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Happy Halloween! Before hearing the song “Spooky Mormon Hell Dream” we announce state/church victories, lawsuits and complaints in Indiana, Arkansas, and Virginia, dealing with a nativity pageant, a city Facebook page, and praying coaches. We hear Anita Weier’s acceptance speech at the 38th annual convention for the “Freethought Heroine” award for getting atheism added as a protective class to city ordinances, and lead staff attorney Rebecca Markert recapping thousands of complaints and hundreds of victories by FFRF’s legal staff in 2015.
In the news: FFRF complains about Christian crosses on a Kentucky city water tower and a Minnesota public hillside. Listen to a Texas sheriff tell FFRF to “go butt a stump,” after another sheriff told us to “go fly a kite” after we complained about “In God We Trust” on police vehicles. Annie Laurie recites Emily Dickinson’s ode to “Indian Summer” and Dan Barker sings “Beware of Dogma.” Then we hear excerpts of Ron Reagan’s FFRF speech accepting FFRF’s “Unabashed Atheist” award.
FFRF unveils its northern “Atheists in Foxholes” monument and the first-ever “Atheist Marquee” at the national office in Madison, Wisconsin. We hear the welcoming remarks of Madison Mayor Paul Soglin at FFRF’s annual “Non-Prayer Breakfast” during our 38th annual convention. Then we listen to atheist Bangladeshi author and poet Taslima Nasrin talk about the fatwah and death threats she has been facing for decades because of her outspoken criticism of Islam.
This week on Freethought Radio meet Lisa “Miller” Treu, FFRF’s Director of First Impressions as she guest host’s Freethought Radio. Co-Presidents Annie Laurie Gaylor and Dan Barker will be busy with the 38th Annual Freedom From Religion Foundation’s National Convention at the Monona Terrace Convention Center in Madison, Wisconsin. Lisa will elaborate on her inspiration to becoming a freethinker, John Ono Lennon, who would’ve turned 75 this year on the same date (October 9th) that we will inaugurate the Grand Opening of the new Freethought Hall. This week Freethought Radio Rocks with the music of Freethinker John Lennon and thoughts from Lisa “Miller” Treu.
After discussing the the pope’s disturbing private visit with Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk who refuses to issue gay marriage licenses, we examine the duplicity of government officials who place religious images in public buildings and put “In God We Trust” on police vehicles, claiming these acts are not religious while at the same time admitting they want to proselytize for Jesus. Then we talk with David Clohessy, National Director of SNAP (Survivors’ Network of those Abused by Priests) about his recent settlement with the diocese of Jefferson, Missouri over his own abuse by a priest in the early 1970s.
The “JESUS Welcomes You To Hawkins” (Texas) sign is coming down! An Arizona city stops favoring Christian prayers, and the University of Wisconsin Athletic Department donates sports memorabilia to FFRF. We protest the Pope’s visit to America with full-page ads in the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, Philadelphia Inquirer, plus JFK and Ron Reagan ads on TV. We listen to Kennedy’s 1960 Houston speech in favor of a secular government, and then hear philosopher Daniel Dennett read his Foreword to Dan Barker’s book Life Driven Purpose.
Many victories to report this week, including the successful FFRF lawsuit removing the Ten Commandments from a Pennsylvania school, Florida municipal prayer stopped, HS football-field baptism declared improper, Jesus painting removed, secular HS club finally allowed, city money withdrawn from Florida churches, football prayer discontinued. After “welcoming” the visit of Pope Francis to America with our “Stay Away Pope Polka,” we talk with Carlos Mendoza of the Guatemalan Secular Humanists about being booed and booted from Congress while testifying against a bill to introduce mandatory bible reading in the schools.
Gov. Huckabee says Kentucky clerk Kim Davis (who defied gay-marriage orders) is “God.” In the News: more “Pray to Play” coverage, Indiana high-school live-nativity complaint, “Pope Chair” built by prisoners, de Blasio dispensing NYC tickets to see the pope. Victory: FFRF gets Georgia city to pull out of “Gospel Fest.” Then we talk with screenwriter Chris Matheson (Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Bill & Teds’ Bogus Journey) about his new humorous book, The Story of God: A Biblical Comedy about Love (and Hate).
In the news: FFRF victory declaring the Ten Commandments unconstitutional at a Pennsylvania high school, a county clerk refusing to grant gay marriage licenses, group baptisms on the high-school football field, “In God We Trust” on police cars, a Jesus statue in a federal park, a year-long nativity scene in New Mexico. Our guest is Kansas biographer Vickie Sandell Stangl, author of Etta Semple: Kansas Freethinker and “Ideal” Woman.
