A prominent member of the Congressional Freethought Caucus is the guest on the Freedom From Religion Foundation’s “Freethought Matters” TV show on Sunday.
Rep. Hank Johnson is in his eighth term representing Georgia’s 4th District, which includes Atlanta’s eastern suburbs. He is a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee and is chair of its Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet, making him a major player on court reform.
Johnson, who practices Nichiren Buddhism, recently joined the Congressional Freethought Caucus, which seeks to promote public policy based on reason, evidence, science and strong moral values to protect the secular character of our government, to oppose government discrimination against atheists, agnostics, humanist seekers, religious and nonreligious persons, and champion freedom of thought and conscience worldwide. Johnson talks on the show about his decision to join the caucus, his ideas to reform the courts, including Supreme Court expansion, the leadup to the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, and how he has developed his strong sense of courage while facing tremendous obstacles in his life.
“The evangelical movement at its core is a political movement that operates under the guise of religion, and the purveyors of that thinking use people who are honestly seeking spiritual goodness,” he explains the Religious Right leadership to “Freethought Matters” co-hosts Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor. “It’s misleading those people into a political framework, and it uses those people to go out and vote for right-wing free marketeers. It’s all about money and power.”
If you don’t live in the quarter-plus viewership of the nation where the show broadcasts on Sunday, you can already catch the interview on the “Freethought Matters” playlist on FFRF’s YouTube channel. New shows go up every Thursday. You can also receive notifications when we post new episodes of “Freethought Matters” by subscribing to FFRF’s YouTube channel.
“Freethought Matters” airs in:
- Chicago, WPWR-CW (Ch. 50), Sundays at 9 a.m.
- Denver, KWGN-CW (Ch. 2), Sundays at 7 a.m.
- Houston, KIAH-CW (Ch. 39), Sundays at 11 a.m.
- Los Angeles, KCOP-MY (Ch. 13), Sundays at 8:30 a.m.
- Madison, Wis., WISC-TV (Ch. 3), Sundays at 11 p.m.
- Minneapolis, KSTC-IND (Ch. 45, Digital Channel 5.5), Sundays at 9:30 a.m. (Digital channel 5.2 has been dropped.)
- New York City, WPIX-IND (Ch. 11), Sundays at 9:00 a.m.
- Phoenix, KASW-CW (Ch. 61, or 6 or 1006 for HD), Sundays at 8:30 a.m.
- Portland, Ore., KRCW-CW (Ch. 32), Sundays at 9 a.m. Comcast channel 703 for High Def, or Channel 3.
- Sacramento, KQCA-MY (Ch. 58), Sundays at 8:30 a.m.
- San Francisco, KICU-IND (Ch. 36), Sundays at 10 a.m.
- Seattle, KONG-IND (Ch. 16 or Ch. 106 on Comcast). Sundays at 8 a.m.
- Washington, D.C., WDCW-CW (Ch. 50 or Ch. 23 or Ch. 3), Sundays at 8 a.m.
“Freethought Matters” is now in its sixth season. To watch earlier shows, including an interview with freethinker and feminist icon Gloria Steinem, visit the “Freethought Matters” playlist on FFRF’s YouTube Channel.
Coming up is an interview with Ron Reagan, the “unabashed atheist” son of President Ronald and Nancy Reagan, and with Wisconsin state Sen. Kelda Roys, a nonbeliever holding public office.
Please tune in to “Freethought Matters” . . . because freethought matters.
P.S. Please tune in or record according to the times given above regardless of what is listed in your TV guide (it may be listed simply as “paid programming” or even be misidentified). To set up an automatic weekly recording, try taping manually by time or channel. And spread the word to freethinking friends, family or colleagues about a TV show, finally, that is dedicated to providing programming for freethinkers!