Freethought Radio

Legal fellow Ryan Jayne updates us on FFRF’s New Jersey lawsuit challenging millions of “historic preservation” dollars handed to churches, many for the purpose of worship. We discuss a cross on a Kentucky city water tower, a cross on an Illinois war memorial, and government censorship of freethought speech. Then we interview feminist atheist author Sikivu Hutchinson about her new book, White Nigh...

FFRF wins Liberty Institute’s “Scrooge Award.” Another FFRF banner is vandalized. Political candidate panders to piety. NYC mayor de Blasio hands $20 million to religious schools. Alabama chief justice Moore defies same-sex marriage law. After listening to Holly Near’s song “I Ain’t Afraid” and Dan Barker’s version of Ruth Green’s poem “FFRF,” we hear Ruth Hurmence Green interviewed in 1979 about...

Texas Governor Abbot censors FFRF’s “Bill of Rights Nativity” from the state capitol; Wisconsin lawmaker Scott Allen uses government resources to convert non-Christians. Idaho post office removes Christmas greeting from window. After hearing Paul Robeson sing “The Bill of Rights,” we talk with Thomas Sheedy who won the Richard and Beverly Hermsen Student Activist award for successfully fighting to...

In the News: FFRF banners and signs have been stolen or defaced, so we announce a "Resurrection Pledge Campaign" to help replace them. New banners go up in Olympia, Washington and Illinois courthouse. After hearing Richard Dawkins reading the Foreword he wrote for the audiobook of Dan Barker's book Godless, we end the year with some relaxing freethought and seasonal music from FFRF's "Adrift on a...

In the News: Saudi Arabia is scheduled to behead a nonbeliever; Indiana school thumbs its nose at the Constitution by staging a “mannequin” nativity scene after a judge enjoined them from doing a “live nativity scene.” We hear some Winter Solstice songs and a reading about how Christians coopted the season. Then we talk with Holly Baer, the first winner of the Yip Harburg Youth Activist award, who...

This is our first show produced in the new Stephen Uhl Friendly Atheist Studio at Freethought Hall! In The News: full-page FFRF ad in the New York Times celebrating the birth of the Bill of Rights (December 15, 1791); FFRF asks hotels for bible-free rooms; Elkhart (Ind.) live nativity cancelled; FFRF Winter Solstice sign stolen from Indiana courthouse. After hearing Philip Appleman’s poem “Fleas”...

In the News: Two seasonal state/church victories in Indiana; new FFRF lawsuit in New Jersey challenging public money to churches; Winter Solstice signs around the country; Nonbelief Relief report. After hearing Dan’s “Salt Lake City Blues,” we talk with Utah attorney Mark Naugle about how he has helped more than 3,000 people leave the Mormon Church, mainly as a result of the LDS position on same-s...

After dissecting religion in politics (Fiorina: "people of faith make better leaders”) and reporting FFRF state/church victories in Minnesota and Indiana, we hear Etta James sing Randy Newman’s irreverent “God’s Song.” Then sociologist and author Ryan T. Cragun explains his new book: How To Defeat Religion in 10 Easy Steps .

We love Paris, and detest religious terrorism. In The News: Governor Kasich calls for an agency to spread “Judeo-Christian values,” but American values are from the Enlightenment, not religion. Mormons are leaving the church over their gay-marriage stance. After hearing John Lennon’s “Imagine,” we talk with Fernando Alcántar, a Mexican immigrant who was converted by American missionaries, became a...

After reporting an early FFRF holiday victory stopping a nativity scene from being placed in a Minnesota park, we discuss the recent study showing that nonreligious children are more altruistic and less punitive than religious children. We hear the trailer for the new movie Spotlight about the Boston Globe’s powerful investigation of the coverup of pedophile Catholic priests. Then we talk with Sar...

Portland, Oregon, public high-school students disallowed from participating in a religious Catholic Grotto performance. Gideon bibles removed from Northern Illinois University hotel rooms. We announce Brooke Mulder as the winner of FFRF’s “Nothing Fails Like Prayer” contest for her secular invocation before Glendale, Arizona, city council. Then we hear veteran Steven Hewett (introduced by veteran...

Happy Halloween! Before hearing the song “Spooky Mormon Hell Dream” we announce state/church victories, lawsuits and complaints in Indiana, Arkansas, and Virginia, dealing with a nativity pageant, a city Facebook page, and praying coaches. We hear Anita Weier’s acceptance speech at the 38th annual convention for the “Freethought Heroine” award for getting atheism added as a protective class to cit...

In the news: FFRF complains about Christian crosses on a Kentucky city water tower and a Minnesota public hillside. Listen to a Texas sheriff tell FFRF to “go butt a stump,” after another sheriff told us to “go fly a kite” after we complained about “In God We Trust” on police vehicles. Annie Laurie recites Emily Dickinson’s ode to “Indian Summer” and Dan Barker sings “Beware of Dogma." Then we hea...

FFRF unveils its northern “Atheists in Foxholes” monument and the first-ever “Atheist Marquee” at the national office in Madison, Wisconsin. We hear the welcoming remarks of Madison Mayor Paul Soglin at FFRF's annual “Non-Prayer Breakfast” during our 38th annual convention. Then we listen to atheist Bangladeshi author and poet Taslima Nasrin talk about the fatwah and death threats she has been fac...

After discussing the the pope’s disturbing private visit with Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk who refuses to issue gay marriage licenses, we examine the duplicity of government officials who place religious images in public buildings and put “In God We Trust” on police vehicles, claiming these acts are not religious while at the same time admitting they want to proselytize for Jesus. Then we...

The “JESUS Welcomes You To Hawkins” (Texas) sign is coming down! An Arizona city stops favoring Christian prayers, and the University of Wisconsin Athletic Department donates sports memorabilia to FFRF. We protest the Pope’s visit to America with full-page ads in the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, Philadelphia Inquirer, plus JFK and Ron Reagan ads on TV. We listen to Kennedy’s 1960 Ho...

Many victories to report this week, including the successful FFRF lawsuit removing the Ten Commandments from a Pennsylvania school, Florida municipal prayer stopped, HS football-field baptism declared improper, Jesus painting removed, secular HS club finally allowed, city money withdrawn from Florida churches, football prayer discontinued. After “welcoming” the visit of Pope Francis to America wit...

Gov. Huckabee says Kentucky clerk Kim Davis (who defied gay-marriage orders) is “God.” In the News: more “Pray to Play” coverage, Indiana high-school live-nativity complaint, “Pope Chair” built by prisoners, de Blasio dispensing NYC tickets to see the pope. Victory: FFRF gets Georgia city to pull out of “Gospel Fest.” Then we talk with screenwriter Chris Matheson (Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure,...

In the news: FFRF victory declaring the Ten Commandments unconstitutional at a Pennsylvania high school, a county clerk refusing to grant gay marriage licenses, group baptisms on the high-school football field, “In God We Trust” on police cars, a Jesus statue in a federal park, a year-long nativity scene in New Mexico. Our guest is Kansas biographer Vickie Sandell Stangl, author of Etta Semple: Ka...

FFRF’s “Pray to Play” exposé gets national coverage, including FFRF attorney Andrew Seidel on MSNBC “Sports Matters.” Dan Barker was interviewed on NBC's “Today” show about the Jesus painting in a Kansas school that was taken down after FFRF complained. After talking with Viet Nam veteran and plaintiff Steve Trunk about the decades-long saga of the cross on Mt. Soledad, we interview Executive Dire...

After honoring the life of famed freethinking civil-rights leader Julian Bond and catching up on state/church news in Texas and New Mexico, we listen to part of John Oliver’s hilarious take-down of greedy churches and evangelists taking unfair advantage of lax IRS codes. Then we talk with FFRF attorney Andrew Seidel about FFRF’s letter of complaint to university athletic departments that hire evan...

In the news: FFRF’s Ron Reagan ad on the penultimate Jon Stewart Daily Show, Jesus sign in east Texas town, bible verses removed from Arkansas city webpage, “In God We Trust” challenged on municipal vehicles. After hearing Bo Burnham’s anti-religious rap song “Rant,” we talk with author, poet, and critic Katha Pollitt about her new book Pro (about abortion rights), and her previous book Learning T...

Ryan Jayne, FFRF’s law clerk and soon-to-be legal fellow, helps us celebrate many exciting state/church victories accomplished by FFRF’s attorneys. We honor the birthday of 19th-century agnostic orator Robert G. Ingersoll by hearing Dan Barker’s musical version of his famous “Trinity” lyrics. Then we interview author, poet and filmmaker Jeremiah Camara about his new feature-length documentary “Con...

Jesus sign on city property, “In God We Trust” on patrol cars, Ten Commandments on high-school property, atheists barred from Boy Scouts, Tennessee freethought proclamation proposed. After talking about fish, large and small--Melville’s Moby Dick and Rupert Brooke’s Heaven --we interview Nebraska State Senator Ernie Chambers about his recent victory overturning capital punishment in that state.

Guatemalan secular humanists fight back after the legislature proposes to teach the bible in all public schools. After reporting on egregious state/church complaints in Texas and Minnesota, we celebrate many FFRF victories around the country. Then we talk with Florida activist David Williamson, director of FFRF’s chapter Central Florida Freethought Community, about the new lawsuit they filed (with...