Freethought Radio

Major court win! FFRF attorney Liz Cavell joins us to talk about FFRF's successful lawsuit blocking the state of Alabama from requiring the religious "So Help Me, God" oath on voter registration forms, a victory for state/church separation as well as voting rights. After listening to freethinker Yip Harburg sing "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?", we hear Ron Reagan , son of president Ronald and Nan...

We celebrate the fact that U.S. church membership is now below 50 percent, complain about voter suppression by evangelicals, and announce a historic endowment for Secular Studies. After hearing the Dan Barker/Charles Strouse song "Poor Little Me," we talk with neuroscientist and freethinker (and creator of the Palm Pilot) Jeff Hawkins about his new groundbreaking book, A Thousand Brains: A New The...

"Thoughts and prayers" are not enough. Violence — often prompted or exacerbated by religion — must be addressed with meaningful legislation. We encourage people this week to take action to protect state/church separation in Arizona, Delaware and Tennessee. After hearing Dan Barker's song "Get Off Your Knees (And Get To Work)," we talk with former Madison Avenue adman John Follis about his award-wi...

Happy spring! FFRF attorney Maddy Zeigler reports legal victories in Pennsylvania, Indiana and Michigan. A year into the pandemic, we see that "thoughts and prayers" are no match for science and action. We hear Roy Zimmerman sing "To The Victims of This Tragedy." Then we ask: Is atheism good for your health? We speak with Professor David Speed of the University of New Brunswick, author of a new st...

We report that atheists are more likely to be vaccinated than any other group. FFRF staff attorney Patrick Elliott explains a Supreme Court decision that is helpful to state/church lawsuits. FFRF Director of Strategic Response Andrew Seidel tells us why Congress' HR1 "For The People Act" voting-rights bill is good for seculars. Then we talk with the actor and author Alice Greczyn about her new fun...

We celebrate Women's History Month by cheering New Mexico's law overturning the ban on abortion. The Do No Harm Act passed the House of Representatives. FFRF reports a state/church victory in Alabama and a legal complaint over a North Carolina public school entangling with a local church. After hearing the feminist anthem "Bread and Roses," we talk with James Haught , 89, author and editor emeritu...

Colorado is getting tough on molesting clergy, Congress is passing the Equality Act to protect the LGBTQ community against Christian nationalists, and taxes are being appropriated to pay for a Kentucky church. FFRF intern and blogger Barbara Alvarez tells us about the bad South Carolina abortion law and about how members of Congress are being shunned by their evangelical families for voting to cer...

From Black History to Black Gold. We listen to the voice of the freethinking NAACP founder W.E.B. Du Bois and the music of nonreligious African-American composers. After we hear Lena Horne sing the irreverent Yip Harburg song "Ain't It The Truth?", FFRF's Director of Communications Amit Pal joins as a co-host to interview Professor Darren Dochuk , author of the illuminating book, Anointed With Oil...

Christian nationalism and Roman Catholic greed are the themes for the first half of the show. We talk about Jeep's religiously divisive Super Bowl ad and the impeachment trial of Donald Trump, accused of inciting Christian Nationalists to carry out the Jan. 6 insurrection. We hear talk show host Bill Maher's takedown of the religious extremists who stormed the Capitol. Then we speak with British a...

We call on the Wisconsin attorney general to launch an investigation into the widespread sexual abuse of children by the Catholic Church. FFRF attorney Ryan Jayne tells us the tragic story of an abuse victim who recently committed suicide when the church abandoned him. Then we hear the humorous and irreverent "Noah" by poet and Darwin scholar Philip Appleman , read by Philip and his wife Marjorie.

Christian Nationalists were among the insurrectionists on Jan. 6, but they were also among dozens of members of Congress who voted against certification. Mandisa Thomas of Black Nonbelievers tells us why her group is opposing Rep. James Clyburn's proposal for a National Hymn. Then we speak with Sasha Sagan , daughter of Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan, about her book For Small Creatures Such As We: Ritu...

We talk about the three "I" words in the news: insurrection, impeachment and inauguration. We hear part of Amanda Gorman's inaugural poem, "The Hill I Climb," freethinker John Legend's Inauguration-Day performance of "Feeling Good," and Sharon Jones' rendition of "This Land Is Your Land." FFRF attorney Patrick Elliott describes our newest lawsuit challenging a discriminatory Trump administration r...

Religion played a huge part in the Jan. 6 insurrection at our national Capitol. We denounce Christian Nationalist members of government who participated in the riot, and hear Congressional Freethought Caucus Reps. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and Jared Huffman, D-Calif., give impassioned remarks at the impeachment hearings. Then we speak with 10-yr-old Elle Harris , author of the charming new book, Elle T...

After discussing the Christian Nationalist roots of the insurrection at the national Capitol on Jan. 6, and calling for President Trump's impeachment, we listen to Rep. Jamie Raskin's eloquent plea for the passage of Resolution 512 calling for an end to blasphemy laws. Then we speak with FFRF's Director of Governmental Affairs Mark Dann , who explains why there is optimism for the freethought, sci...

We celebrate the new year by saying farewell to the disastrous 2020. We play some comfort music and protest music by freethinking songwriters, performed (mostly) by freethinking singers. We hear Irving Berlin , George and Ira Gershwin , Yip Harburg , Jerome Kern , Stephen Sondheim , and more — performed by Tom Lehrer , Linda Ronstadt , Joni Mitchell , Pete Seeger , Nina Simone , Elton John , James...

This week we present a musical medley of irreverent and celebratory secular holiday songs by Tom Lehrer, Tim Minchin, Roy Zimmerman, Dan Barker, Tahira Clayton, Addison Frei, Brent Michael Davids, Steven Phelps, Ken Lonnquist , and the London Humanist Choir ; and we hear agnostic orator Robert Ingersoll's 1897 recitation of  "What I Want For Christmas."

FFRF attorney Liz Cavell describes FFRF's alarming new report: "Religious Liberty Under Threat: The Christian Nationalist Capture of the Federal Judiciary." After hearing Kristin Lems' seasonal song "Solstice Time" and Dan Barker's ballad "Solstice Tribute," Michigan activist Doug Marshall tells us about the equal-time "Keep Saturn in Saturnalia" banner in Warren, Michigan, that was vandalized and...

We talk about Beethoven's 250th, nonbelieving legislators, blasphemy and December displays. After hearing Roy Zimmerman's irreverent seasonal song "Christma-Hanu-Rama-Ka-Dona-Kwanzaa," New York Times Supreme Court columnist and Yale scholar Linda Greenhouse describes what she calls "grievance conservatism" in her recent article, "Justice Amy Coney Barrett's Choice."

This week we talk about SCOTUS, churches and COVID-19; Kansas schools and proselytizing Franklin Graham; praying Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt and non-praying Hollywood celebrity John Davidson. Then we talk with former church music director Steven Phelps who is now an atheist songwriter and performer in Nashville. We hear his moving ballad "After The Last Amen" and his state/church song "Public Pl...

Happy Thanksgiving! Co-presidents Annie Laurie Gaylor and Dan Barker host a series of exciting 2020 reports from FFRF staff led by Legal Director Rebecca Markert and Director of Strategic Response Andrew Seidel . Actor Ed Asner accepts FFRF's "Clarence Darrow Award," activist Ben Hart accepts FFRF's "Freethinker of the Year" award . . . and more from a very busy staff!

FFRF's Director of Strategic Response Andrew Seidel dissects the shocking speech U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito delivered to the Religious Right Federalist Society last week. Then journalist Katherine Stewart , author of The Power Worshippers , talks about her recent New York Times article, "Trump or no Trump, religious authoritarianism is here to stay."

Many Christian Nationalists are denying the reality of the U.S. election results. FFRF Legal Fellow Brendan Johnson describes the amicus brief we filed with the Wisconsin Supreme Court regarding religious groups challenging COVID-19 school closure orders. Then we speak with Nandini Archer of Open Democracy about the group's report, "Revealed: $280 million of 'dark money' spent by US Christian Righ...

We start this election week with John Lennon's "Power to the People." FFRF attorney Sam Grover describes two state/church amicus briefs FFRF has filed in federal court: one in Maine (a victory), and another in Pennsylvania (currently before the U.S. Supreme Court). After hearing Dan's song "We, The People," we talk with historian Kimberly A. Hamlin  about her new book that focuses on the woman mos...

This Halloween week, it is a scary time for state/church separation, women's rights, and public health. FFRF Legal Fellow Joseph McDonald explains how we got a Missouri public high-school coach to stop leading students in prayer. Then author, educator and activist Sikivu Hutchinson tells us about the challenges facing nontheistic African-American women, explained in her book Humanists in the Hood:...

We honor the life and legacy of "The Amazing" James Randi , who died this week at age 92, by listening to his entertaining 2008 interview on Freethought Radio. Then we speak with assistant professor of economics Randall Cragun , the lead plaintiff in FFRF's newest lawsuit challenging the disenfranchisement of atheists in Alabama. When Cragun was trying to register to vote, he could not sign the fo...