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We talk about our visit to Paris and to the International Atheist conference in Gologne, Germany. After commenting on former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee’s outrageous opinion about the authority of the Supreme Court, we celebrate Nebraska Senator Ernie Chambers’ victory overturning the death penalty in his state. Roy Zimmerman’s song “I Want a Marriage Like They Had in the Bible” sets the stage for us to celebrate Ireland’s historic vote for marriage equality by talking with Michael Nugent, head of Atheist Ireland, who joins us on the phone from Dublin.
On the first half of the show, we talk with evolutionary geneticist Jerry Coyne (author of the best seller Why Evolution is True) about his new book, Faith vs. Fact: Why Science and Religion are Incompatible. Then we hear excerpts of Chris Johnson’s new film, A Better Life: An Exploration of Joy & Meaning in a World Without God.
In the News: The rise of the “nones” has reached 23%; FFRF reports victories in Florida and California. After celebrating the birthday of Bertrand Russell, we talk with Harvard educated atheist professor of religious studies Hector Avalos about his new scholarly book, The Bad Jesus: The Ethics of New Testament Ethics.
In the News: Black atheists of Chicago, “Tea with Mr. Darwin,” Nonbelief-Relief, and National Day of Prayer protested with Dan’s song, “Get Off Your Knees and Get To Work.” We interview author Andrew Solomon (“Far From The Tree”), president of the PEN American Center, who this week awarded satirical French magazine Charlie Hebdo its “Free Expression Courage Award.”
In the News: Venice, Florida, city council rejects “In God We Trust;” Doug Marshall’s Reason Station goes up in Warren, Michigan, city hall; creationist teacher disciplined in Arroyo Grande, California, public high school. After celebrating the birthdays of Peter Tchaikovsky and Pete Seeger, we talk with Princeton history professor Kevin M. Kruse about his eye-opening book, One Nation Under God: How Corporate America Invented Christian America.
In the News: The dumbing down of America with Tennessee House voting the bible as the state book, global warming talk barred from Wisconsin state agencies, and prayer before university football games. After celebrating the birthday of feminist pioneer Mary Wollstonecraft and hearing Roy Zimmerman’s “Creation Science 101,” we talk with Len Eisenberg, founder and CEO of Evogeneao, promoting evolution education.
AUDIOBOOK DRAWING. There is still time to enter the drawing for a free download of the audiobook of Dan Barker’s new book, Life Driven Purpose. Send an email by April 29 to ‘[email protected]’ with the Subject “Free Audiobook” and include your name, physical mailing address, and how you listen to Freethought Radio. Five winners will be announced on next week’s show.
Find out why the pious Attorney General of Oklahoma is on the warpath against FFRF, why vouchers – ouch – hurt our public schools, plus other recent FFRF activism, then meet Amanda Metskas, executive director of Camp Quest, which provides secular summer camps around the nation, and is celebrating its 20th anniversary. We honor the birth of Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev, an atheist, by playing some of his enchanting music, and, with a camping theme, play Dan Barker and Steve Benson’s parody of the Boy Scout Hiking Song, “Why BSA?” from FFRF’s CD, “Beware of Dogma.”
FFRF continues to fight Vouchers and RFRA. When FOX News goes after you, you must be doing something right. Listen to a former DOJ employee attack FFRF and defend Christians’ so-called right to discriminate. After celebrating the birthdays of freethinkers Charlie Chaplin and Thomas Jefferson with music, we talk with FFRF’s Legal Publicist Maddie Ziegler about her work to defend Jefferson’s wall of separation between church and state.
In The News: The Madison, Wisconsin, City Council passed the resolution to add atheism as a protected class to city ordinances; FFRF takes out TV and New York Times print ads opposing religious school vouchers and the state and federal Religious Freedom Restoration Acts. After celebrating the birthdays of freethinking songwriters Tom Lehrer and Yip Harburg, we announce the winners of the drawing for a signed copy of Dan Barker’s new book, Life Driven Purpose. Our guest this week is Wendy Thomas Russell, author of the new book, Relax, It’s Just God: How and why to talk to your kids about religion when you’re not religious.
