Freethought Radio

David Diskin will talk about the hullabaloo over the Freedom From Religion Foundation's request to the City Council in Lodi, Calif., that it drop prayers to open the meetings. David was one of the organizers of a rally on Aug. 5 to counter religious zealots who descended on the town. And Jeff Sharlet will be a returning guest. The author of the timely book exposing the nefarious fundamentalist gro...

After news--the huge coverage of FFRF's complaint about city prayers in Lodi, Calif., and the conviction of a parent for letting his daughter die of untreated diabetes for religious reasons--Wisconsin folksingers Lou and Peter Berryman perform in the studio. They will perform their favorite songs touching on religion, including the song that inspired FFRF to name its crime blotter, 'Black Collar C...

Irreverent thoughts and thinkers will be featured this week. The August Freethinkers Almanac will highlight the contributions of famous unbelievers born in the month of August, many of whom are quoted in award-winning journalist Joan Konner's charming book, "The Atheist Bible: An Illustrious Collection of Irreverent Thoughts." Konner is dean emerita of the Columbia Gradutate school of Journalism a...

Chris Mooney, author of the new book, Unscientific America as well as The Republican War on Science, will be the guest. The hosts will also talk about all the attention the Foundation's newest federal lawsuit--challenging a move to engrave religious mottos prominently at the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center--is receiving, and provide a brief "Freethinkers Almanac" about famous freethinkers born in Jul...

The interview will feature distinguished and very charming science fiction and nonfiction author, the much-honored Ben Bova, an unbeliever. The hosts talk about FFRF's exciting new lawsuit filed this week, challenging Congressional mandates to engrave "In God We Trust" and the religious Pledge of Allegiance at the new Capitol Visitor's Center (through which everyone visiting the Capitol or their m...

Subject: Escape from Polygamy Freethought Radio will talk about some theocratic incursions, including a recent "morality" proclamation by an Oklahoma representative, and will play CNN TV coverage of FFRF's complaint over a prayer station in Warren, Mich. Interviewed will be Foundation member Ellie Strote, who will talk about growing up in a polygamous FLDS community, getting married an 15 and maki...

Tune in for timely commentary on secularism and patriotism, Gov. Mark Sanford's religious pronouncements, mews coverage of FFRF's first billboard in Alabama, and of FFRF's complaint about unlawful prayer by the city council in Lodi, Calif. The guest, a distinguished professor of history at Wayne State, will talk about the secular movement, Obama's faith-based partnership and living well without Go...

The distinguished civil rights attorney George Daly, of Charlotte, N.C., will talk about the lawsuit he has filed on behalf of FFRF and two South Carolina parents, challenging the granting of academic credit for religious release-time instruction. Also interviewed will be the new director of Secular Coalition of America, who is an attorney and a former Maine legislator.

Pat Cleveland will talk about freethought activism in the Deep South, and the hosts will interview Emmy-, Grammy- and Tony-award winning composer Charles Strouse, now 80, and author of the memoir, Put on a Happy Face, about his unbelief, his civil rights experiences and his music. Strouse wrote the music for such Broadway musicals as "Annie," "Applause" and "Bye, Bye, Birdie."

After parsing Pres. Obama's historic speech to Muslims in Cairo on June 4 for its religious content, the hosts will interview the director of the ACLU of  Okahoma Foundation, Joann Bell.  Joann will recount her harrowing experience challenging religious indoctrination at an Oklahoma public school in the 1980s, which prompted her activism with the ACLU. A new state/church victory in Oklahoma will b...

This week's broadcast will look at the assassination of Kansas physician George Tiller by a religious fanatic and domestic terrorist. The hosts will speak with Dr. Tiller's colleague, Eleanor Smeal, executive director of the Feminist Majority Foundation, which has played a vital role in organizing defense of abortion clinics.

"Atheist Sunday School"—What's Wrong with Hymns The remarks of Pres. Barack Obama in his May 17 speech to Notre Dame, including many deferential religious references and messages, will be parsed. And for something completely different, the hosts will do an eye-opening analysis of standard Christian hymns, such as "There Is a Foundation Filled with Blood," which reveal why the more one goes to chur...

Topic: "Jesus Killed Mohammed" (Harper's Magazine expose) After a look at timely topics in the news (including the "biblically correct" Miss California USA, the Pope's visit to the Mideast, a study correlating church-going with endorsement of torture, and the heartening secularization of American youths), the hosts will interview journalist and author Jeff Sharlet about his startling expose in thi...

Jennifer Hecht, author of Doubt: A History: The Great Doubters and Their Legacy of Innovation from Socrates and Jesus to Thomas Jefferson and Emily Dickinson, will talk about her book tracing the impressive history of doubt. Rebecca Kratz, FFRF staff attorney, will join Dan and Annie Laurie for updates over FFRF legal complaints about transportation of bibles to Iraq and Afghanistan by the militar...

Freethought Radio's guest will be Brent Michael Davids, an atheist, an enrolled citizen of the Mohican Nation, an American Indian music expert and a professional concert and film composer. Excerpts of some of his compositions, touching on Christianity's role in the genocide of American Indians, will be played. The hosts will discuss FFRF's lawsuit against the upcoming National Day of Prayer and th...

Bart D. Ehrman, the agnostic bestselling author of several books, most recently Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible (and Why We Don't Know About them), will be a guest. The program will also showcase nonbelieving classical composers, and take a look at state/church conflicts in Afghanistan.

Topics include: Why Is Pat Boone Unhappy with  FFRF? The hosts talk about FFRF's Good Friday state/church complaints, why Pat Boone doesn't like FFRF, and interview Matthew Rothschild, an atheist and editor of The Progressive Magazine, celebrating its 100th anniversary in May. Also a guest is student activist Andrew Cederdahl, the president of the Pastafarians at the University of South Carolina,...

The show will include lively commentary on news developments, a "Pagan Pulpit" on Easter, and interviews with author Barbara W. Walker on the real origins of Easter, and with 94-year-old Carnegie Hall conductor David Randolph. David Randolph will provide a sneak preview of the April 18 concert by the (secular) St. Cecelia Chorus on Sat., April 18, featuring the powerful works of two freethinkers:...

Stanford Prof. Paul Ehrlich, best-known for his Population Bomb bestseller, will talk about current overpopulation concerns and his latest book, The Dominant Animal: Human Evolution and the Environment. The hosts will also discuss FFRF's federal challenge of the National Day of Prayer, and commemorate the birthdate of irreverent lyricist E.Y. "Yip" Harburg.

The show will include an "Ask an Atheist" segment, comment on the controversy over the Pope and condoms, play a little Monty Python, and feature an interview with the head of Australia's atheist organization. Nicholls will talk about freethought Down Under, as well as the censorship of his group's proposed "Sleep in on Sundays" bus sign campaign.

Other Topics: Why Beware of Dogma? & How to Chime in Over New Bus Signs! Scientist and author Victor Stenger will be Saturday's guest. Stenger is the author of many books on science and reason, including God: The Failed Hypothesis (2007). The cohosts will relay reaction to the Foundation's "Beware of Dogma" billboard just posted in Boise, Idaho, and analyze some troubling news developments showing...

Topics: U.S.'s Growing Secularism, & What's Wrong with Pres. Obama's Faith-Based Plans? Barry A. Kosmin, a principal researcher of the definitive American Religious Identification Survey, will talk about the newest ARIS results released this week showing that up to 1 in 5 adult Americans is nonreligious, and the continuing decline of religiosity in America. Author, journalist and freethinker Susan...

The show will feature 2 interviews: a short conversation with Tennessee freethinker Sharron King about being an unbeliever in the South, and with Henry Steinberger, of SMART Recovery, offering a secular alternative to 12-step and AA-based programs for alcohol and drug use recovery. Also featured: a teaser for Philip Appleman's newest book of freethinking poetry, "Karma, Dharma, Pudding & Pie," and...

Also: The Current State of State/Church Separation Reporting on religion for the Los Angeles Times is eventually how journalist William Lobdell lost his religion. His new book, "Losing  My Religion," just came out this week so tune in for this interview! The hosts will also comment on current freethought and state/church developments, and debut Brazilian vocalist Sharon Bele's version of the song,...

Also: What's Wrong with Pres. Obama's Faith-based Council? President Obama's executive order creating a White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships will be analyzed and critiqued. The show will include audio clips of Obama's speech before the National Prayer Breakfast with host reactions. Author Eric Maisel will be interviewed about his new book: The Atheist's Way: Living Well...