Friendly Atheist Podcast

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Ep. 84 - Chaz Stevens, Atheist Provocateur Dec 06, 2015

Show notes

Chaz Stevens is an activist who's especially passionate about the First Amendment. In response to a Nativity scene in the Florida Capitol Building, he put up an 8-foot-tall Festivus pole made of Pabst Blue Ribbon cans. This year, he's attempting something similar with a 6-foot pole covered in rainbow colors. He has also been requesting to deliver invocations as a Satanist, forcing several city councils to abandon the prayer practice altogether. I spoke with Chaz about what a Satanist invocation would look like if he ever got to deliver one, why he prefers an over-the-top approach, and what he hopes to accomplish with his activism.

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Ep. 83 - Ask Me Anything Nov 29, 2015

Show notes

For this episode, I just answered a whole bunch of questions sent in by listeners! They include: - How can we help the "victims of religion"? - What are the differences between atheists who were once religious and those who have never been religious? - Are there any original atheism-related thoughts left to have? - How has the pressure to generate content changed the way that you interact with people and respond to issues? - Am I less "friendly" than I used to be? - How did I go from math teacher to full-time atheism blogger? And how much does that pay? - What tips do I have for young atheists trying to start a secular school group? - Have I ever been discriminated against due to my beliefs? - What are the positives of religion and the negatives of atheism? - How can "Nones" organize better to leverage our increasing numbers into political and social action? - What do I do to produce so much content? - Will I be speaking at the upcoming Reason Rally and how should it be different from the first? - Why bother with YouTube and podcasting? - Since the religious demographics are shifting so rapidly right now, will we continue heading down the "right path" as a country? - Why do you talk over your guests during podcasts? - Why do I post so many articles and videos on marginal preachers and religious people? - Do I always read the comments? - How do I select guest bloggers? - Will religion ever disappear completely? - How will my wife and I deal with religion with regards to our child?

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Ep. 82 - Sarah Haider, Ex-Muslim Nov 22, 2015

Show notes

Sarah Haider was born in Pakistan as a practicing Shia Muslim. She moved to Texas and, in her late teens, began reading the Qur'an critically. It wasn't long before she became an atheist. In 2013, she co-founded Ex-Muslims of North America, where she advocates for the acceptance of religious dissent and works to create local support communities for those who have left Islam. We spoke with Sarah about why it's dangerous for Muslims to leave the faith even in the United States, what the New Atheists get right and wrong about Islam, and why we need to stop using the word "Islamophobic."

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Ep. 81 - David Smalley, Host of Dogma Debate Nov 15, 2015

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David Smalley is a former Christian musician who became an atheist after studying psychology, sociology, world religions, and his own faith. He soon turned into a secular activist. He was the editor-in-chief of Secular World and American Atheist magazines, the author of Baptized Atheist, and co-founder of AtheistAudiobooks.com. His Secular Media Group will soon release a children's book titled Tiny Thinkers: Charlie and the Tortoise. You may know him best, however, from his incredibly popular podcast Dogma Debate which has tens of thousands of weekly subscribers. We spoke with David about why it's so important not to be an angry atheist (if you can help it), what it takes to be a successful podcaster, and why he's so passionate about atheist activism.

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Ep. 80 - Shawna Leneé, Porn Star Nov 08, 2015

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Shawna Leneé is an openly atheist adult film star who has appeared on the cover of Penthouse and won an AVN award for “Unsung Starlet of the Year.” She left the adult industry temporarily, at which point she attended college began a couple of small businesses, but she’s back making movies now. (You should assume everything in this interview is NSFW.)

We spoke with Shawna about why she believes her atheism is the most controversial thing about her, whether she meets a lot of religious people on set, and what she plans to tell her kids about her career.

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Ep. 79 - John W. Loftus, Debunking Christianity Nov 01, 2015

Show notes

John W. Loftus should be a Christian. He attended and graduated from Great Lakes Christian College, Lincoln Christian University, and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School where he learned under apologist William Lane Craig. But he's spent the last several years debunking the faith. His books include Why I Rejected Christianity, Why I Became an Atheist, and The Outsider Test for Faith. His latest book is strangely called How to Defend the Christian Faith. I spoke with John about the worst argument Christian apologists use, how learning the Bible caused him to leave the faith, and whether rejecting Christianity is the same thing as becoming an atheist.

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Ep. 78 - David Williamson, Secular Invocation Activist Oct 25, 2015

Show notes

David Williamson is the founder and President of the Central Florida Freethought Community. His group has been leading the way when it comes to getting atheists to give invocations at local government meetings. I spoke with David about why secular invocations are so valuable, step by step instructions on what local activists can do to get on these invocation lists, and what atheists should say if they get the opportunity to speak in front of government officials.

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Ep. 77 - Cathy Lynn Grossman, Journalist for Religion News Service Oct 18, 2015

Show notes

Cathy Lynn Grossman is a senior national correspondent for Religion News Service, a wire service for faith-based news. She often writes stories involving research and statistics. She also worked for more than two decades with USA Today. I spoke with Grossman about the toughest story she's ever written, what the Internet is doing to religion, and whether the amount of religion currently in politics is a new phenomenon.

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Ep. 76 - Jocelyn Floyd, Attorney with the Thomas More Society Oct 11, 2015

Show notes

Ep. 76 - Jocelyn Floyd, Attorney with the Thomas More Society by Hemant Mehta and Jessica Bluemke

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Ep. 75 - Lauren Lane, Executive Director of Skepticon Oct 04, 2015

Show notes

Lauren Lane is the Founder and Executive Director of Skepticon, a national conference located annually in Springfield, Missouri that promotes skepticism, science education, and community building. I spoke with Lauren about how her team runs a free conference for more than a thousand people, how they improve the event every year, and what goes on behind the scenes. (Disclosure: I've spoken at Skepticon multiple times, though I won't be able to attend this year. It's a wonderful event and you should all attend if you can!)

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