Freethought Radio

FFRF's Director of Communications Amit Pal updates us on President Modi's attempt to turn secular India into a Hindu nation. After hearing the "comfort music" song "Don't Fence Me In," by atheist songwriter Cole Porter, we talk with FFRF's Director of Governmental Affairs Mark Dann about what it's like to be a DC lobbyist during the pandemic, and what accomplishments FFRF has garnered on Capitol H...

Dallas megapastor Robert Jeffress improperly politicked from the pulpit on "Freedom Sunday." After hearing the parody "Hang On, Ruthie" (about Ruth Bader Ginsburg), we talk with Skyler Hutto , the South Carolina attorney who is suing his governor for distributing millions of dollars of COVID relief to private (mostly religious) schools. Then we chat with historian, author and commentator Juan Cole...

Religion is a major cause of the spread of COVID. The NO BAN Act passed the U.S. House this week, undoing President Trump's restrictions on travel and immigration from several Muslim countries. FFRF Staff Attorney Patrick Elliott tells us about a church-owned property that will now have to pay taxes. We protest an evangelical-owned coffeeshop for violating mask regulations and condemn the South Ca...

The Catholic Church lobbies for special treatment to gain billions of PPP dollars. FFRF attorney Ryan Jayne tells us about the secret phone calls between the White House and religious groups to funnel money to Trump's preachers. Then law professors Nelson Tebbe and Micah Schwartzman discuss their powerful New York Times article, "The quiet demise of the separation of church and state."

FFRF Legal Director Rebecca Markert explains what was so bad about two Supreme Court decisions this week dealing with religion, civil rights and women's health. FFRF's Director of Strategic Response Andrew Seidel tells us about the billions of dollars flowing to churches (many that are evangelical favorites of President Trump) under the Paycheck Protection Program. Then we talk with professor Khya...

The Mississippi flag swaps one exclusion (Confederate symbol) for another ("In God We Trust"). FFRF Senior Counsel Patrick Elliott explains our amicus brief supporting California's social-distancing requirement for churches and tells us what was wrong with the Supreme Court's Espinoza pro-voucher decision. Then FFRF's "Anne Nicol Gaylor Reproductive Rights Intern" Barbara Alvarez tells us what was...

For our first broadcast of the summer, we hear actor John de Lancie (who played Q on "Star Trek: The Next Generation") deliver a very moving virtual commencement address to graduating seniors in the Secular Student Alliance. Then we speak with award-winning NYC stand-up comedian and author Leighann Lord , who comments on the bird-watching incident in Central Park, and about her thoughts on Father'...

We celebrate this week's Supreme Court Bostock decision affirming civil-rights protections to the LGBTQ community. FFRF attorney Patrick Elliott explains how that case relates to religious liberty. After hearing the song "Freedom From Religion," we talk with Jon Steingard , the former lead singer of the Christian rock band Hawk Nelson, who just announced on Instagram that he no longer believes in...

The Texas lieutenant governor and a Texas mayor are improperly mixing religion and government. We ask the Pennsylvania governor not to hand state money to churches. After hearing the freethinker Nina Simone's 1964 civil-rights protest song "Mississippi Goddam," we talk with eminent Chicago Law School professor Geoffrey R. Stone about the Supreme Court's upcoming decisions about abortion and state/...

The President of the United States terrorizes fellow Americans in order to stage a Christian Nationalist photo-op. After hearing the protest song "No More" by Broadway composer Charles Strouse, we talk with author and filmmaker Jeremiah Camara about his movie Holy Hierarchy: The Religious Roots of Racism in America and about how we can address oppression and inequality in our country.

President Trump and public officials continue to pander to the Religious Right during the pandemic. FFRF legal fellow Dante Harootunian announces a state/church victory removing a Christian cross from a city mural in Illinois. After hearing the freethinking song "Let The Mystery Be" by Iris Dement, we talk with The Nation columnist Katha Pollitt about her recent column "Why Did the ERA Die? FX's '...

Churches or churchgoers in at least 19 states are hypocritically suing the government for shutting down public worship services. After hearing the Stephen Foster "comfort music" song "Hard Times Come Again No More," performed remotely by Rufus Wainwright and friends, we talk with Michael Shermer , editor of Skeptic magazine and author of the new book Giving the Devil His Due , about "COVID-19 Cons...

The virus of religion is worsening the pandemic. We talk about religious favoritism at the national and local levels, from the U.S. Supreme Court to states and counties that put ideology over science. Then we speak with Bonya Ahmed and Imtiaz Shams , founders of the new THINK project that is producing quality videos about science, reason and humanism in many languages for countries (including Bang...

Guess what well-known person is a humanist? Today we talk about U.S. representatives calling for a National Day of Reason (not Prayer), FFRF's full-page ad in the New York Times, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's remarks on access to contraception, and a U.S. mosque broadcasting calls to prayer. Then we speak with atheist rapper Baba Brinkman and hear his songs "Stay Home!" and "Neighborhood Atheism."

Are clergy "essential" workers? FFRF is complaining about favoritism to religion during the coronavirus pandemic. Our comfort music this week is "Smile," written by the freethinking Charlie Chaplin. FFRF Director of Communications Amit Pal j oins us as we talk by phone from locked-down India with Avinash Patil , the courageous executive president of the Organization to Eradicate Superstition in Ma...

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...