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On this July 4 weekend we celebrate the Supreme Court decision recognizing gay marriage, and the July 4 birthday of American songwriter Stephen Foster. We talk with FFRF attorney Katherine Paige about the Colorado Supreme Court nixing vouchers to private religious schools. Then we interview Brady Henderson, legal director of the ACLU of Oklahoma, about their spectacular state supreme court victory this week calling for the removal of the Ten Commandments from the state capitol.
After reporting FFRF victories in Arkansas and Wisconsin and complaining about a loose-cannon Florida sheriff who preaches in uniform, Annie Laurie analyzes what is wrong with the pope’s recent encyclical on climate change and what is right about South Carolina’s move to remove the confederate flag. Then we talk with Rita Swan, founder and director of C.H.I.L.D—Children’s Healthcare is a Legal Duty—about her decades-long effort to fight the religious medical neglect of children after she lost her own child due to Christian Science practices.
This week’s show is dedicated to the memory of FFRF’s principal founder Anne Nicol Gaylor, who died June 14 at the age of 88. After reporting some FFRF state/church victories (which continue Anne’s legacy), we listen to Anne’s voice (“Is it reasonable; is it kind?”), and read from the New York Times obituary/article about her. Then we read two of Anne Gaylor’s articles from her 1983 book, Lead Us Not Into Penn Station.
Is Justice Scalia right when he says the human species is 5,000 years old? Can Jesus welcome visitors to a Texas town? Is Jesus the most Googled name on the planet? Is Christianity under attack by the liberal world? After answering those questions, we talk with Michigan activists Holly Huber and Mitch Kahle, who are fighting religious incursions into government, especially the public schools.
FFRF complains about South Carolina’s Governor Haley calling the state to prayer, and University of Toledo football coach doing the same with his players. After announcing FFRF’s financial help to beleaguered Bengali atheist and feminist Taslima Nasrin, we hear Roy Zimmerman’s song “Kill a Doctor For Christ.” Then we interview activist Carole Beaton about her efforts to keep religion and government separate in Eureka, California.
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.”
