Freethought Radio

What happened in Poland could happen here. Christian Nationalists are proposing and passing laws to outlaw abortion in many states. We listen to part of Georgia State Senator Jen Jordan's impassioned remarks in opposition to the fetal-heartbeat bill, and Governor Kemp's anti-choice remarks when he signed the bill into law. After hearing the 1941 song "One Life To Live," written by freethinking son...

We analyze Trump's Christian nationalist remarks during the unconstitutional National Day of Prayer kickoff. After applauding Kansas for protecting women's right to abortion, we hear Pete Seeger's irreverent take on the song "Gimme That Old Time Religion." Then we talk with UK journalist Nandini Archer , who worked on Open Democracy's recent eye-opening report: "Revealed: Trump-linked US Christian...

We unveil an appealing new digital media campaign featuring three remarkable winners of FFRF's 2018 student of color freethought essay competition. Then we talk about FFRF's actions related to Ark Park school field trips, more Ten Commandments displays in schools and the true health hazard of measles spread by religious misinformation. Absentee co-host Dan Barker makes a statement about Barker v....

Happy birthday and Happy Earthday to Mother Earth! The show discusses how FFRF got a cross relocated from public to private land, and warns about antiabortion legislative inroads threatening Roe v. Wade. Annie Laurie talks to FFRF in-house counsel Andrew Seidel , director of strategic response, about a bizarre twist in one of FFRF's concluded major court victories. Then, for a change of pace, she...

We recap the diverse international conference, "Days of Atheism" held in Poland in March, including the commemoration of the 330th anniversary of the execution of Polish writer Kazimierz Lyszczynski for atheism. In honor of Daniel C. Dennett, who visited FFRF's office last week, we play Irving Berlin's rousing 1922 song, "Pack of Your Sins and Go to the Devil." Then we talk with author, professor...

In this week's show, guest-hosted by FFRF Communications Director Amit Pal, we first touch on a number of events in the news, ranging from the international to the national to recent Wisconsin election results. We then talk with FFRF Staff Attorney Sam Grover about how the term "religious freedom" is being currently used and misused. We conclude with an interview with documentarian Mary Dore , the...

We celebrate the March 29 birthdate of Monty Python's Eric Idle by playing two of his irreverent songs. In the news segment, we talk about the upcoming international atheist gathering in Warsaw, Poland, FFRF's new scholarship competition for law students and the threat of legislation intended to ban abortion in the United States. Then Dan Barker interviews Red Tani, founder of Filipino Freethinker...

FFRF constitutional attorney Ryan Jayne tells us about his testimony in Missouri opposing a bill that would disallow plaintiffs from filing anonymously in state/church lawsuits. Tax professor Adam Chodorow explains what is wrong with the recent Seventh Circuit decision overturning FFRF's victory in the "housing allowance" lawsuit challenging special tax privileges for clergy. Then we speak with au...

Oral arguments are this week in the case FFRF, Americans United, and the ACLU are defending before the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals over a Florida county that bars atheists from invocations. Hear our reaction to President Trump signing bibles for Alabama tornado victims, and listen to Annie Laurie's complaint over discrimination against menstruating women worldwide. After hearing the Yip Harburg...

FFRF's director of strategic response, Andrew L. Seidel , joins host Annie Laurie Gaylor for a lively dissection of the oral arguments last week in the Supreme Court's Bladensburg cross case, including clip excerpts of the arguments and Andrew's eye-witness impressions. Then they interview David Steketee about his exciting win Monday in FFRF's successful challenge of billions of tax dollars for ch...

We review major news of the week: The pope blaming Satan instead of the church for child abusers within its ranks; oral arguments in the Bladensburg cross case before the Supreme Court; the 4th anniversary of the murder of atheist author Avijit Roy by Islamist terrorists, and the Trump Administration's new assault against Planned Parenthood. Cheryl Kolbe , director of FFRF's Portland chapter, join...

We celebrate Black History Month by hearing Nina Simone sing "I Ain't Got no God" in the song "Ain't Got No," and by talking with Mandisa Thomas , founder and president of Black Nonbelievers, who tells us about the upcoming "Women of Color Beyond Belief" conference in Chicago. Then we speak with Polish atheist, feminist and activist Nina Sankari , vice-president of the Kazimierz Łyszczyński Founda...

We give a Bronx cheer to Trump's religious remarks at the State of the Union and the National Prayer Breakfast, but we give a real cheer to Black History Month by celebrating Butterfly McQueen and Frederick Douglass. After hearing a Valentine's Day love song, "The Man I Love" (written by the nonbelieving Gershwin brothers, and sung by Dan's mother when she was a teenager), we talk with author and...

Good news: Michigan's newly-elected Attorney General Dana Nessel removed the state from three amicus briefs opposing FFRF lawsuits. After we analyze the National Prayer Breakfast and the Christian-nationalist "Project Blitz" strategy to inject religion into state governments, we hear Susan Hofer sing Dan Barker's love ballad "It's Only Natural" in honor of Darwin's birthday on February 12. Then we...

Our 666th (!) episode is a hell of a show. We announce billboards asking people to "Leave the Church" during Catholic Education week, and describe our legal brief encouraging the Supreme Court to prohibit a huge Christian cross on city property. After hearing the 1922 Irving Berlin song "Pack Up Your Sins and Go To The Devil in Hades," we talk with Lucien Greaves, co-founder and spokesperson for t...

FFRF's Director of Strategic Response, Constitutional attorney Andrew Seidel tells us about our recent final victory in our 5-year federal lawsuit challenging prayer and preaching at the Chino Hills, California, school board. After hearing the song "Reincarnation," words by cowboy poet Wallace D. McRae and music by Dan Barker, we talk with FFRF's Director of Communications Amitabh Pal about the ri...

FFRF and other secular groups are protesting the Attorney General nomination of William Barr, a religious extremist who disrespects secularists and state/church separation. During this anniversary week of Roe v Wade (January 22, 1973), we celebrate the life of Margaret Sanger by hearing Dan Barker's song "No Gods, No Masters." Then we talk with University of Chicago Law Professor Geoffrey Stone ab...

We recap FFRF's impressive legal statistics for 2018 (1,060 formal complaint letters to erring government officials ending 315 state/church violations!). FFRF's Robert G. Ingersoll Legal Fellow Colin McNamara briefly joins us to recap the ruckus his complaint over religious displays is creating in Camden, Mo. The rest of the program is devoted to a never-before-broadcast interview of the fascinati...

FFRF's lead attorney Rebecca Markert tells us about our recent victory by the Ninth Circuit Federal Court of Appeals, who refused to rehear their decision declaring unconstitutional the practice of the Chino Hills (California) School Board opening sessions with prayer. After hearing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declare that Christians should fight marriage equality "until the Rapture," we listen...

Princeton professor Imani Perry tells us about her new biography, Looking For Lorraine: The Radiant Life of Lorraine Hansberry , about the artist/activist/freethinking author of the play and movie Raisin In The Sun, who was the first Black woman to have a play on Broadway. We celebrate the New Year on a relaxing but irreverent note by hearing some songs written by Eric Idle of Monty Python, and a...

During this week of the Winter Solstice, we rejoice in a federal court victory. FFRF attorney Patrick Elliott tells us about the positive decision in our legal challenge to bible classes in West Virginia public elementary schools. After hearing some "holiday humor," Christmas jokes, and irreverent seasonal songs (including Tom Lehrer's "A Christmas Song" and Roy Zimmerman's "Christmas is Pain"), w...

We celebrate the December 15 "Bill of Rights" Day. FFRF Legal Assistant Whitney Steffen tells us about the many "Winter Solstice" and "Bill of Rights" displays that FFRF members are erecting around the county to counter the Christian nativity scenes on public property. Then we talk with Leslea Mair , co-director, producer, and writer of the beautiful new documentary "Losing Our Religion," about mi...

This week's guest is feminist-topical singer/songwriter Kristin Lems , who will perform one of her classic songs and a new song about Trump ("Like a Duck"). Tune in to learn more about a surprising First Amendment violation halted speedily in Illinois by FFRF constitutional attorney Ryan Jayne . The show includes a first-hand report on the International Conference on Sharia, Segregation & Seculari...

Twelve-year-old author Bailey Harris , who started writing her first book when she was eight, speaks at FFRF's annual convention in San Francisco on November 2, telling us how she came to write the freethought children's book My Name Is Stardust . Then we hear the actor, director and producer John de Lancie (who played "Q" on Star Trek: The Next Generation ) explain to our convention audience "The...

We have a victory to report in Colorado and a victory to defend in Florida. After hearing 19th-century Robert G. Ingersoll's 1897 "Thanksgiving Sermon," the 21st-century comedian Leighann Lord gives us "Six things to argue about at Thanksgiving other than politics." Then we talk with the first winner of FFRF's new "Avijit Roy Courage Award," Rasel Ahmed , co-editor of Bangladesh's first and only L...