The end of the year is marked with a rapturous (in a secular vein) Godless Gospel musical performance on FFRF’s “Freethought Matters” TV show.
The exuberant group, featuring some leading Black freethinkers — who happen to be great musicians too — performs five uplifting secular gospel songs written by FFRF Co-President Dan Barker and Andre Forbes. Barker, a former evangelical minister, came out of a musical tradition and has written several freethinking songs in the style of gospel. Forbes, now an atheist, was formerly a gospel producer. Choir members include Black Nonbelievers President Mandisa Thomas and well-known jazz singer Tahira Clayton.
Song selections include “The Natural World” and “Let’s All Give Thanks,” which concludes with the lines: “Let’s all give thanks, where thanks is due/ Not to religion, not to a god / But to the people who’ve made the world a better place/ For me and you.”
You can already catch the concert on FFRF’s YouTube channel. New shows go up every Thursday.
“Freethought Matters” airs the weekend in:
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Los Angeles, KCOP-MY (Ch. 13), Sundays at 8:30 a.m.
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Madison, Wis., WISC-TV (Ch. 3), Sundays at 11 p.m.
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San Francisco, KTVU/KICU-IND (on broadcast Ch. 36 and Cable 6), Sundays at 10 a.m.
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Washington, D.C., WDCW-CW (Ch. 50 or Ch. 23 or Ch. 3), Sundays at 8 a.m.
You can catch interviews from earlier this fall and from previous seasons here, including with Gloria Steinem, Ron Reagan, author John Irving, actor John “Q” de Lancie and award-winning columnist Katha Pollitt. The new year will bring some timely fresh interviews, including with librarian Amanda Jones, who wrote “That Librarian,” a cautionary tale about the personal toll of book bannings.
Please tune in to “Freethought Matters” . . . because freethought matters. And spread the word to freethinking friends, family or colleagues about a TV show, finally, that is dedicated to providing programming for freethinkers — your antidote to religion on Sunday morning! Plus, during Halloween weekend, it will be a good way to recover your wits.
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.
