Freethought Radio

After listening to the "Moment of Bedlam" at FFRF's annual Non-prayer breakfast, we hear the Newseum Institute's shout-out to the Freedom From Religion Foundation as a "well-organized" and "very effective" force fighting for the "nones" in today's society. We play the new song, "Life After You," then talk with the songwriter, Carter Warden , a former evangelical Church of Christ minister and found...

Secular voters might sway the coming election! We report on studies showing that the "nones" are not only growing faster than any other demographic, but are showing up at the polls in record numbers. We announce state/church victories in Arkansas and Indiana, and celebrate the birthday of rocker Tom Petty by hearing his song "Playing Dumb," which chastises the church for its abuse of children. The...

FFRF's "Director of First Impressions," Lisa Treu , a former music radio DJ, is guest hosting for Annie Laurie and Dan as they are in Pittsburgh for FFRF's 39th annual convention. Lisa has asked staff and members to recommend songs with a freethought message that have impressed them in some way. The "unbelievably uplifting" selections include music by John Lennon, Robert Ellis, Abandoned Pools, 21...

We are happy to report two state/church victories this week, removing the Ten Commandments from a west Texas high school and curbing the "Break the Grey" evangelist from preaching in Wisconsin high schools. We report on Bangladeshi atheist bloggers, renegade Alabama judge Roy Moore, and the mixing of government and religion by Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. After hearing the Joe Hill song "Preac...

Listen to David Suhor's godless invocation before the Pensacola City Council, which he sang while the public was rudely protesting and praying. We hear some music by the freethinking composer George Gershwin, whose birthday is this week. After drawing for another free copy of FFRF's "Friendly Neighborhood Atheist" CD, we listen to the historic freethought anthem "Die Gedanken Sind Frei" ("My thoug...

This week we complain about both major presidential candidates mixing religion and politics and pandering to faith voters. FFRF Attorney Sam Grover tells us about the firestorm that erupted in a west Texas high school after we complained about the Ten Commandments and a bible verse painted permanently on the wall, and also reports the mixed results of a federal decision in FFRF's lawsuit challengi...

Dan talks about his participation in the "Skep Track" at this year's Dragon Con in Atlanta. Annie Laurie provides commentary on the canonization of Mother Teresa, the death of right-wing Christian activist Phyllis Schlafly, and the National Catholic Register's denigration of atheists in general and Annie Laurie in particular. After hearing the song "Sunday Morning Blues" from FFRF's "Friendly Neig...

After Annie Laurie Gaylor and Dan Barker talk about the secular origins of Labor Day, Dan describes his first visit to speak as an atheist in a prison (Jackson Correctional Institution). We announce a new drawing for a free copy of FFRF's music CD "Friendly Neighborhood Atheist," a 2-CD compilation with 34 historic and contemporary freethought songs. We listen to the humorous poem "Reincarnation"...

Learn about Nonbelief Relief's help with the Louisiana flood disaster and for threatened Bangladeshi bloggers. FFRF attorney Ryan Jayne  tells us about legal victories stopping a religious pre-school program at a Wisconsin public school, and booting a Christian preacher from the lunch room at an Illinois middle school. To celebrate Women's Equality Day (August 26, 1920 adoption of the 19th Amendme...

FFRF attorney Maddy Ziegler tells us about the successful removal of Gideon bibles from a state-owned hotel in Arizona. FFRF attorney Patrick Elliott reports our newest lawsuit challenging the Christian cross on the official seal of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. Then we speak with Rafida Bonya Ahmed , the widow of Bangladeshi atheist activist Avijit Roy, who was brutally murdered with machetes beca...

We report an FFRF victory granting standing to our Pennsylvania plaintiff, Marie Schaub , who is challenging a high-school Ten Commandments monument. Scholar, author and activist Sikivu Hutchinson reports the winners of college scholarships for students of color given by FFRF and Black Skeptics Los Angeles. After hearing the music and reading an email from Tom Lehrer, we listen to Robert Ingersoll...

FFRF lead staff attorney Rebecca Market  reports a victory stopping a Mississippi school district from participating in a day of prayer for students, and tells us about more unconstitutional Christian crosses on public property. We celebrate the life of Robert Green Ingersoll, the 19th-century Great Agnostic, by listening to his actual recorded voice, hearing some of his words (some set to music)...

After hearing New Jersey Senator Cory Booker acknowledging nonbelievers at the DNC, and Barack Obama affirming that the United States is not under a "savior," but under "We, the people," we talk with FFRF legal intern Chris Line  about an egregious violation of state/church separation involving public money to a Texas charter school that is brazenly promoting Jesus and the bible. Then we talk with...

FFRF staff attorney Liz Cavell  tells us about a Christian flag that is being removed from a Georgia county courthouse. Former presidential candidate Ben Carson associated the Democratic presumptive nominee with "Lucifer," while Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis equated the Freedom From Religion Foundation with "the Devil" for daring to protest the opening of the Kentucky "Ark Encounter." After hearin...

After hearing televangelist Pat Robertson accuse the Freedom From Religion Foundation of being led by "the Devil," we hear comedian Robin Williams lampoon the story of Mary and Joseph. We listen to jazz pianist/composer (and FFRF member) Addison Frei 's freethinking song "Clinging," sung by Tahira Clayton. Then we interview Jim Helton , president of Tri-State Freethinkers, about the successful pro...

This week we'll report that FFRF's first billboard in Mississippi managed to stay up only 5 days before being censored, play Oliver Sacks' poignant last interview in honor of the upcoming anniversary of his birth, honor poet Sherry Matulis and listen to a little Stephen Foster to celebrate that freethinker's July 4 birthday. Then we'll hear from three FFRF insiders: Attorney Patrick Elliott will t...

This week we celebrate the Fourth of July, as well as the Supreme Court's decision on abortion rights. We announce FFRF billboard activism in Mississipi, Minnesota, and Cleveland, Ohio, where we welcome visitors to the RNC this month with the face of Ronald Reagan advocating for state/church separation. We report legal victories in Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado and California. After hearing the music...

FFRF protests the city of Hondo, Texas, sign saying "This is God's Country." After an FFRF complaint, Ex-Muslims of America finally get their cake that was denied by a local Wegman's food store. We hear the song "Salvation" by Elliott Ingersoll (great grandnephew of Robert Ingersoll), and then talk with FFRF's Legal Assistant and activist Calli Miller , who has been handling state/church entanglem...

FFRF protested Rev. Franklin Graham's "Decision America" rally in Wisconsin this week. We hear FFRF staff members Alyssa Schaeffer  and Calli Miller interviewed by the press during that event. After hearing Roy Zimmerman's poignant song, "To The Victims Of This Tragedy," bemoaning the ineffectiveness of prayer and moments of silence after tragedies like the shooting in Orlando, we talk with  Jesse...

This week we protest the Iowa Governor's proclamation to read the bible. We speak with FFRF attorney Sam Grover about our lawsuit successfully removing Christian crosses from Brewster County, Texas, police vehicles. After hearing the witty and brilliant Julia Sweeney on CNN talking about the Reason Rally, we interview Marie Schaub,  the courageous plaintiff in an FFRF lawsuit challenging the Ten C...

Psychologist, author and songwriter Elliott Ingersoll, descendant of the family of the great 19-century agnostic orator Robert G. Ingersoll, tells us about his TED talk challenging the notion of "chemical imbalances" in the brain, which, he says, can be better treated with talk therapy than with drugs. After hearing his performance of his song "American Infidel," we introduce a drawing for free do...

FFRF stopped an Ohio high school from singing "The Lord's Prayer" during graduation. Port Neches, Texas, divests itself of a Christian cross in their city park. FFRF bus signs and bike kiosk displays promoting secular values and atheist voters go up in Washington DC, with resultant controversy. Full-page ad about FFRF's House Chaplain lawsuit will be published in DC during the Reason Rally. After...

FFRF challenges prayer at a Florida school district, encourages the "Do No Harm" bill, supports "One nation indivisible" and reports on our Pennsylvania lawsuit challenging the Ten Commandments at a public high school. After celebrating the birthday of feminist Margaret Fuller, giving away a free copy of Annie Laurie's book Women Without Superstition , and honoring the life of Dan's father Norman...

You won't believe what a Colorado legislator said about FFRF's lawsuit challenging high-school discrimination against our scholarship for freethinking students. Nonbelief Relief is helping seven Bangladeshi freethinkers on a fatwa hit-list. FFRF's "What Does the Bible Really Say About Abortion?" ads are up in Kansas and Oklahoma. After hearing the freethought anthem "Die Gedanken Sind Frei," we ta...

We are suing the US House Chaplain! Dan Barker, with the help of FFRF attorneys Andrew Seidel and Sam Grover and litigation attorney Rich Bolton, filed a federal lawsuit May 5 challenging Chaplain Father Conroy's refusal to allow an atheist to offer a secular invocation before Congress. Andrew and Sam join us on the show to discuss the 2-year saga that led to this lawsuit. After hearing Irving Ber...