Freethought Radio

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...

FFRF's state/church and freethought billboards are generating a lot of interest in Tennessee. FFRF's Steven Pinker TV ad is airing on "60 Minutes," and the Catholic League is angry about our national ads. After hearing the song "Spooky Mormon Hell Dream" from "The Book of Mormon," we listen to Nancy Northup , director of the Center For Reproductive Rights, accepting FFRF's "Forward" Award and warn...

Atheist books are now being burned! Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin and HUD Secretary Ben Carson are mixing religion and government. This week we hear experts of the powerful and informative speeches—including two members of congress, authors, activists, filmmakers, comedians and freethinking students—delivered at FFRF's 42nd annual convention in Madison, Wisconsin.

FFRF's Ron Reagan ad ran twice during the Democratic debate this week, and is really trending on social media and in the press. We push back against Attorney General William Barr and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's egregious "Christian nationalist" speeches last week. Then we hear U.S. Representative Mark Pocan  — a member of the Congressional Freethought Caucus — tell the shocking story that pro...

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of FFRF's victory over religion in West Virginia public schools. FFRF's Director of Strategic Response Andrew Seidel explains why we have filed an ethics complaint over the Texas judge who gave a bible to convicted murderer Amber Guyger. Then we talk with Therrin Wilso n, an atheist college student whose face is on FFRF's billboard in Knoxville, Te...

In the week of the birthday anniversary of John Lennon, our program examines the concept of "Imagine no religion" from several angles. Freethought Radio features Congress' lone "out" nonbeliever — U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman , in a fascinating interview in which he talks about being an ex-Mormon, the inside story on congressional issues regarding separation of state and church, and why he founded the...

We report recent FFRF legal victories, announce winners of the Graduate Student Essay contest and analyze President Trump's theocratic remarks before the United Nations. After hearing Sammy Davis Jr. sing "It Ain't Necessarily So" by George Gershwin (whose birthday is today), we talk with cartoonist Graham Sale , whose new book is called Crazy Little Thing Called Love: 100% Politically Incorrect G...

¡Adios a Dios! After reporting some state/church victories around the country, we talk with Mandisa Thomas , founder and president of Black Nonbelievers, about the historic "Women of Color Beyond Belief" conference she is organizing in Chicago on October 4-6. Then we interview David Tamayo , founder and president of Hispanic American Freethinkers, about his public debate on biblical morality (the...

FFRF's TV ads are censored in some places, accepted in others. FFRF's South Dakota billboards challenge "In God We Trust." We hear the debut of Dan Barker's song in Spanish, "Es Solo Natural." After talking with FFRF attorney Chris Line about a number of state-church victories in southern schools, we interview the winner of the Michael Hakeem Memorial College Student Essay Contest, Jack Buchanan ,...

Congressman Huffman comes under fire for defending freedom of conscience on FFRF's Freethought Matters TV show. Victory in Fresno, California, public schools. Scholarships and awards to freethinkers of color. After hearing the song "Salt Lake City Blues," written by ex-Mormon cartoonist Steve Benson and Dan Barker, we talk with Egyptian freethinker Omar Makram who, after rejecting Islam and religi...

Andrew Seidel and Liz Cavell , two FFRF attorneys, fill in this week to host Freethought Radio and discuss Andrew's Messin' with Texas tour. The Democratic National Committee recognized the contribution and value of nonreligious Americans, while a federal court declared that discrimination against atheists is permissible. We interview Chrissy Stroop , a writer, activist, and EXvangelical about her...