Freethought Radio

After honoring "Champions of the First Amendment" Roy Torcaso (1961, Torcaso vs. Watkins ) and Ed and Ellery Schempp (1963 Abington vs. Schempp ), we talk about atheist rock climber Alex Honnold, who this month made history by ascending Yosemite's El Capitan free-style with no rope. We hear Roy Zimmerman's hilarious song "Creation Science 101," and then talk about the 1925 Scopes Trial with histor...

Freethought Radio bonus! This is the audio of the debut of FFRF's new Facebook Live video "Ask An Atheist," which aired June 7 at 12:00 noon Central. Hosts Annie Laurie Gaylor, Dan Barker, and Andrew Seidel discuss each of the Ten Commandments and how they relate to morality and law. Then they take questions from the audience.

We announce FFRF's new "Ask an Atheist" Facebook Live show. Is the Kentucky Governor right to fight crime with prayer? Should religious hospitals be exempt from pension-plan regulations? FFRF attorney Patrick Elliott tells us about the recent Supreme Court ERISA decision that privileges religious companies and thereby endangers their employees. After hearing the irreverent song "Experiment," by th...

FFRF attorney Andrew Seidel  tells us how we know George Washington did not say "So help me, God" at his inauguration. Dan Barker performs the song "Poor Little Me" that he co-wrote with Broadway composer Charles Strouse, whose birthday is this week. Then we talk with internationally acclaimed sculptor and atheist Zenos Frudakis  about the bronze statue of Clarence Darrow he is making, which will...

We announce our full-page ad in the New York Times: "Mr. President, we are not a nation of believers." A Virginia sheriff removed a bible verse from police vehicles after hearing from FFRF. Staff attorney Patrick Elliott explains why Trump's budget is a disaster for education, and FFRF's thoughtful Communications Director, Amit Pal , discusses the religiously motivated bombing in Manchester, Engla...

We celebrate the birthday of Bertrand Russell by reading his secular Ten Commandments. Attorney Sam Grover , who is indeed messin' with Texas, updates us about FFRF's lawsuit over a judge who forces prayer on his courtroom that prompted the Attorney General to attempt to intervene on behalf of the Christian judge. Then we chat with Indiana freethinker and veteran Chris Bontrager , whose initial re...

FFRF stops bible classes in a Tennessee elementary school. After commenting on President Trump picking Teresa Manning, an avid antiabortionist who said "contraception doesn't work," to lead the nation's largest family-planning program, we talk with Michael Nugent  of Atheists of Ireland about blasphemy laws, and hear actor Stephen Fry's comments that caused him to be investigated for blasphemy. Th...

The first Thursday of May, the National Day of Prayer, is actually the National Day of Reason. Today we announce FFRF's newest lawsuit challenging President Trump's Executive Order (signed on the National Day of Prayer in the Rose Garden) attempting to curtail the Johnson Amendment that limits politicking by churches. After hearing Dan Barker's song "Reason," we talk with a brave West Virginia mom...

Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" on HULU is the freethought cultural event this week. We complain about the San Antonio mayor's remark that poverty stems from a broken "relationship with their Creator." After Michael Newdow's hilarious song "My God Is In My Soul," incorporating hate messages on his answering machine, we analyze what is wrong with the upcoming National Day of Prayer. Then we...

President Trump says "we are a nation of believers," creationist Ken Ham calls FFRF "liars," and Bill O'Reilly (who has bashed FFRF) gets dumped from FOX News, oh my! FFRF staff attorney Andrew Seidel  describes the escalating "war of words" between Ken Ham and FFRF over the Kentucky Ark Encounter. Then we talk with an authentic American hero, Ishmael Jaffree , FFRF's first "Freethinker of the Yea...

Response to FFRF's national Ron Reagan ad has been great! We talk about born-again Alabama Governor Robert Bentley's scandalous resignation, FFRF's Times Square billboard, incredible contributions "in the name of Pence" to FFRF's legal efforts, and Nonbelief Relief's donation to the Somalia famine. After hearing Shelley Segal's "Apocalyptic Love Song" homage to Hitchens, we listen to part of our 2...

New plaintiff Elizabeth Deal is added to FFRF's lawsuit challenging bible classes in West Virginia schools. Denver FFRF chapter president Claudette StPierre  tells us about the 12 Colorado billboards that say "The Only Wall We Need is Between Church and State." Jocelyn Williamson  of FFRF's "Central Florida Freethought Community" chapter announces a "Freethought Cruise" to the Bahamas. After heari...

FFRF attorney Andrew Seidel  relates his adventure filming our pro-science ad inside Ken Ham's "Ark Park" in Kentucky and describes how fundamentalist teachings are harmful to the education of children. After celebrating the 200th birthday of freethinking feminist Mathilde Franziska Giesler Anneke by hearing the German freethought anthem "Die Gedanken Sind Frei," we talk with former Tulsa Christia...

The Ten Commandments at a Pennsylvania high school is finally moved! An Arkansas school district considers dropping prayer after FFRF complains. We celebrate Gloria Steinem's birthday by hearing part of her speech about the "taliban" in politics and Catholic bishops' opposition to women's rights. Staff attorney Sam Grover  tells us about FFRF's newest lawsuit challenging a Texas judge who forces h...

Learn how you can take action to stop religion from invading our secular government: complain about the bible as the state book of Arkansas, "Choose Life" license plates in Nebraska, a Christian cross in a Florida city hall, state bills banning life-saving research, and the federal attack on women's reproductive rights. After we play the peace/spring anthem "One Sweet Morning" by Yip Harburg and E...

Senator Grassley tells Justin Scott the reason he will protect the rights of nonbelievers is because he believes in Jesus Christ. FFRF legal fellow Ryan Jayne explains our recent victory stopping a live nativity scene at an Indiana high school. After hearing the "obnoxious atheist" singer/songwriter (with Magnetic Field) Stephen Merritt's freethought song "How I Failed Ethics," we talk with former...

Evangelist Pat Robertson claims President Trump is being attacked by witches (!). Former president George W Bush acknowledges nonbelievers. We analyze Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch's book The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia to discern his views on abortion and death with dignity. After celebrating International Women's Day by hearing the song "Bread and Roses," we talk by phone from...

This week we celebrate victories in three  federal lawsuits (Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and California), and three other state/church victories won without going to court (Wisconsin, Washington, Kentucky). After listening to former preacher Carter Warden's new song, "Freedom From Religion," we talk with two of the victorious litigants: Jerry Bloom , who ended censorship of freethought views in She...

We report state/church victories stopping a Virginia city from sponsoring a trip to the 'Ark Park' and ending a Connecticut city's censorship of FFRF's freethought views. We endorse the Congressional "Freedom of Religion Act of 2017" that recognizes nonbelievers, and we report a new study showing how school vouchers are helping Catholic Churches to remain in business. After hearing Kristin Lems' s...

We counter Trump's promise to "totally destroy" the Johnson Amendment that prohibits churches from politicking. We offer some comic relief by hearing Mississipians complain about FFRF's victory removing a Christian flag from a city memorial. Ricky Gervais defends atheism on The Tonight Show with Stephen Colbert. After hearing the wonderful "CBS This Morning" story about FFRF's lawsuit over bible c...

We talk about science, Neil Gorsuch for the Supreme Court, Betsy Devos for Education Secretary, Trump's so-called "Religious Freedom Act," the bigotry of the Boy Scouts of America, and about how FFRF is fighting back to preserve secular values. After celebrating the birthday of nonbelieving songwriter Burton Lane, we hear Roy Zimmerman's irreverent song "Religious Freedom." Then we speak with scho...

We march for freethought and women's rights. After critiquing CIA Director Pompeo's scary views on the end-times, we talk with FFRF attorney Andrew Seidel  about William Pryor being on Trump's short list for the Supreme Court, then with FFRF attorney Patrick Elliott  about our new lawsuit challenging bible classes in West Virginia public schools. Then we talk with legendary feminist, author, journ...

It's a rocky road ahead for secular Americans. Trump's inauguration is infused with evangelical fervor and many of his cabinet picks have a religious-right agenda. FFRF attorney Rebecca Markert tells us how we got two  Christian crosses removed from public property this week (in California and Minnesota). We support the women marching in protest around the country and honor the 44th anniversary of...

We celebrate the anniversary of the January 16, 1786, adoption of Jefferson's Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom and the January 17, 1706 birthday of Benjamin Franklin, who opposed public funding for education. FFRF attorneys Patrick Elliott  and Sam Grover  describe the questions we submitted for the confirmation hearings of Jeff Sessions for Attorney General and Betsy DeVos for Secretary of...

FFRF sent a letter to president-elect Trump insisting that he not include religion in the inauguration, and that he drop "So help meGod" from the oath. Nonbelievers are vastly under-represented in Congress, and there will be a bumpy road for state church separation in 2017. FFRF attorney Andrew Seidel  tells why Clemson University's football program proves that pious does not mean moral. Then we h...