Friendly Atheist Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 54 - Jennifer Michael Hecht, Author of Doubt: A History May 10, 2015

Show notes

Jennifer Michael Hecht is a historian, philosopher, and author of several bestselling books including Doubt: A History. Her latest book is called Stay: A History of Suicide and the Philosophies Against It. At the American Atheists 2015 convention in Memphis, Tennessee, Jessica spoke with Jennifer about how thoughts of suicide differ between atheists and religious people, how more people in history have been atheists than believers, and whether it's possible to discern what certain historical figures thought about God.

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Ep. 53 - Gerald Posner, Author of God's Bankers May 04, 2015

Show notes

Gerald Posner is an investigative journalist and author of several books, including ones about the assassinations of JFK and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His latest book, God's Bankers, is all about the Vatican's finances, and how the Church got involved with the Mafia and money launderers. We spoke with Gerald about how he followed the trail of the Church's money, what the Vatican Bank is used for, and the advice he has for investigative journalists.

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Ep. 52 - Mystery Science Theater 3000's Trace Beaulieu And Frank Conniff Apr 26, 2015

Show notes

Trace Beaulieu and Frank Conniff are writers and actors best known for their work on Mystery Science Theater 3000. At the American Atheists 2015 convention in Memphis, Tennessee, Jessica spoke with Trace and Frank about the genesis of MST3K, what they think about podcasts, and whether it's tough to be known only for the show rather than their other projects. (Image via Tim Dorr on Flickr)

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Ep. 51 - Megan Fox, Evolution Exhibit "Auditer" Apr 19, 2015

Show notes

Megan Fox is the apparent evolution-denier who "debunked" a science exhibit at Chicago's Field Museum of Natural History and posted the video on YouTube. In a long, far-ranging, and sometimes infuriating interview, we talked about the reactions to her "audit" videos, whether her gender plays a role in the backlash, and why she doesn't consider herself a Creationist. We also discussed why she believes not censoring the Internet in a local library's adult section sanctions "taxpayer funded access to child porn." (In response to her battle with the Orland Park Public Library, readers of Friendly Atheist raised nearly $7,000 for the library's general fund.)

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Ep. 50 - Dr. Susan Blackmore, Meme Researcher Apr 12, 2015

Show notes

Dr. Susan Blackmore is a writer, researcher, and speaker best known for her book "The Meme Machine." At the American Atheists 2015 convention in Memphis, Tennessee, Jessica spoke with Susan about the mystery of consciousness, Blackmore's fascination with memes, and why she avoids most forms of social media. (Image via Wikipedia)

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Ep. 49 - Jason Heap, Executive Director of the United Coalition of Reason Apr 05, 2015

Show notes

Jason Heap is the Executive Director of the United Coalition of Reason, an organization that has placed billboards promoting local atheist groups all over the country. He is also trying to become the first Humanist chaplain in the United States Armed Forces. I spoke with Jason about the strategy behind putting up non-aggressive billboards, how he left the evangelical Christian faith he was raised in, and why politicians are working so hard to prevent Humanists from becoming officially-recognized chaplains.

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Ep. 48 - Jerry DeWitt, Pentecostal Preacher Turned Outspoken Atheist Mar 29, 2015

Show notes

Jerry DeWitt was a Pentecostal preacher from Louisiana whose faith began cracking a few years ago. At first, he battled with his doubts internally, but he soon realized he no longer believed what he had been saying from the pulpit for nearly 25 years. When he finally declared -- publicly -- that he was an atheist, his life began to fall apart. He wrote about his deconversion in his book Hope After Faith. You may have also seen him in the recent CNN special "Atheists: Inside the World of Non-Believers." Hemant spoke with Jerry recently about what led him to initially doubt his religious beliefs, his journey through the Clergy Project, and how he can still get himself into "preacher mode" when speaking. (Jessica will return to the show in a couple of weeks!)

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Ep. 47 - Wendy Thomas Russell, Author of "Relax, It's Just God" Mar 22, 2015

Show notes

Wendy Thomas Russell is a journalist who spent years covering criminal justice. In 2008, she began writing books for and about children, including three books for the Girl Scouts. In 2011, her focus shifted to secular parenting. Not only does she blog on Patheos at Natural Wonderers, she is about to release a new book called Relax, It's Just God: How and Why to Talk to Your Kids About Religion When You're Not Religious. We spoke with Wendy about whether or not it makes sense to raise your child as an atheist, why the "sex talk" is easier than the "God talk," and what she learned from the authors of other books about atheist parenting.

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Ep. 46 - Nancy French, Best-selling Author and Ghostwriter for Bristol & Sarah Palin Mar 15, 2015

Show notes

Nancy French is a four-time New York Times best-selling author who has written books with Sarah Palin, Bristol Palin, The Bachelor star Sean Lowe, and Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson. We spoke with her about whether liberals misunderstand Sarah Palin, how she came to support Mitt Romney (who doesn't share her faith), and why all of her collaborations have the same starting point.

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Ep. 45 - Trevor McKendrick, Atheist Who Created Popular Spanish-Language Bible App Mar 08, 2015

Show notes

A few weeks ago, I was listening to Alex Blumberg's popular podcast StartUp which is all about his journey beginning his own podcasting company. In one episode, he aired a conversation with Trevor McKendrick, an atheist who was making quite a bit of money selling a Spanish-language Bible app for your phone. So you know we had to talk to him ourselves. We spoke with Trevor about the overwhelmingly positive reaction to the story, how it publicized his atheism more than he expected (especially as an ex-Mormon), and what Bible-buying trends look like online.

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