Freethought Radio

Guest Dale McGowan speaks on secular parenting. The show also includes lively clips of Christopher Hitchens interviews and debates, a retrospective on the fundamentalist career of the late Jerry Falwell, the broadcast debut of Dan Barker's jazz ballad, "It's Only Natural" (dedicated to Richard Dawkins and sung by jazz singer Susan Hofer), and a celebration of the life of Lorraine Hansberry, includ...

Guest Sonia Johnson talks about how her activism for the Equal Rights Amendment got her excommunicated from the Mormon Church and turned her into a nonbeliever and a feminist activist. The lively show also features news clips by Marie Tillman and Bill Maher, as well as Katharine Hepburn (born on May 12) speaking in her own words about her disbelief. The weekly show is hosted by Dan Barker and Anni...

Guest Ellory Schempp discusses how his complaints as a 16-year-old about devotional bible reading and prayer in his Pennsylvania public school turned into the landmark 1963 Supreme Court decision, Schempp v. Abington , ending such practices in the United States. The interview includes audio clips of his father, the late Ed Schempp, reminiscing about the lawsuit. The show includes a look at what's...

Freethought Radio's guest is Rob Boston of Americans United, discussing current state/church conflicts and myths, litigation and his books. "Eavesdrop" on what the Religious Right is saying about atheists and FFRF! Freethinkers Almanac pays homage to influential freethinkers, including Ulysses S. Grant and Mary Wollstonecraft. Freethought Radio is co-hosted by Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor. (...

Tune in to hear Pulitizer Prize-winning journalist and author Edward Humes discuss his new book, "Monkey Girl," on Freethought Radio. The book chronicles the saga of the creationist trial in Dover, Penn., resulting in the recent landmark federal decision against "intelligent design" instruction in public schools. The show also includes discussion of timely state/church topics, including this week'...

David Randolph, famous conductor of the St. Cecilia Chorus (a secular, non-profit group), talks about his life and his nontheistic views. At age 92, Randolph has become the oldest person to conduct at Carnegie Hall, where he has performed for many decades, and where he will conduct Mendelssohnn and Orff next month. (MP3, 48 min, 22 MB)

Secular lobbyist Lori Lipman Brown, director of the Secular Coalition of America, is interviewed about current issues and bills before Congress and how seculars can make a difference. Updates on FFRF lawsuits and the faith-based initiative are offered. Philip Appleman's song, "Fleas," a literary parody of Joyce Kilmer's "Trees," is performed by Dan Barker. Dan's Pagan Pulpit issues an "Easter Chal...

Rita Swan , founder of Children's Healthcare Is a Legal Duty, grants a powerful interview about losing a baby to Christian Science anti-medicine tenets, and her subsequent activism to repeal religious exemptions in laws governing healthcare for children. Dan Barker's Pagan Pulpit addresses the biblical defamation of atheists as "fools." Song: "Sunday Morning Blues." Freethinkers Almanac looks at e...

Most of this show is devoted to the timely topic of Roman Catholic crimes against children. Special guest is Joe McGee , a Colorado freethinker who will talk about what it has been like, after nearly 50 years, to go public with crimes committed against him as a child by his family's priest. The show also includes a relevant poem, "Exegesis," read by Philip Appleman, music and a Pagan Pulpit, "The...

News of the week includes U.S. Rep. Pete Stark's recent announcement that he is nonreligious. Nobel Laureate Paul D. Boyer , a Lifetime Member of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, is interviewed, and he talks about the overwhelming disbelief of "elite" scientists. The show also includes a brief, pithy poetry reading by "freethought laureate" Philip Appleman, and a discussion on common myths ab...

Tune in to hear the audio of last Sunday's ABC Evening World News segment featuring FFRF co-presidents Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor. Then "eavesdrop" on comedian Julia Sweeney talking about atheism, "Letting Go of God" and the Freedom From Religion Foundation on a recent Stephanie Miller radio interview. Hear why bestselling atheist author Sam Harris thinks it's time for society to end faith...

The first segment of the show involves a candid post-mortem by the co-hosts of what it was like to be taxpayer plaintiffs in a lawsuit heard by the U.S. Supreme Court this week! The pair give the inside scoop, discuss the astronomical growth of FFRF in the past week, and summarize media coverage, including an audio of last week's CBS Evening News coverage of FFRF and Hein v. FFRF. Interviewed is D...

The phenomenon of "faith-based" national parks is the main topic of this week's Freethought Radio. The hosts interview attorney Jeffrey Ruch, whose group, PEER, is leading the protest against the sale of creationist books at the Grand Canyons. Plan to enjoy an insider look at what the Religious Right is saying about the Freedom From Religion Foundation and its upcoming appearance before the U.S. S...

Freethought Radio moves to an afternoon slot, 1-2 p.m. every Saturday. Tune in to hear attorney Pamela Sumners, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice in Missouri, talk about threats to the judiciary, and her experiences litigating state/church violations in Alabama. The show also includes a "Theocracy Alert," a "Freethinkers Almanac," and a timely encore of Philip Appleman's new song, "Intelligen...

Freethought Radio moves to an afternoon slot, 1-2 p.m. every Saturday. The show's guest is a 16-year-old state/church student activist, Matthew LaClair. Matthew has made the national news for protesting his history teacher's proselytizing remarks in an ongoing violation in his public school in Kearny, N.J. Matthew will be named "Thomas Jefferson Freethought Student Activist" at the 2007 FFRF conve...

Featured guest is bestselling science author, Stanford scientist and atheist Robert Sapolsky, with a lively discussion of primates, atheism, evolution and naturalistic explanations for the origin of religions. The show includes an update on the Foundation's faith-based challenge, going before the Supreme Court later this month, a song in homage to stem-cell research, and a look at fascinating free...

Freethought Radio's featured guest is Feminist Majority president and 3-decade feminist activist Eleanor Smeal, previously named a "Freethought Heroine" by the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Ellie discusses religion's role in fighting the ERA, abortion rights and global human rights for women. The show features a brief "Theocracy Alert," and will honor Thomas Paine, whose birthdate is January 2...

Freethought Radio's featured guest is Matthew Rothschild, atheist and editor of The Progressive Magazine. The show includes an update on upcoming oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in FFRF's faith-based lawsuit, and a look at who's who this week in freethought. Co-hosts are Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor. (MP3, 51 min, 23.1 MB)

Freethought Radio's featured guest is The Nation's sparkling columnist, Katha Pollitt, whose latest book is Virginity or Death! The show also includes a legal update and a look at many fascinating freethinkers born in January. The show is cohosted by Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor. (MP3, 57 min, 26 MB)

Freethought Radio's featured guest is Norm Allen, executive director of African Americans for Humanism, and editor of the anthology, African-American Humanism. The featured song: a delicious version of "It Ain't Necessarily So" sung by Sammie Davis Jr. Freethinker's Almanac looks at January-born freethinkers Zora Neale Hurston and Butterfly McQueen. Co-hosts are Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor,...

Evolutionary psychologist and bestselling author Steven Pinker ("The Blank Slate") will talk about his atheism, hypothesize about why religion exists and discuss his books. The show includes a look at the unorthodox Robert Burns, author of "Auld Lang Syne." Theocracy Alert looks at the practice of swearing in politicians on the bible. Freethought Radio is a production of the Freedom From Religion...

Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer Natalie Angier of the New York Times, a self-professed "lonely atheist" and bestselling author, will be the guest on Freethought Radio. Also debuting on the show will be a new song by poet Philip Appleman, "Intelligent? Design?" arranged and performed by Dan Barker. The show takes a brief look at distinguished freethinkers born at the end of December. Freethou...

The theme of Saturday's Freethought Radio is the Winter Solstice, and it will feature an interview with Tom Flynn, author of "The Trouble with Christmas," and the song, "Solstice Tribute," by Dan Barker. As Freethought Radio's solstice treat for listeners, the show will broadcast an excerpt from Julia Sweeney's "Letting Go of God" one-woman play, in which the comedian reads the bible and discovers...

Features an interview with Steve Benson, Pulitzer-prize winning editorial cartoonist for the Arizona Republic, and Mormon-turned-atheist. It is co-hosted by Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, who are co-presidents of the Freedom From Religion Foundation. The hosts will also discuss the Foundation's annual Winter Solstice sign at the Wisconsin State Capitol, and report on the Foundation's lawsuit...

Features an interview with Prof. Daniel C. Dennett, eminent Tufts University philosopher and author of the new book explaining the natural phenomenon of religion, Breaking the Spell. The show will also excerpt a short highlight of Nobel Laureate Steven Weinberg's recent talk urging other scientists at the Salk Institute to help him wake up the world to the nightmare of religion. Freethinkers Alman...