Secular Left - Progressive Religion Free View of the News

A majority of Ohioans didn't support the relection of Governor Mike Dewine or any of the GOP office holders and the GOP wants to keep it that way by making it harder to vote. Do you know the difference between Critical Thinking and Confirmation Bias? Show Notes 00:35 Ohio Gop Won Offices With Less Than 50% Of The Vote 18:51 Don't Confuse Critical Thinking And Confirmation Bias Send us Fa...

For our 50th episode we look at religious opposition to equality efforts where we have to state again, religious freedom is not pie. Then we explain simply why government policies to address racism isn't racist. Finally we look at one local political ad that is an outright  lie and showing the ad hurts democracy. Show Notes Subscribe to updates Check out our merch 00:50 Religion Is Not Pie 14...

How do you know when a GOP election ad is lying? Its lips move. And religious conservatives will do whatever it takes to force religion on all children in public schools. Their newest trick? Fake school assemblies. Show Notes Our Newsletter Our Merch 00:45 Discerning political ads 20:23 School Assembly to church pipeline Send us Fan Mail Support the show Subscribe to our free newsletter Check out...

In this episode Doug points out what podcaster Tanner Campbell got wrong about his old remembered complaints over Atheism Plus. Then Doug gives an update about the Sylvania Bus Dispute and his thoughts on the remaking of CNN into FOX "news" Lite. Show Notes Subscribe to our free newsletter Check out our Merch 00:45 The Misrembering of Atheism Plus 23:11 Bus Dispute Update 33:46 A mention...

Two Ohio families spent a lot of money and time to complain about a new plan to bus their young children to their catholic school. They cited some recent US Supreme Court 1st amendment cases but in the end a judge used her gut feeling in helping protect the family's privilege. Show Notes Subscribe to our free newsletter Check out our merch Send us Fan Mail Support the show Subscribe to our fr...

Did the House Progressive Caucus betray their promise on the Build Back Better Act? Ohio Attorney General David Yost needs remedial Bible study and the gun fetish in Georgia leads to the canceling of a $10 million music festival. Show Notes Subscribe to our free newsletter Check out our merch 00:35 Did the House Progressive Caucus betray their promise on the Build Back Better Act? 12:36 Ohio Attor...

We explore Justice Clarence Thomas' Black Nationalism in his college years and how his thoughts on racism sounds like critical race theory. Then we talk to an abortion clinic volunteer about the loss of religious freedom from overturning Roe v Wade. Show Notes Get our free newsletter Check out our Merch 00:50 Clarence Thomas The Radical 22:36 Dobbs Decision Is A Violation Of Religious Freedom...

What is the long term fall out now that the right to privacy is in danger with end of Roe v Wade and how can this turn out worse for the Democrats. We also take a look the ramifications of the Football coach prayer case that also helps Christian Nationalists. Show Notes Get our Free Newsletter Check out our merch 00:35 The End of Roe 22:49 Coach Kneeling on a Prayer Send us Fan Mail Support the sh...

Robyn Blumner of the Center of Inquiry took the opportunity, in a recent editorial, to slam identity politics, woke progressives, and took a cheap shot at the American Humanist Association. Show Notes Subscribe to our free newsletter Check out our merch 01:35 Blumner is wrong about Humanism 22:47 Dawkins the Snowflake 34:42 When Did Free Inquiry Turn Into David Silverman's Twitter Feed? 43:07...

We talk to Claudia Clark about her book "Dear Barack" that explains the unique partnership of President Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Claudia also gives the European viewpoint of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and finally we discuss her time as a community organizer with the group ACORN. Show Notes Subscribe to our free newsletter Check out our Merch 01:30 Merkel and Obam...

Kevin Bolling faced the biggest challenge he's faced as Executive Director of the Secular Student Alliance. He had to manage the group through the pandemic and then resume regular support once the schools opened back up. SSA launched a massive effort to reach 1.4 million students. He will tell us how SSA did it and what is in store for the group. Lastly we take a look at a recent case where a...

The stench of Trump has been absorbed into the corpuscles of the Republican party so that now it isn't about policies but what fake outrage you support or are against. The electorate suffers. We take a look at some examples of this theater called a primary season here in Ohio. Show Notes Subscribe to our free newsletter Check out our merch 00:45 Karens call the cops on Morgan Harper 13:18 Bet...

Elections matter and when you can hold a super majority in the state legislature you can feed your every factless conspiracy theory fever dream and let your bigot flag fly. Show Notes Subscribe to our free newsletter See our Merch 00:36 Announcement 05:33 Release Time Religious Instruction 25:03 Correction 26:10 Letting Your Bigot Flag Fly Send us Fan Mail Support the show Subscribe to our free ne...

Violent crime has spiked recently. Are we wasting time and money with more policing? Can having children be immoral? And where are the vigils and memorials for the thousands who died in the pandemic. One political party has blood on its hands and its initials are G. O. P. Show Notes Subscribe to our free newsletter See our Merch 00:45 Gun Violence Isn't Always About Gangs And Drugs 13:18 Anti...

In this episode, we look at the struggles of 'moderate' Republican and retired sports reporter Michele Tafoya as she tries to stop the world from making her babies feel bad in our 'post' racial era. Tucker Carlson celebrates her American Ideal. Then we look at how the Ohio GOP is trying to run out the clock to maintain their super majority in the legislature. They are on the fi...

In this episode Doug looks at Bari Weiss's appearance on Bill Maher's HBO show and why her flippant Pandemic of Bureaucracy is both childish and dangerous to us all. Then we look at a recent church and state case over a Boston flag pole that was heard at the US Supreme Court. It doesn't look good for secular people or for more than 40 years of settled jurisprudence. Show Notes Subsc...

In this episode, Doug takes a look at political polarization, which many people feel is a threat to our democracy. We take a look at two projects that think talking things out will lead to shiny happy people, rainbows, and unicorns. Show Notes Subscribe to our free Newsletter Check out our Merch 01:32 One Small Step I Take 25:07 Dialog Only Angels Send us Fan Mail Support the show Subscribe to our...

In this episode, we wonder why, at the request of no one, Ohio Attorney General David Yost inserted the state into a local case and tried to prosecute a rape victim instead of the rapist. And a Federal judge tells parents they don't have a constitutional right to avoid school mask mandates. Show Notes Subscribe to our free newsletter Check out our Merch 00:44 Yost Sticks Nose Into Local Rape...

In this episode, we take a deep dive into the abortion issue because the US Supreme Court is looking at a Mississippi law that ignores established science and bans abortion at 15 weeks. We look at the history of abortion rights in this country and why the Christian Nationalist's argument that a fetus is a child is factually wrong. Show Notes Subscribe to our free newsletter Check out our Merc...

In this episode we look at some wrong hot takes on the Kyle Rittenhouse case and ask why it was treated differently than the Breonna Taylor case in 2020. President Biden was threatened by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops again over his pro-choice stance but the Pope stepped in to provide cover. We get an update on Ohio's terrible congressional district maps and yet another anti-abortio...

In this episode we talk to Alison Gill, Vice President, Legal and Policy with American Atheists, about Christian Nationalists using the 1st amendment to discriminate and how the Do No Harm Act could help restore real religious freedom. Show Notes Subscribe to our free newsletter Check out our Merch 00:43 The Nones and Separation of Church & State 05:53 RFRA and the Do No Harm Act 16:14 US Supr...

In this episode we look at another attempt by religious extremists in the Ohio legislature to kill more Trans teens. Comedian Dave Chappelle, needing to protect his manhood lashes out at LGBTQ people for not getting his jokes. And we find out who bankrolled this year's National Prayer Breakfast and why the government shouldn't be involved with religious extremists. Show Notes Subscribe t...

In this episode we look at voter suppression efforts by Republicans, a US Senate Candidate who is using the Taliban playbook, and we look at the growing issue of conservatives trying to take over school boards. Show Notes Subscribe to our free newsletter 00:47 Voter Suppression 17:34 Taliban Josh Mandel 26:44 School Board Takeover Send us Fan Mail Support the show Subscribe to our free newsletter...

In this episode we take a look at the dumpster fire that is Ohio’s redistricting process after the 2020 census then we talk about the lack of research in the use of ivermectin as a treatment for Covid and the lengths one woman went to force a hospital to treat her husband with it. Finally we look at what we can do after the recent non-decision by the US Supreme Court concerning the ridiculous anti...

In this episode Doug is kind of happy that Greg Epstien is now head of the Chaplains of Harvard University but he still has trouble believing that interfaith work really includes the non-believer. Then Doug talks about a recent study that showed ending the $300 extra unemployment benefit didn't cause a flood of lazy cheeto eating slackers to go back to work. It's just one more proof that...