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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.
FFRF’s “Pray to Play” exposé gets national coverage, including FFRF attorney Andrew Seidel on MSNBC “Sports Matters.” Dan Barker was interviewed on NBC’s “Today” show about the Jesus painting in a Kansas school that was taken down after FFRF complained. After talking with Viet Nam veteran and plaintiff Steve Trunk about the decades-long saga of the cross on Mt. Soledad, we interview Executive Director of Americans United For Separation of Church and State, Rev. Barry W. Lynn, about his new book: God and Government: Twenty-Five Years of Fighting for Equality, Secularism, and Freedom of Conscience.
After honoring the life of famed freethinking civil-rights leader Julian Bond and catching up on state/church news in Texas and New Mexico, we listen to part of John Oliver’s hilarious take-down of greedy churches and evangelists taking unfair advantage of lax IRS codes. Then we talk with FFRF attorney Andrew Seidel about FFRF’s letter of complaint to university athletic departments that hire evangelical chaplains who turn the football field into a mission field.
In the news: FFRF’s Ron Reagan ad on the penultimate Jon Stewart Daily Show, Jesus sign in east Texas town, bible verses removed from Arkansas city webpage, “In God We Trust” challenged on municipal vehicles. After hearing Bo Burnham’s anti-religious rap song “Rant,” we talk with author, poet, and critic Katha Pollitt about her new book Pro (about abortion rights), and her previous book Learning To Drive, which has become a major motion picture released this week starring Patricia Clarkson and Ben Kingsley.
Ryan Jayne, FFRF’s law clerk and soon-to-be legal fellow, helps us celebrate many exciting state/church victories accomplished by FFRF’s attorneys. We honor the birthday of 19th-century agnostic orator Robert G. Ingersoll by hearing Dan Barker’s musical version of his famous “Trinity” lyrics. Then we interview author, poet and filmmaker Jeremiah Camara about his new feature-length documentary “Contradiction: A Question of Faith” that examines the effect of religion on African-Americans.
Jesus sign on city property, “In God We Trust” on patrol cars, Ten Commandments on high-school property, atheists barred from Boy Scouts, Tennessee freethought proclamation proposed. After talking about fish, large and small–Melville’s Moby Dick and Rupert Brooke’s Heaven–we interview Nebraska State Senator Ernie Chambers about his recent victory overturning capital punishment in that state.
Guatemalan secular humanists fight back after the legislature proposes to teach the bible in all public schools. After reporting on egregious state/church complaints in Texas and Minnesota, we celebrate many FFRF victories around the country. Then we talk with Florida activist David Williamson, director of FFRF’s chapter Central Florida Freethought Community, about the new lawsuit they filed (with FFRF, ACLU and AU) challenging Brevard County’s policy of excluding nonbelievers from board invocations.
After reporting on an FFRF state/church victory removing Christian crosses from a Texas county building, we hear “Blood Brothers,” the song Dan Barker wrote right after leaving the ministry. What happens when a minister no longer believes? Catherine Dunphy, a Catholic seminarian and chaplain who abandoned her faith and author of the new book, From Apostle to Apostate: The Story of the Clergy Project, tells us about how this new group is helping to “Save a Preacher.”
FFRF has a new lawsuit (with AU and ACLU) challenging the Brevard County, Florida barring nontheists from opening meetings with a secular invocation. We report a victory removing the Christian flag from city property in Alabama, listen to Annie Laurie Gaylor’s “conversation” with four male theists on Fox News’ Sean Hannity show, and celebrate the birthday of life-long atheist comedian Phyllis Diller. Then we speak with clinical psychologist and professor Hector A. Garcia about his new book, Alpha God: The Psychology of Religious Violence and Oppression.
