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The Pennsylvania Catholic Church scandal is the horrible news of the week, involving hundreds of pedophile priests and thousands of victims. After hearing the song “Check It Out,” which Dan wrote when he was transitioning out of the ministry more than 30 years ago, we talk with former Catholic priest Stephen Uhl, a long-time generous FFRF member, about why he left the priesthood and what he is doing to bolster secular public education.
We have another public school state/church victory to report in Indiana, and a school prayer complaint in Mississippi. We celebrate the birthday of the famous 19th-century agnostic orator Robert Green Ingersoll. Then we talk with Adam Chodorow, professor at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, about the powerful friend-of-the-court brief he wrote (signed by 22 law professors) for the federal appeal of FFRF’s challenge to the IRS Clergy Housing Allowance that gives a huge tax break to ministers.
After criticizing Attorney General Jeff Session’s new (so-called) Religious Freedom Taskforce, FFRF attorney Patrick Elliott tells us about our newest lawsuit, challenging the “Lord’s Prayer” at Parkersburg, West Virginia, city council meetings. We celebrate the magician James Randi’s 90th birthday by hearing him describe how he was “never religious.” Then we talk with Arctic explorer Lawrence Millman about the senseless 1941 religiously motivated murders in Hudson Bay, described in his new book, At The End Of The World: A True Story of Murder in the Arctic.
After listening to national coverage on “Megan Kelly Today” of FFRF’s complaint about a Christian lip-sync video by a Texas police department, we talk with victorious litigation attorney David Kaloyanides, who handled FFRF’s federal lawsuit against a California school board whose meetings include Christian prayer and preaching, resulting in a resounding unanimous decision in our favor this week from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Then we talk with Daniel Mach, Director of ACLU’s Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief, about the precarious status of state/church separation in the country today.
Cardinal McCarrick (a fox guarding the chicken coop) is sacked for sexual molestation. FFRF complains about a Texas police department worship video and about Tennessee’s law requiring the posting of “In God We Trust” in classrooms. After discussing the Russian connection to the National Prayer Breakfast, we hear part of Samantha Bee’s “Goodbye Roe v. Wade” monologue. The we talk with author Susan Jacoby, whose article “The White House is Tearing Down the Wall Between Church and State” ran this month in the New York Times.
FFRF Strategic Response attorneys Ryan Jayne and Andrew Seidel describe the dangers to state/church separation and to civil rights of Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh. Then we talk with author and The Nation columnist Katha Pollitt about her essay in today’s New York Times, “Roe Isn’t Going Down Without a Fight,” which details exactly what we can do to preserve women’s rights and true religious liberty.
FFRF’s Program Assistant Kristina Daleiden tells us about the new “Secular America” campaign to register voters and how some FFRF chapters are already involved. After listening to Representative Jared Huffman (CA) interview Representative Jamie Raskin (MD) and FFRF’s Director of Strategic Response Andrew Seidel on his “Off the Cuff” podcast, we talk with author and sociologist Abby Scher about her recent article in The Progressive: “No Health Care For You: The Trump team wants to make it easier for health providers to refuse care because of their religious beliefs.”
Nonbelief Relief announces charitable grants to combat hunger, oppression, and discrimination around the world. After lamenting the resignation of Supreme Court justice Anthony M. Kennedy, and the recent bad anti-Muslim and anti-abortion Supreme Court decisions, FFRF attorney Patrick Elliott describes our new lawsuit challenging the Ten Commandments at the Arkansas capitol. Then we talk with screenwriter Chris Matheson (Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure) about his new book, The Trouble With God: A Divine Comedy About Judgment (and Misjudgment).
For our summer solstice show, FFRF attorney Sam Grover announces two state/church victories in Texas. FFRF’s Director of Strategic Response Andrew Seidel reveals the connection between the White House bible study and Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ claim that President Trump’s inhumane immigration policy is based on the bible. Then we are joined by FFRF Director of Communications Amit Pal to talk with author and researcher Frederick Clarkson of Political Research Associates about his recent revelation of “Project Blitz,” a nationwide scheme to introduce Christian nationalist legislation into state laws.
