Friendly Atheist Podcast

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Ep. 74 - Mrs. Betty Bowers, America's Best Christian Sep 27, 2015

Show notes

We're thrilled to speak with the team behind YouTube sensation Mrs. Betty Bowers. Andrew Bradley is the creator and writer for BettyBowers.com. If you haven't seen the videos, Betty is American's Best Christian, and she has a lot to say about traditional marriage, abortion, the upcoming elections, and so much more. She's a hilarious parody of right-wing extremists. Andrew was also one of the main writers for Landover Baptist Church, a parody of a fundamentalist Christian church that featured articles that people still believe are real. He's also the author of Welcome to JesusLand. Deven Green plays Mrs. Betty Bowers. She's a comedian, musician, and performer. She was also a comedy judge on RuPaul's Drag Race. We spoke with Andrew and Deven about how they collaborate, the kind of hate mail they receive, and the origins of Landover Baptist Church. By the way, this is our first time trying to host four people on the same phone call, so the audio's not always ideal, but hopefully it's all still audible!

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Ep. 73 - Dr. Keith Devlin, Mathematics Communicator and Author Sep 20, 2015

Show notes

Dr. Keith Devlin is a mathematician who's also known as The Math Guy on NPR's Weekend Edition. He has written several books explaining math to the masses. And he's also the co-founder and Executive Director of Stanford University's Human-Sciences and Technologies Advanced Research Institute (H-Star). We spoke with Dr. Devlin about why math is difficult to understand and explain, how we tend to know more about mathematicians' lives than their work, and whether programs like Khan Academy help or hurt students.

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Ep. 72 - Leah Vincent, Former Ultra-Orthodox Jew Sep 13, 2015

Show notes

Leah Vincent is a former Orthodox Jew and the author of Cut Me Loose: Sin and Salvation After My Ultra-Orthodox Girlhood. She's the first person in her family to attend college and she earned her Masters degree in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School. We spoke with Leah about her life growing up in the culture, what fundamentalist faiths have in common, and what she plans to teach her daughter about her religious background.

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Ep. 71 - Sarah Morehead, President of the Reason Rally Coalition Sep 05, 2015

Show notes

Sarah Morehead is the President of the Reason Rally Coalition. She is also Executive Director of Recovering From Religion, the group that runs the Hotline Project and Secular Therapist Project. She was named American Atheists' 2014 "Atheist of the Year." We spoke about what's in store for the 2016 Reason Rally and how it'll be different from the 2012 event, as well as her work behind the scenes putting together Apostacon.

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Ep. 70 - Attorney David Niose, on Legal Issues Affecting Young Atheists Aug 30, 2015

Show notes

David Niose has been the president of two major organizations, the American Humanist Association and the Secular Coalition for America. He currently serves as the AHA's legal director. He's also a lawyer who has argued in front of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court about why the Pledge of Allegiance shouldn't be recited in public school classrooms. And he's the author of Nonbeliever Nation and Fighting Back the Right: Reclaiming America from the Attack on Reason. We spoke with David about the legal issues affecting young atheists and how they should respond. Topics addressed include: Saying the Pledge of Allegiance, "See You at the Pole" events, religious choir music, science education, Gideons Bible giveaways, faith-based assemblies, and prayers at football games.

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Ep. 69 - Dan Barker, Co-President of the Freedom From Religion Foundation Aug 23, 2015

Show notes

Dan Barker was a teenage evangelist and longtime preacher before he stepped away from God for good. He is now the co-President of the Freedom From Religion Foundation (along with his wife Annie Laurie Gaylor), a group dedicated to the principle of separation of state and church. Barker is also the author of Godless (2008) and Life Driven Purpose (2015). I spoke with Barker about why he goes on The Daily Show even when the segments aren't very kind to him, his next project encouraging people to read the Bible, and how all Christian ministers are "slaves traders." (Yep.)

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Ep. 68 - Neil Carter, Writer at Godless in Dixie Aug 16, 2015

Show notes

Neil Carter is a blogger at Godless in Dixie, where he writes about being an atheist in the Deep South. He's a teacher, a personal trainer, and a father. I spoke with Neil about what it's like being non-religious in Mississippi, the "evandelism" that followed his coming out, and the importance of having someone to talk to when you have religious doubts.

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Ep. 67 - John Dehlin, Founder of the Mormon Stories Podcast Aug 09, 2015

Show notes

John Dehlin just completed his PhD in clinical and counseling psychology. But you may know him best as the founder of the Mormon Stories podcast, one that celebrates the faith and also critiques it when necessary. Because of some of his views supporting same-sex marriage and the ordination of women within Mormonism, Dehlin was excommunicated from the Church earlier this year for apostasy. That story was covered in the New York Times. We spoke with John about how discovering the truth about Mormon history pushed him away from the Church, why he still has a soft spot for the faith, and why Mormons have strategic reasons for standing firm against LGBT rights.

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Ep. 66 - Shulem Deen, Former Hasidic Jew Aug 02, 2015

Show notes

Shulem Deen is a former Hasidic Jew. Since leaving that world, he's founded the website Unpious which is a voice for other ultra-Orthodox Jews who may be rethinking their faith. His new memoir is called "All Who Go Do Not Return." We spoke with Shulem about the hypocrisy of Hasidic Jews regarding modern technology, how that community reacted to an episode of This American Life focusing on them, and how America Online became his gateway to the outside world.

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Ep. 65 - Bart Campolo, Humanist Chaplain and Former Evangelical Christian Jul 26, 2015

Show notes

Bart Campolo is a former evangelical Christian leader (and son of famed pastor Tony Campolo) who currently serves as the Humanist Chaplain at the University of Southern California and the University of California, Los Angeles. We spoke about progressive Christianity, what it was like coming to terms with his Humanism, and death. Lots about death. In all seriousness, it's one of the most interesting and inspiring conversations about death I've ever had. That segment begins around the 27:00 mark. Do yourself a favor and listen to it.

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