Freethought Radio

We celebrate Juneteenth, recognizing the end of slavery, and World Humanism Day, which occurs at the Summer Solstice as a secular alternative to religious holidays. After covering national and FFRF news, we speak with FFRF's Senior Policy Counsel Ryan Jayne and Regional Governmental Affairs Manager Mickey Dollens about the slew of good and bad bills dealing with religion at the state level around the country.

We announce that FFRF is a sponsor of the "No Kings Day of Action" protesting the erosion of democratic and constitutional safeguards against a monarchical administration, especially its embrace of Christian nationalism. After hearing Dan Barker's protest song "We, The People," we introduce three new FFRF lawsuits. FFRF Senior Litigation Counsel Sam Grover and FFRF Legal Fellow Hirsh Joshi join us to talk about the new lawsuits challenging religious symbols on government property in Illinois, Arkansas and Massachusetts.

We announce new FFRF litigation this week. In honor of Pride Month, we celebrate the birth anniversary on June 9 (1891) of the gay/atheist songwriter Cole Porter by listening to his irreverent song "Experiment." Then, we speak with professor David C. Hoffman, author of American Freethought: The History of a Social Movement, 1794-1948.

We announce two new lawsuits this week that FFRF is taking with a coalition of state/church groups. The first challenges the placement of statues of Catholic saints at the entrance of the public safety building in Quincy, Massachusetts. The second challenges a new Texas measure that mandates the placement of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom. Then, we speak with Pulitzer Prize finalist Rollo Romig, author of the book I Am on the Hit List: A Journalist's Murder and the Rise of Autocracy in India.

This week we honor the life and work of our friend, the Broadway composer Charles Strouse—who died last week at age 96—who wrote "Annie" and "Bye Bye Birdie" and many other musicals and songs, by hearing some of his music, including "Poor Little Me," which he co-wrote with FFRF Co-President Dan Barker. Then, we speak with journalist Talia Lavin, author of the book Wild Faith: How the Christian Right Is Taking Over America.

The new head of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV, has insulted "practical atheists," but it is really his own church that needs to apologize for bad behavior. After hearing Dan Barker's song "The Battle of Church and State," we speak with FFRF's Senior Policy Counsel Ryan Jayne and Regional Governmental Affairs Manager Mickey Dollens about the many "good, bad & ugly" state/church bills at the state level.

We have some good state/church news to report out of Oklahoma and Arizona. Then, in response to Trump's remarks at the May 1 "National Day of Prayer," we celebrate the May 4 "National Day of Reason" by hearing impassioned and humorous remarks at the Second Annual "Reason Reception" in D.C., sponsored by FFRF, American Humanist Association and the Secular Coalition for America, for the Congressional Freethought Caucus. The "Very Funny Lady" comedian Leighann Lord kicked off the event, followed by U.S. Reps. Jared Huffman, Calif., Jamie Raskin, Md., Laura Friedman, Calif., and a poignant keynote by former Rep. Susan Wild, Pa.

Mayday! Mayday! We listen to some of the oral arguments in a pivotal Supreme Court case heard Wednesday about whether a private Catholic charter school can be funded with public money. If allowed, this would deal a serious blow to public education. After reporting on state/church news in Oklahoma, Louisiana and Texas, and decrying Attorney General Pam Bondi's “Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias” Task Force, we talk with Swedish humanist Christer Sturmark, author of the book To Light the Flame of Reason: Clear Thinking for the Twenty-First Century.

We first do a round-up of the news nationally and globally, including the death of Pope Francis and the Trump administration's setting up of a dubious religion-based task force. Then, guest host FFRF Communications Director Amitabh Pal interviews University of Louisville Professor David T. Buckley on his recent book, Blessing America First: Religion, Populism and Foreign Policy in the Trump Administration. Barbra Streisand's songs provide the soundtrack to the show. 

This week, we report that Christian nationalism is on full display at all levels of government. After covering national state/church news, FFRF Senior Policy Counsel Ryan Jayne tells us about the many bills, good and bad, that FFRF's Action Fund is tracking in the states (and Puerto Rico). Then, George Mbuagbaw, acting president of the Humanist Association of Nigeria, tells us about the many nonbelievers in that part of West Africa.

FFRF's IT Director Scott Knickelbine gives us the inside scoop on the case by Catholic Charities in Wisconsin that is before the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to deny workers unemployment insurance based on religious privilege. Then, we talk with Maryland Delegate Heather Bagnall about the bill she introduced to exonerate people accused of witchcraft in 17th-century Maryland, including Moll Dyer, who froze to death after being driven from her home.

Besides covering state/church issues in Kentucky, Wisconsin and Arizona, most of the news is out of Oklahoma, including the fact that Oklahoma's Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters is suing FFRF for allegedly interfering in the right of his office to promote religion in the public schools. FFRF Legal Director Patrick Elliott joins us to talk about that case, Walters v. FFRF. Three smart young people read their winning entries in FFRF's freethinking student essay contests. Then, we hear an excerpt of a speech by former New York Times columnist and MSNBC political analyst Charles Blow decrying the dangers of Christian nationalism.

After a roundup of state/church news around the country, we celebrate the birthday of Eric Idle, 82, (who calls himself an "old agnostic") by listening to his irreverent song, "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," from the movie "Monty Python's Life of Brian." Then, professor and author Josh Cowen tells us about his book The Privateers: How Billionaires Created a Culture War and Sold School Vouchers.

After reporting state-church news at the federal level, as well as in Massachusetts, Texas and Missouri, we hear riveting testimony from Georgia state Rep. Karen Lupton opposing a hateful Christian-nationalist anti-trans bill in that state. Then, former evangelical preacher Rob Haskell, author of God of the Mind: An eXvangelical Journey, tells us why he left the ministry and became an atheist.

We report on the threats and actual harm of Christian nationalism to the country, to the Department of Education and to Oklahoma, Kentucky, Texas, New Mexico and Wisconsin. After hearing the Yip Harburg song "One Sweet Morning," yearning for the end of winter and the end of war, we speak with attorney Kat Grant, a contributing FFRF writer and host of the "Transing Boundaries" blog, about the sharp increase in religiously motivated attacks on transgender rights.

This week, we track a tsunami of (mostly bad) bills in Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Texas, Iowa, West Virginia and North Dakota. After hearing sneak previews of some of FFRF's other shows — "Ask an Atheist," "Freethought Matters" and "We Dissent" — we talk with Brian Ruder, president of the board of the Final Exit Network, which offers people who are unbearably suffering an intractable medical condition the option to die legally and peacefully.

We celebrate the fact that Pew reports 43 percent of young adults are nonreligious, and that overall the "Nones" (nonreligious) are larger than any religious denomination. Mandisa Thomas, founder and president of Black Nonbelievers, tells us about the upcoming Revival of Reason conference in Atlanta. Then, we speak with public-health expert Professor Patrick L. Remington, who is on the board of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly," about the dangers that religion and the right-wing administration pose to the work of the CDC.

After discussing some of Trump's religiously motivated executive orders and appointments, we focus on some of the bad bills in the states, including Oklahoma, Idaho, Alabama, Kentucky, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin. Then we speak with David Clohessy, a survivor of childhood sexual molestation by clergy, who is the former director of SNAP, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. He outlines the severity of the problem and offers hope for dealing with the dangers of pedophilic priests and ministers.

We announce the first atheist billboard in Africa! We report on a tsunami of Christian nationalist bills and executive orders at the federal and state levels, including Texas, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Iowa and Tennessee. In honor of Valentine's Day, we hear Dan Barker's secular love song "It's Only Natural." Then sociology Professor Ryan T. Cragun, author of Goodbye Religion: The Causes and Consequences of Secularization, shows us, with data, that religious people are not happier, healthier or more moral than nonreligious people.

The first half of our show this week deals with the many Christian nationalist executive orders and actions of the Trump administration. We hear part of the "Stop Project 2025" rally in Madison, Wis. Then, we listen to Black/Latino atheist actor Jon Huertas, best known for playing Miguel Rivas in NBC's "This is Us," as he spoke to FFRF's Denver convention about “True Freedom: Breaking The Shackles Of Religious Indoctrination.”

We cover a range of state/church news on the federal and state levels. We announce FFRF's Scopes Trial Centennial celebration to be held in Tennessee in July. After hearing the irreverent Monty Python song, "Every Sperm is Sacred," we memorialize the life of former Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards, an ardent proponent of feminism and democracy and author of the book Make Trouble, by replaying our 2018 interview with her on Freethought Radio.

This week we comment on the overtly religious nature of President Trump's inaugural "Christian Coronation," including invocations and benedictions claiming we are "one nation under God." Then, we speak with journalist Gareth Gore about his book on the Opus Dei called OPUS: The Cult of Dark Money, Human Trafficking, and Right-Wing Conspiracy inside the Catholic Church.

Most of the news on this week's show centers on Trump's nominations, many of whom are blatant Christian nationalists. FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence describes our newest lawsuit, just filed this week, challenging unconstitutional tax exemption for religiously owned commercial rental properties in Madison, Wis. Then we talk with a former "church lady," Carolyn Shadle, who was the Director of Religious Education at a Presbyterian church before she abandoned her faith. Her new book is called From Religion to Reason: My Journey.

We celebrate the release from prison of Nigerian humanist Mubarak Bala who was convicted of the "crime" of blasphemy. FFRF Senior Litigation Counsel Sam Grover updates us on our lawsuit challenging the law requiring the posting of the Ten Commandments in Louisiana public schools. Then, we hear some shocking stories about early Christianity from Catherine Nixey, author of the book Heretic: Jesus Christ and the Other Sons of God.

We listen to Seth Andrews, host of “The Thinking Atheist” podcast, read Dan Barker's article “The Top 10 Absolute Worst Old Testament Verses.” Then, we hear Washington Post columnist Kate Cohen's entertaining and thought-provoking speech at FFRF's 2024 convention called “Tampon Tim and the Long Reach of Religion.”

After reporting on state/church news in Iowa, California, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Texas and Washington state, we listen to jazz vocalist Susan Hofer sing "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" accompanied by Dan Barker on the piano. Then, we hear Brandon Wolf, a survivor of the 2016 Pulse Nightclub shooting, as he accepted FFRF's $50,000 Henry Zumach "Freedom From Religious Fundamentalism" award on behalf of the Human Rights Campaign.

The Winter Solstice (December 21 this year) is the real reason for the season. We celebrate this festive time of year with music and freethought humor, including songs and performances by Kristin Lems, Dan Barker, Tim Minchin, Roy Zimmerman, Irving Berlin, Trey Parker, Tom Lehrer, the London Humanist Choir, Ken Lonnquist and Brent Michael Davids.

After covering state/church news in Illinois, Wisconsin, California, West Virginia and Minnesota, we celebrate "Bill of Rights Day" (Dec. 15) by hearing Dan Barker's song "The Battle of Church and State." Then, we speak with renowned biblical scholar John J. Collins of Yale Divinity School about his book, Does the Bible Justify Violence?

After criticizing some of Trump's Christian-nationalist departmental and cabinet picks, we speak with FFRF Deputy Legal Director Liz Cavell about this week's oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in a case dealing with Tennessee's law (based on religious doctrine) banning medical care for transgender minors. Then, we hear New York Times columnist Michelle Goldberg, author of the book Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism, accepting FFRF's Clarence Darrow Award, where she describes the history and present dangers of Christian nationalism.

This Thanksgiving, we give thanks not to a deity, but to real people. After reporting state/church news and victories, we hear Tahira Clayton and the Godless Gospel group perform Dan Barker's song "Let's All Give Thanks." Then, we talk about the "fine-tuning" argument with astronomer Kelsey Johnson, author of the new book, Into the Unknown: The Quest to Understand the Mysteries of the Cosmos.

We talk about Trump's cabinet picks and report on state/church news around the country. FFRF's Senior Litigation Counsel Sam Grover joins us to talk about our recent complaint over Oklahoma Superintendent of Education Ryan Walters pushing religion in public schools. Then, we hear Annie Laurie Gaylor and Maryam Namazie (Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain) debate the topic "Feminism and Religion are Incompatible" at Cambridge University last week.

As we prepare for President-elect Donald Trump's second term, we hear a speech from Bradley Onishi, author of Preparing for War: The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism -- And What Comes Next, about the growing threat of Christian nationalism.

After the election results, FFRF is determined to keep fighting. We hear the song "Keep Marching On" from the Broadway musical "Suffs." Then, Bonnie Garmus, author of the award-winning best-selling feminist/freethought novel Lessons in Chemistry, tells the charming and funny story about how she lost her faith as a teenager in the Presbyterian Church.

It's a scary show this week. We report on our Denver billboard saying: "Keep Freedom Alive: Stop Project 2025." Dan Barker talks about his trip to Nigeria to visit humanists and freethinkers combating superstition in that country. Annie Laurie Gaylor describes the danger to women's rights in the current election. Then, we talk with Alex Aronson, founder and president of Court Accountability, who describes the scary details of Project 2025.

After reporting on state/church news and victories in Florida, California, and North Carolina, FFRF Legal Director Patrick Elliott describes FFRF's new lawsuit challenging proposed bible distribution in Oklahoma public schools. Then, we hear author and journalist Katherine Stewart accepting FFRF's "Freethought Heroine" award, warning of the dangers of religious nationalism.

We announce FFRF's new lawsuit against bible-toting Oklahoma state Superintendent Ryan Walters. Producer Leo Costello interviews "Democracy in Chains" author Nancy MacLean, who is touring with "Bad Faith" documentary screenings. And veteran reporter Linda Greenhouse tells us how some justices are engaging in "grievance Christianity."

After reporting state/church news in Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Alaska, we devote a segment to the dangers of the proposed Christian-right authoritarian "Project 2025." Then, we hear the engaging speech by Ron Reagan (son of the former president) given at FFRF's annual convention last month, where he tells us about the authoritarian threats to our planet and to democracy -- and what we can do about those threats.

Coach Deion Sanders is at it again, and FFRF is again complaining to the University of Colorado about his mixing religion and government. We report state/church complaints and victories in Mississippi, Missouri and Texas. After hearing Roy Zimmerman's hilarious satirical song, “I Want a Marriage Like They Had in the Bible,” FFRF Senior Policy Counsel Ryan Jayne and State Advocacy Specialist Ryan Dudley tell us about the FFRF Action Fund's work tracking and influencing legislation affecting the rights of nonbelievers, and how you can make a difference in your community.

Annie Laurie reports on religiously motivated abortion referenda in seven states around the country, as well as the repressive 19th-century Comstock Act that is still invoked today to limit women's rights as it did with Margaret Sanger. We hear Dan Barker's tribute song to Margaret Sanger called "No Gods, No Masters." Then we speak with scholar Matthew D. Taylor about his new book about the January 6 insurrection, The Violent Take it By Force: The Christian Movement that is Threatening Our Democracy.

After reporting state/church news in New York, Alabama, Mississippi, Missouri and Virginia, we hear Dan Barker's song "Life is Good!" performed by Tahira Clayton and the Godless Gospel singers. Then, we speak with Tia Levings, author of the bestselling book A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy.

FFRF Legal Director Patrick Elliot and FFRF Legal Fellow Hirsh Joshi join us to talk about state-church developments in Utah, Alabama, Colorado, Missouri, Tennessee and Minnesota. Then, we speak with Michigan State University Professor Josh Cowen about his new book, The Privateers: How Billionaires Created a Culture War and Sold School Vouchers.

After news updates, the hosts recap the "Celebrate Dissent" conference in Oslo about ex-Muslims. Annie Laurie Gaylor then interviews co-host Dan Barker about Contraduction, his new book on "the death of the Design Argument."

After summarizing secular activism and victories around the country, we talk about secularism and Hindu nationalism in India (the world's largest secular democracy) with our two guests: activist Shabnam Hashmi from India and Professor Barry A. Kosmin from here in the United States. Interspersed through the show is the music of freethinking jazz legend Charlie "Bird" Parker, whose birth anniversary we celebrate today.

We announce FFRF's Chicago billboard saying "Keep Freedom Alive: Stop Project 2025." After reporting state/church complaints and victories in Texas, Missouri, Florida, and Arkansas, we announce FFRF Action Fund's "Secularist of the Week." Then, we take a time machine back to 2006, our first year of broadcast, to hear our first interview with philosopher Daniel C. Dennett, the year of release of his blockbuster book Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon.

After reporting on efforts to keep state and church separate in Tennessee, Indiana, Oklahoma, and Florida, we get acquainted with FFRF's new multimedia producer Leo Costello. Then, South Carolina humanist and atheist debater Herb Silverman, founder and president emeritus of the Secular Coalition for America, tells us "How to talk to Christians."

After reporting on state/church news around the country, FFRF's Senior Counsel Sam Grover tells us about the FFRF court victory against the Texas governor that took nine years to finalize! We hear the song "Because" by Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir. Then, we speak with "Reverend Billy" (William Talen), the "pastor" of the secular Earth Church in New York City who uses performance art to combat consumerism and save the planet.

We describe our legal efforts to gain information about the attempt by the Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Education to put the bible into every classroom, and similar attempts in Tennessee to inject religion into government. We hear Rupert Brooke's poem "Heaven" (from the point of view of a fish) set to music by Dan Barker. Then we talk with Cara Fitzpatrick, author of the new book, The Death of Public School: How Conservatives Won the War Over Education in America.

Project 2025 and "divine intervention" are discussed, as well as state/church complaints and victories in Oklahoma, Louisiana, Illinois, New Jersey and Tennessee. FFRF Anne Nicol Gaylor Legal Fellow Sammi Lawrence joins us to talk about our legal victory allowing a nonreligious after-school group to meet on campus alongside the religious Good News Club in Memphis, Tennessee. Then we talk with evolutionary psychologist Will M. Gervais about his new book Disbelief: The Origins of Atheism in a Religious Species.

Christian nationalist rhetoric is heating up, especially regarding the assassination attempt of Donald Trump. We report on a state/church victory in Tennessee and state/church complaints in New Mexico, Texas, Missouri, Kentucky and Indiana. After hearing a hilarious take on the bible by comedian Robin Williams, we speak with Cait West, author of the new book RIFT: A Memoir of Breaking Away from Christian Patriarchy.

We report on FFRF's efforts to keep Christian nationalists in check around the country. Honoring the anniversary of the birth of the anti-fascist singer/songwriter Woody Guthrie, we hear the funk/soul version of "This Land is Your Land" performed by Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. Then, FFRF's Legal Director Patrick Elliott describes our lawsuit challenging the Louisiana law requiring the posting of the Ten Commandments in all public-school classrooms and our efforts to rein in Oklahoma's Christian nationalist State Superintendent of Public Education.

The Christian nationalist "Project 2025" and the Ten Commandments are the focus of this week's show. We hear Dan Barker's song "We, The People," challenging the notion that we are "one nation, under God." Then sociologist and author Samuel L. Perry, author The Flag and the Cross: White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy, describes the clear and present danger of mixing religion and government.