06)

-- The folks at Fox and Friends think the shooter just "didn't believe in God." (14:31)

-- The worst response to the shooting came from a Mormon who blamed the victims. (22:02)

-- What should we make of the survivor who said he found God after surviving the massacre? (24:25)

-- A woman says God protected her... after surviving an awful car accident. (32:53)

-- The 14 Attorneys General who say a Giant Christian Cross in a Florida park is totally secular. (36:27)

-- It's okay to question a judicial nominee's religious history. (43:31)

-- Anti-abortion politician Rep. Tim Murphy is resigning after allegedly texting his mistress to tell her to abort their possible lovechild. (53:27)

-- Flipping the bird in church is constitutionally protected speech! (56:47)

-- Happy stories... about why Olive Garden is ruining Hemant. (1:02:22)

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