Free Inquiry Audio Edition

Ronald A. Lindsay critiques critiques the excessive media focus on the death of Pope Francis. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://secularhumanism.org/exclusive/cult-leader-dies/ About the Author: Ronald A. Lindsay is the former president and CEO of the Center for Inquiry, recent interim general counsel for CFI, and editor of Free Inquiry magazine. Subscribe to Free Inqui...

Ronald A. Lindsay argues that neither the religious Right nor Left should invoke scripture in political debates, as religious texts are too malleable and subjective to form a basis for public policy. To preserve meaningful democratic discourse, he asserts, the public square must remain secular, grounded in reasoning accessible to all citizens. Read this article and find accompanying references at:...

Ronald A. Lindsay contrasts Donald Trump's privileged treatment under the law with the harsh, unlawful deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, revealing stark inequalities in the justice system. While Trump avoids accountability and portrays himself as a victim, Abrego Garcia was denied basic legal rights and remains imprisoned abroad despite government acknowledgment of wrongdoing. Read this article...

Robyn E. Blumner reflects on the landmark 2005 Kitzmiller v. Dover trial, which struck down the teaching of intelligent design in public schools as a violation of the Establishment Clause. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://secularhumanism.org/2025/03/the-dover-trial-revisited-still-one-for-the-ages/ Register for the Scopes Trial Centennial Conference:  https://centerfo...

Stephen Law argues that teaching philosophy to young people fosters independent critical thinking, which is essential for raising Enlightened citizens—those who dare to think for themselves rather than passively accept authority and tradition. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://secularhumanism.org/2025/03/philosophy-and-raising-good-citizens/ About the Author:   Stephen...

Gary Grancione responds to Ronald Lindsay in the next installment of our ongoing Debating Veganism section . Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://secularhumanism.org/2025/03/lindsays-nonresponsive-reply/ About the Author: Gary L. Francione is Board of Governors Professor of Law and Katzenbach Scholar of Law and Philosophy Emeritus at Rutgers University in New Jersey. He i...

Ronald Lindsay responds to Gary Francione's rebuttal in the next installment of our ongoing Debating Veganism section. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://secularhumanism.org/2025/03/franciones-misguided-misdirected-argument/ About the Author:  Ronald A. Lindsay is the former president and CEO of the Center for Inquiry, recent interim general counsel for CFI, and editor...

Gary L. Francione continues our "Debating Veganism" section , responding to Ronald Lindsay's criticism of his arguement. Francione claimes that his book, Why Veganism Matters: The Moral Status of Animals , does not seek to convince those who believe animals lack moral value but rather asserts that anyone who acknowledges animals' moral worth must logically adopt veganism. Read this article and fin...

Bret Stephens argues that universities have drifted away from their traditional liberal values—open inquiry, intellectual independence, and merit-based excellence—toward an illiberal model that prioritizes political activism, identity-based ideology, and social engineering. He contends that this shift has eroded public trust, stifled free expression, and fostered campus environments hostile to dis...

Free Inquiry  editor Ronald A. Lindsay provides a summary of what you will find in this issue of the magazine titled Education & Enlightenment Values. Read articles from the April May 2025 issue of Free Inquiry at: https://secularhumanism.org/volume/no-3-vol-45/ About the Author:  Ronald A. Lindsay is the former president and CEO of the Center for Inquiry, recent interim general counsel for CFI, a...

Ronald A. Lindsay argues that secular humanism is best understood as a methodology grounded in principles like evidence-based reasoning, free inquiry, and individual autonomy, rather than as a creed, ideology, or rigid philosophy. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://secularhumanism.org/2025/01/humanism-is-not-a-creed/ About the Author:  Ronald A. Lindsay is the former pr...

Nathan Lents describes the diverse way that social animals, including us, approach gender and sexual relationships. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://secularhumanism.org/2025/01/get-gender-ideology-out-of-biology/ About the Author: Nathan H. Lents, PhD, is professor of biology at John Jay College of The City University of New York, visiting professor of forensic biolog...

Robert Pokorski critiques recent anti-transgender legislation in Texas, highlighting how such laws, framed as protecting parental rights, paradoxically strip parents of the freedom to make medical decisions for their transgender children. He argues that these policies distract from critical issues like child poverty, healthcare deficits, and gun violence, prioritizing the eradication of transgende...

Tilda Storey-Law's essay examines the emotional and cognitive dynamics underlying the transgender bathroom debate, particularly through the lens of J.K. Rowling's criticism of the proposed reforms to the U.K.'s Gender Recognition Act (GRA). Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://secularhumanism.org/2025/01/in-the-toilet-with-j-k-rowling-reason-vs-emotion-in-the-transgender-...

Gary L. Francione's article explores the controversy surrounding transgender rights through the lens of liberal pluralism. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://secularhumanism.org/2025/01/transgender-rights-a-framework-for-resolving-the-controversy/ About the Author: Gary L. Francione is Board of Governors Professor of Law and Katzenbach Scholar of Law and Philosophy Emer...

Free Inquiry editor Ronald Lindsay introduces a special section of Volume 45, No. 2, focusing on transgender controversies. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://secularhumanism.org/2025/01/introduction-to-special-section-on-transgender-controversies/ About the Author: Ronald A. Lindsay is the former president and CEO of the Center for Inquiry, recent interim general couns...

Christo Roberts critiques the claim that Christianity played a pivotal role in abolishing slavery, particularly focusing on historical and theological contexts.  Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://secularhumanism.org/2025/01/christianitys-supposed-role-in-ending-slavery/ About the Author: Christo Roberts is a contributor to Free Inquiry magazine. Read more here https://...

Russell Blackford critiques government-driven efforts to combat misinformation, warning that such laws can turn digital platforms into "ministries of truth," suppressing dissent and entrenching ideological orthodoxy. While he acknowledges the dangers of unchecked misinformation, he advocates for ethical self-regulation and informed public discourse as more democratic alternatives, albeit challengi...

Jennifer and Jason Reinoehl's 2023 lawsuit against their local school for teaching evolution echoed the century-old debate over science and religion from the Scopes Trial, alleging it promoted atheism and violated their parental rights. Though their case was dismissed as "futile," efforts to undermine evolution persist, with creationist legislation and advocacy testing the boundaries of science ed...

Gabriel Dall'Alba and Guilherme Guzzo's article delves into the ways people form, protect, and identify with their beliefs, drawing parallels between beliefs and personal possessions. Using examples like Festinger's study of the "Seekers," they illustrate how social support, personal investment, and tribal identity can entrench beliefs, making them resistant to change even when contradicted by evi...

Thomas Ricento explores the tension between the myth of America as a Christian nation and its historical reality as a secular democracy. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://secularhumanism.org/2024/11/can-america-survive-as-a-secular-democracy/ About the Author: Thomas Ricento, PhD, is professor and research chair, emeritus, at the University of Calgary, Canada. He has a...

About the Author: Robert F. Allen lives in the Philadelphia suburbs where he is editor, president, and chair of absolutely nothing. He writes, brews beer, reads, and plays traditional music for no reason other than to entertain himself and others—but mostly himself. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://secularhumanism.org/2023/12/my-children-the-atheists/ Subscribe to Fre...

Free Inquiry Audio Edition is a production of Free Inquiry and the Center for Inquiry. About the Author: Patrick Gannon is a technical blogger and a small-business owner providing enterprise-class broadband satellite services to clients all over the globe. He is an ardent blog participant in diverse forums, mostly debating religious issues, and maintains a keen interest in science. Read this artic...

Free Inquiry Audio Edition is a production of Free Inquiry and the Center for Inquiry. About the Author: S. T. Joshi is the author of The Downfall of God: A History of Atheism in the West , forthcoming from Pitchstone Books. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://secularhumanism.org/2024/09/the-torment-of-samuel-alito/ Subscribe to Free Inquiry:  https://secularhumanism.org...

Free Inquiry Audio Edition is a production of Free Inquiry and the Center for Inquiry. About the Author: Andrea Szalanski began work for what is now the Center for Inquiry in 1983. She was the managing editor for Free Inquiry and editor of the Secular Humanist Bulletin until 2017. Over the years, she also performed public relations, editorial, and production duties for many CFI endeavors. Read thi...