Browse by Year:
Browse by Month: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.
We listen to some of Vice President Mike Pence’s religious pandering as he spoke (at his own invitation) to the Southern Baptist Convention this week, promising believers that he and Trump “will always stand with you.” After covering positive freethought news from around the world, we hear the words of American patriot Thomas Paine in the song “The World is My Country.” Then we talk with well-known “Wellness” advocate and multiple triathlon world champion Donald Ardell (79), who, in addition to promoting private and public health, is a champion of the words of the 19th-century agnostic orator Robert Green Ingersoll.
FFRF attorney Liz Cavell discusses the recent disappointing Supreme Court Masterpiece Bakery decision, explaining that it is not as bad it could have been, and that it is still illegal to discriminate on the basis of religion. After hearing the song “Poor Little Me,” written by Dan Barker and Broadway composer Charles Strouse (whose 90th birthday is today), we talk with Irish-American actor/author/politician and radio host Malachy McCourt, whose most recent book is Death Need Not Be Fatal.
Jane Donnelly and Michael Nugent of Atheist Ireland tell us about their involvement in the successful May 25 referendum repealing the Amendment 8 abortion ban and the decline of Roman Catholic power in their country. Then we talk with Peruvian ophthalmologist Dr. Hector Guillen the main organizer of the first international Latin American Freethought Conference, involving 12 countries fighting for secular government, that took place in Arequipa, Peru in May.
After 67 years, James A. Haught, the hard-fighting editor of West Virginia’s largest newspaper, the Charleston Gazette-News, is still advocating for reform. Haught, who has authored a dozen freethought books, tells us what it has been like fighting governmental corruption working for a progressive-minded paper in one of the most conservative states in the country. Then we listen to the stories of Samson’s wedding and Pinehas’s racism excerpted from the audiobook of Dan Barker’s book GOD: The Most Unpleasant Character in All Fiction, read by Dan and Buzz Kemper (who played the “voice of God.”)