Freethought Radio

"We are all star stuff." After discussing FFRF legal complaints in South Dakota and Arkansas, we take up on Carl Sagan's famous words by talking with paleontologist Neil Shubin, discoverer of Tiktaalik and author of the bestselling  Your Inner Fish , whose newest book is  The Universe Within: Discovering the Common History of Rocks, Planets, and People.

We've got to fight the battle of church and state. This week we have FFRF attorneys Rebecca Markert and Patrick Elliott in studio to discuss current legal complaints--city prayers in Rapid City, South Dakota, and Onalaska, Wisconsin (a victory), pastors roaming the schools in Conway, Arkansas, proselytizing football coaches in North Carolina--and our newest lawsuit over a Jesus painting on the wal...

Happy Birthday Darwin! We celebrate Charles Darwin's 204th birthday on February 12, then we ask "Why, BSA" are you discriminating against atheists and gays? We announce FFRF's newest lawsuit in Ohio, then talk with David Williamson, organizer of Central Florida Freethought Community (an FFRF chapter) about how they are countering bible distribution in public schools with atheist literature in the...

The Boy Scouts may be considering allowing gays, but they still deserve a Badge of Dishonor for excluding atheists. Annie Laurie and Dan discuss FFRF's Action Alert about the Boy Scouts, complaints about religion in schools, vouchers for religious schools and patriarchal religious attitudes toward women. Then, to celebrate Darwin's upcoming birthday, they interview biology professor Jerry Coyne, a...

There was a whole lot of "godding" going on at Obama's 2nd inaugural. Dan and Annie Laurie analyze the plusses and minuses of the event. Then we interview Zach Kopplin, a 19-year-old activist college student from Louisiana who is trying to repeal that state's creationism law.

A NY high-school science teacher pushing Christianity in the classroom, and a large portrait of Jesus in an Ohio middle school--these are some of FFRF's state-church complaints we discuss this week. Then we talk with freethinking feminist author and activist Robin Morgan, who is host of the new CBS radio show Women's Media Center Live.

Atheist activism among the youth. This week listen to high-school students Max Nielson and Jessica Ahlquist talk about the challenges of coming out as a young nonbelieving activist in predominantly Christian communities.

The past holiday season was not a time of "goodwill for all." This week we talk with Justin Vacula about the vandalizing of FFRF's Winter Solstice sign that was put up in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, one of 5 FFRF signs (out of 12) around the country that were stolen or defaced. And then, on a more hopeful note, we interview Ed and Michael Buckner, co-authors of the new book,  In Freedom We Trust:...

Happy Unholy New Year! Out with the old orthodoxies, in with a new year of freethought! This week's show is a relaxing sneak preview of FFRF's new musical CD, Adrift On A Star, including debuts of new songs by Dan Barker and friends. We end with Scottish singer Jim Malcolm's touching version of "Auld Lang Syne."

Hear of recent nativity scene violation victories, FFRF solstice signs in numerous cities. Listen to Dan's version of "Merry Frickin' Christmas," seasonal songs by Tom Lehrer and Roy Zimmerman, as well as the debut of Dan's new song "Unfaithful," from FFRF's new CD, Adrift On A Star.

Heathens' Greetings. It's the most unconstitutional time of year. Atheist bus signs go up in Alaska. We talk with Marie Schaub, an atheist and a mother in a small Pennsylvania community. She's also a brave plaintiff in a hot-button lawsuit involving a Ten Commandments monument at a public high school.

"Get Off Your Knees And Get To Work," a new song by Dan Barker, is debuted this week, especially in response to Kansas Governor Sam Brownback calling for a "Day of Repentance." Listen to some brave Florida commissioners objecting to prayer, and hear an NPR interview of FFRF member William Cox objecting to the Jesus statue in the Montana federal park. Then we talk with Susan Jacoby who has a new bo...

Find out why Fox News "can't stand the Freedom From Religion Foundation" (and the feeling is mutual). This week we cover a sleigh-load of state/church complaints: a federal decision allowing FFRF's Montana shrine case to continue, removal of a cross from a Kansas city seal, coverage of our IRS lawsuit over church politicking, and more. Then we talk with "Friendly Atheist" blogger Hemant Mehta abou...

The winter solstice season is approaching, and with it comes holiday complaints. Listen to Damon Vix (photo) talk about his victory this week when a federal judge ruled that the city of Santa Monica, Calif., is free to discontinue nativity scenes on public property, after 58 years of Christian domination in Palisades Park. We also talk with Ph. D student Chris Calvey, head of the Atheists, Humanis...

FFRF is suing the IRS! Find out more about our most recent lawsuit demanding that the IRS enforce its rules prohibiting churches from political activities. Listen to a Kentucky Mom, Suzanne Lamb, tell how she is fighting the Gideons in the public schools. Then hear an update from FFRF attorney Rebecca Market about stopping prayers at school-board meetings

We present a secular wrap up on election news. Then, we speak with Dr. Peter Boghossian who teaches a class on atheism at Portland State University. He is working on a book called A Manual to Create Atheists.

Why are "acts of God" and "gifts of God" always so bad? This week we report on theocratic politicians, more football prayer, and an early "holiday" controversy in Texas. Then hear interviews of Vashti McCollum, whose historic 1948 Supreme Court victory removed religious instruction from public schools, and Roy Torcaso, whose equally historic 1962 Supreme Court decision affirmed there should be no...

DEBUT! Hear the radio debut of "Poor Little Me," the new song written by Broadway composer Charles Strouse (Annie, Bye Bye Birdie) and Dan Barker. We read editorials in favor of FFRF's high-school cheerleader complaint that ran in the New York Times, Washington Post, and USA Today. Then we talk with Michael Austin, author of the new book, That's Not What They Meant! Reclaiming The Founding Fathers...

The religious right is right about one thing: there definitely is a climate of hostility, and they are creating it. Listen to the Governor and Attorney General of Texas accuse FFRF of "menacing intimidation" over our First-Amendment complaint of the Kountze cheerleaders' Christian banners. Listen to Annie Laurie and Dan's response to "Wall Builder" David Barton accusing FFRF of creating a "toxic"...

The "nones" are growing, but the religious battles continue. This week we listen to FFRF's 1980 movie, A Second Look at Religion, showing that little has changed on the state/church front in more than three decades

The battle over Christian banners in Texas high-school football games continues, with much national media attention. FFRF victory in Oregon plus the music of John Lennon and Ralph Vaughan Williams round out the first half of the show. Then we talk with Robert Parham, a Southern Baptist minister who "saw the light" and is now a nonbeliever and board member of The Clergy Project.

"Blasphemy is a victimless crime!" This week we report on many "blasphemous" FFRF victories and complaints, and comment on the move to criminalize blasphemy around the world. Then listen to Oprah Winfrey's 1984 "AM Chicago" TV show where Dan and Annie Laurie met for the first time

The vernal equinox is here, and school year violations are piling up like fallen leaves. This weeks we cover numerous FFRF victories over high-school and Tennessee university prayers. Then we talk with popular blogger Adam Lee, the author of Daylight Atheism, who has a new book by the same name.

Public school football games don't have a prayer! Hear about 30 (!) recent FFRF victories removing prayer and other religious intrusions from government around the country. Then we talk with Lorena Rios of Hispanic American Freethinkers.

Religion in politics. Listen to the vote (3 times!) at the DNC, and YOU decide if there was a 2/3 majority wanting to insert "God" into the platform. This week we expose both major political parties mixing religion and government. Then we talk with Rene Chouinard, the Canadian father whose complaint to the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal is challenging the distribution of Gideon Bibles in public sch...