Freethought Radio

After discussing FFRF’s temporary setback (on standing, not merits) in federal Appeals Court over the IRS “Housing Allowance” case, we announce a new lawsuit challenging prayer at Chino Valley, California, school board meetings. We celebrate the 88th birthday of FFRF’s principal founder Anne Nicol Gaylor by honoring the feminist freethinker Margaret Sanger. Then we talk with author and scholar Bar...

FFRF's "legal fellow," attorney Katherine Paige, tells us about her recent victory stopping county funds from supporting a religious ministry in Alabama. Then we talk with Carol Fiore, widow of test pilot Eric Fiore, about her new book, A Grief Workbook for Skeptics: Surviving Loss Without Religion.  

Timely news updates include FFRF’s reports to the IRS of illegal politicking by 501(c)(3) tax-exempt churches. We report some Bible Belt victories against blatant promotion of religion in public schools. Then Freethought Radio salutes artistic freethinkers born this week, including Schiller and Aaron Copeland. We interview former minister John W. Loftus about the last in his trilogy anthology, cal...

 In The News: football baptisms, proselytizing teachers, Fox & Friends lecturing FFRF on "culture of the South," and USA Today acknowledging FFRF's accomplishments. Then we talk with John Figdor, Humanist Chaplain at Stanford University, about his new book Atheist Mind, Humanist Heart: Rewriting the Ten Commandments for the Twenty-First Century.

In the News: Landmark Minnesota Church abuse case. Freethought Hall expansion progress, including video of the artist making commemorative tiles. Then we hear from two former ministers who no longer believe: Randy Bender (Lutheran) and Matt Killingsworth (Pentecostal).

Life Beyond Belief. After state/church news in South Dakota, Georgia, Ohio, and Oklahoma, we hear from science-fiction writer Ursula K. LeGuin, and listen to part of Malala Yousafzai's Nobel Peace Prize remarks. Then we talk with Bob Ripley, former pastor of the largest mainline Protestant church in Canada who resigned after discarding his faith. His new book is Life Beyond Belief: A Preacher's De...

Many FFRF state/church victories to report, including stopping prayers over the loudspeakers at high-school football games. After celebrating the birthdays of the freethinking songwriters P. G. Wodehouse and Ralph Vaughan Williams, we talk with Nikki Moungo, a Missouri mother who successfully convinced the city of Ballwin not to display "In God We Trust" on government property. Many FFRF state/chu...

  FFRF protests Pulpit Freedom Sunday, a day when pastors are encouraged to break IRS electioneering law. Hear about FFRF’s victory in a Texas elementary school, and more on our complaint of the St. Augustine mayor’s invitation to the pope. We celebrate the birthdays of John Lennon, Guiseppe Verdi, Joe Hill, and Thelonious Monk. The we talk with Alabama student activist Amanda Scott about her effo...

  After protesting invitations of the pope by the U.S. Congress and the City of St. Augustine, Florida, we hear some of our favorite atheist comedians, including Julia Sweeney, Leighann Lord, George Carlin, Bill Maher and Roy Zimmerman, as well as irreverent verses by Yip Harburg. Then we talk with Katja Guenther, professor of sociology at UC-Riverside, about her current research into humor in the...

In the news: football prayer and religion in the military. We hear a tribute to George Gershwin ( Rhapsody in Blue , Bernstein; "I Got Rhythm," Mary Martin; "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," Billie Holiday; "Someone To Watch Over Me," Nancy Wilson; "It Ain't Necessarily So" Sammy Davis Jr; "Embraceable You," Kiri Te Kanawa; American in Paris ; "Summertime" Ella Fitzgerald). Then we talk with Sam E...

"God and Cosmology." This week we are happy to report four state/church victories around the country: one in Florida, two in Pennsylvania, and one in Arkansas, dealing with the Pledge of Allegiance, "In God We Trust," hotel bibles, and crosses on football helmets. After hearing Dan Barker's freethought song, "Life is Good," we talk with physicist Sean Carroll, author of The Particle at the End of...

"Science flies you to the moon. Religion flies you into buildings." After hearing news of  FFRF state/church victories and complaints, we remember the life of physicist, author, and FFRF Honorary Director Victor J. Stenger. Then we talk with Lance Dodes, M.D., about his new book debunking Alcoholics Anonymous: The Sober Truth: Debunking the bad science behind twelve-step programs and the rehab ind...

After hearing Dan Barker's appearance on the Nancy Grace Show, and reporting the Vatican's coddling of a pedophilic priest, we honor the birthdays of freethinking baseball great Ted Williams and early feminist activist Frances Wright. Then we talk with Matthew Stewart, author of the new book: Nature's God : The Heretical Origins of the American Republic .

FFRF complains about an Arkansas restaurant giving illegal discounts to church-goers. We celebrate Women's Equality Day, and observe the 100th anniversary of the original Broadway "Book of Mormon" (The Girl From Utah) with freethinker Jerome Kern's first hit song. Then we listen to 20 short videos from FFRF's new "Out of the Closet" Freethinker video campaign.

We talk about the Kountze, Texas, bible-banner cheerleaders, and the FFRF state/church victory over a restaurant offering a discount for prayer. Then we celebrate the birthday of freethinking composer Claude Debussy. Our guest this week is FFRF attorney Sam Grover, who will explain how he convinced the Navy to remove Christian bibles from Naval Accommodations.

This week we correct right-wing media that is mischaracterizing FFRF's recent IRS victory about politicking pastors. We celebrate the birthday of 19th-century freethought author, orator and politician Robert G. Ingersoll. Then we talk with Roane County (Tennessee) Commissioner Steve Kelley, an atheist, about why he voted against "In God We Trust" being installed at the county offices and courthous...

The religious right and FOX News are upset about FFRF's IRS church-electioneering victory. We hear Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg talking about the Hobby Lobby decision. We celebrate the birthdays of freethinkers James Baldwin and Rupert Brooke. Then we talk with author and professor Anthony Pinn about his new memoir, Writing God's Obituary: How a Good Methodist Became a Better Atheist.

We talk about FFRF's victory with the IRS, an agreement that they will begin to follow their own policy of enforcing restrictions on political activity by tax-exempt religious organizations and churches. We announce our newest lawsuit, filed with the ACLU and Americans United, against a Michigan city that is censoring atheist speech. Then we talk with David Pineda, President of "La Asociación Guat...

We’ll celebrate the 166th anniversary of the Seneca Falls Convention called by agnostic Elizabeth Cady Stanton, then talk with newsmaker and freethought activist Dan Courtney, a Lifetime FFRF Member, who just became the first atheist to give an invocation in Greece, N.Y. — site of the governmental prayer dispute at the center of this spring’s Supreme Court ruling.

Protest the Hobby Lobby decision. We hear the classic "Days of the Theocracy" by Kristin Lems, and pay tribute to atheist Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. Then we speak with Dayna Long, president of Wisconsin NOW, about her successful protest against Hobby Lobby, and how you can fight back back against patriarchy. Protest the Hobby Lobby decision. We hear the classic "Days of the Theocracy" by Kristin L...

Happy 238th Birthday U.S.A! After discussing the disastrous Supreme Court "Hobby Lobby" decision, we honor America's birthday by celebrating the July 4 (1826) birthday of songwriter Stephen Foster. Then we talk with Emmy-Award-winning Hollywood actor Scott Clifton, who hosts the "Theoretical B.S." blog on YouTube.

After celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and hearing about many FFRF legal victories, we celebrate the birthday of atheist Broadway composer Richard Rodgers. Then we talk with Wanda Morris, CEO of Dying With Dignity Canada about the current progress and the religious opposition to end-of-life choices in Canada and the world.

We welcome the summer solstice with freethought offerings from author Ian McEwan and other leading atheists. IN THE NEWS: State/church victory! Supreme Court declines to hear the Elmbrook (Wisconsin) case disallowing public school graduations in churches. Then Liz Cavell , constitutional attorney, explains how FFRF’s legal staff handles state/church and Civil Rights complaints.

Anne Druyan, creator/writer/producer of "Cosmos," talks about how the successful TV science series was made. IN THE NEWS: Iowa withdraws funds for a Christian park; Wisconsin judge allows gay marriage.

In The News: FFRF's "Parsonage Allowance" brief filed with 7th Circuit Court of Appeals; FFRF's Ron Reagan ad to air during "Cosmos" in major cities. Celebrate the birthdays of four freethinking composers and songwriters, including "Live And Let Live" Cole Porter. Then we talk with the film-making brothers Gus and Luke Holwerda, whose beautiful documentary "The Unbelievers," following Richard Dawk...