Freethought Radio

Happy Earth Day To You! We report an FFRF state/church victory dealing with HUD and Freedom of Information. FFRF Director of Strategic Response Andrew Seidel describes his groundbreaking article in the Northeastern University Law Review called "Bad History, Bad Opinions." After hearing the "comfort music" song "Promise of Dawn" by Dan Barker and Juanice Charmaine, we talk with poet, essayist and a...

God, government, and the coronavirus. Public officials are favoring religion during the COVID-19 crisis. Despite prayer, churches were damaged by Easter storms. After hearing "America's Best Christian" Betty Bowers urge churchgoers to "stay the hell at home," we talk with professor Ryan Burge about his research showing that atheists and agnostics are the most politically active "religious group" i...

We are preserving social distancing between state and church. FFRF attorney Sam Grover describes our recent free-speech victory against Texas Gov. Greg Abbott who removed our winter-solstice display from the state capitol. After hearing more comfort music — including Tom Lehrer's "Vatican Rag" — we talk with eminent British philosopher and author A.C. Grayling about his new books, The History of P...

For our first show produced remotely, we cover abuses of state/church separation during the pandemic. After celebrating the birthday of irreverent lyricist ("Over the Rainbow") Yip Harburg by hearing "The Begats" and "Ain't It The Truth?", we talk with freethinking actress, playwright and former SNL comic Julia Sweeney , who is "sheltering at home" in Hollywood, about her co-starring roles in "Shr...

This week on Freethought Radio: President Trump wants to "pack the pews" of churches by Easter. Vice President Pence encourages believers to continue tithing. Governors, mayors and lawmakers promote prayer as a response to the pandemic. After hearing the Philip Appleman song "In A Dark Time," we talk by phone with journalist and author Susan Jacoby , from her New York City apartment where she is s...

FFRF attorney Ryan Jayne tells us what is wrong with President Trump and local officials using prayer to fight the coronavirus. Then we hear journalist and author Jeff Sharlet talk about his powerful exposé, a book which is now a Netflix series, The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power. Taking the cue of cellist Yo-Yo Ma, we end the show with some "comfort music" for th...

There is more to beware of this week than the Ides of March. Can the Corona Virus be cured by prayer? FFRF's Andrew Seidel tells us about how Vice President Pence is (unsuccessfully) trying just that. After reporting state/church news and listening to the optimistic Yip Harburg/Earl Robinson song "One Sweet Morning," we talk with journalist and author Katherine Stewart about her cautionary new boo...

We filed our first lawsuit in Puerto Rico, with the Humanistas Seculares as plaintiffs. FFRF attorney Sam Grover explains that the public schools in Puerto Rico have been forcing Christian prayer on all students. Then we talk with investigative journalist Nandini Archer about her Open Democracy expose, "Trump-linked religious 'extremists' target women with disinformation worldwide," proving that A...

Missouri school board sides with FFRF (and not the state attorney general) in disallowing coach-led prayer. FFRF Director of Communication Amit Pal tells us about Trump's "religious nationalism" visit to India this week. Then we talk with Erin Louis about her freethought "behind the scenes" book Expose Yourself: How to Take Risks, Question Everything and Find Yourself — Humor and Insights From My...

This week we discuss state/church victories and defeats in Florida, Kentucky and Colorado, and celebrate the lives of February freethinkers such as NAACP founder W. E. B. Du Bois and actor Tony Randall. After hearing folksinger Malvina Reynolds sing about "This World," we talk with Swedish-born Yale professor Martin Hägglund about his book This Life: Secular Faith and Spiritual Freedom, in which h...

We report stopping prayer at a Nevada school board and complain about an over-the-top pastoral prayer in the Virginia Legislature. FFRF's Legal Director Rebecca Markert tells us about our final victory allowing nontheistic invocations in Brevard County, Fla. After parsing the remarks by President Trump at the problematic National Prayer Breakfast, FFRF's Director of Governmental Affairs Mark Dann...

We celebrate Black History Month by honoring the many prominent Black Americans and Africans who were/are nonreligious. After parsing Trump's religious remarks in his State of the Union speech, we hear Paul Robeson sing "The Bill of Rights." Filmmaker Jeremiah Camara tells us about his newest movie, Holy Hierarchy: The Religious Roots of Racism in America . Then we hear atheist rapper Greydon Squa...

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers comes out as a nonbeliever. We celebrate the life of former congressman Pete Stark, condemn White House "spiritual advisor" Paula White, parse Trump's outrageous "Rally For Life" remarks, and balance that with the song "Every Sperm is Sacred," co-written by Terry Jones. FFRF attorney Patrick Elliott tells us what is wrong with Vice President Michael Pence's "celeb...

This week we respond to President Trump's guidelines for prayer in school. FFRF litigation attorney Sam Grover tells us about the friend-of-the-court brief we filed in the U.S. Supreme Court dealing with state money for religious schools. After hearing atheist comedian and actor Patton Oswalt talk about "the insanity of faith," retired Kentucky postal worker Ben Hart tells us what it feels like, a...

Despite a dismissal on standing, FFRF's IRS lawsuit about church accountability will continue. We reply to former Attorney General Jeff Sessions after he criticized FFRF for complaint about coach-led baptisms, analyze Trump's proposal for prayer in schools, discuss FFRF's Reagan ad on CNN, and denounce the Pentagon for blessing an official Bible. After honoring Rush drummer Neil Peart, we talk wit...

FFRF complains over the largest Christian cross in the country being depicted on government property in Effingham, Ill., and about the governor of Nebraska forcing his private religious views about abortion on the state. We parse some of the remarks President Trump made at a rally held in a Miami church. Then we hear professor and author Anthony B. Pinn talk about racism and religion and tell us w...

Attorney General Bill Barr thinks Americans are going to hell. Katherine Stewart and Caroline Fredrickson's New York Times column reveals how President Trump is being played by evangelicals. After hearing the freethought song "Experiment" by the atheist songwriter Cole Porter, we listen to author and professor Isaac Kramnick tell us how "God" got inserted into the Pledge of Allegiance, explaining...

Happy New Year! Christianity Today did the right thing by condemning Trump's morality. We talk on the phone from Mumbai with India's well-known film and TV actor Sushant Singh , who lost his job as a TV host after publicly condemning the Hindu nationalist violence against students protesting the government's new laws that would discriminate against Muslims. Then we welcome 2020 with Scottish singe...

Hear about the visit to Freethought Hall of the legendary actor Ed Asner (Lou Grant, "Up"). This week's show is an antidote to traditional Christmas music. We play a number of funny, irreverent (and sometimes positive) Winter Solstice songs, such as "O Isthmus Tree" by Ken Lohnquist, "Solstice Song" by Kristin Lems, "Christmas Carol" by Tom Lehrer, "Blah Blah Bethlehem" by Ian Assersohn, "Christma...

We complain about prayer and worship in the White House, and report a number of FFRF state/church victories. Tom Cara , president of the FFRF Metropolitan Chicago Chapter, tells us about the un-holy holiday displays chapter members have erected in the Chicago area to counter Nativity scenes and religious displays. Then we hear Rachel Laser , President and CEO of Americans United for the Separation...

'Tis the season to fight state/church violations. We talk about FFRF's full-page "Theocracy" ad in the New York Times, and a number of FFRF's solstice displays around the country to counter religious displays. FFRF attorney Chris Line tells us about Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt's outrageous attack on the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Then we hear from professor R. Laurence Moore , co...

Stand-up comic Leighann Lord gives us "Six things to argue about at Thanksgiving other than politics." Aline Pham , 18, tells us about her winning high-school student essay. "Mrs. Betty Bowers" ( Deven Green ) recites her Thanksgiving prayer. Then we hear from Andrew Bradley , the co-creator and writer of the satirical series, "Mrs. Betty Bowers: America's Best Christian," who reminds us that the...

Kanye West should not be preaching in prisons. FFRF attorney Ryan Jayne explains how we successfully stopped public funding for churches and religious ministries. We report additional recent state/church victories in Wisconsin, Arkansas, and Kentucky. Then former minister and Christian apologist John Loftus , who is now an atheist, tells us about his newest book, The Case Against Miracles.

It's not even Thanksgiving, but the Christian warriors are already at it at the Wisconsin Assembly. We'll tell you what's wrong with their Thanksgiving "Bible Week" Resolution. FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor's timely warning about the precarious state of abortion rights, under attack by organized religion, is making the news, along with FFRF's new billboard on the same subject. FFRF Litigat...

We report on FFRF's perfect score from Charity Navigator (and on the low score of the Catholic League, which is continuing its unfounded attacks on us). We play a shocking audio clip of prosperity evangelist Paula White, just promoted by Trump to a federally paid faith job at the White House, consecrating the White House for Jesus. We report that a federal employee was "Penced" for opposing the vi...