Podcasts about american freethought

I interview award-winning popular science writer Mary Roach about her new book Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law. It's a humorous look at the serious topic of human-animal conflict in an age of exploding population and global warming. Buy your very own copy of Fuzz. For more about Mary and her work visit MaryRoach.net. This was Mary's third appearance on American Freethought. Listen to her first two appearances here: 099 - Mary Roach (Packing for Mars) 250 - Mary Roach (Grunt) Plus: (Briefly mentioned in the interview) The snail darter--a tiny fish once on the endangered species list--is back in the news! Twenty years after 9/11: I look back at fact-versus-fiction in the root causes of the terrorist attacks, and assess our success after two decades of fighting the so-called War on Terror. Theme music courtesy of Body Found. Follow American Freethought on the intertubes: Website: AmericanFreethought.com  Twitter: @AMERFREETHOUGHT Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/21523473365/ Libsyn Classic Feed: https://americanfreethought.libsyn.com/rss Contact: john@americanfreethought.com Support the Podcast: PayPal funds to sniderishere@gmail.com

The Democrats have a ticket! As expected, former Vice President Joe Biden has selected Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate. If elected, Biden will be our second Catholic president, but Harris will make history as the first VP of African descent or of Asian descent. Some conservatives are already circulating a birther conspiracy about her (saying she is ineligible for office, having been born in California of parents who were--irrelevantly--not at the time citizens), but will they also make an issue of her mother's Hindu upbringing? Five Faith Facts about Kamala Harris Plus: I look at the Democratic and Republican party platforms from a freethought perspective, analyzing the frequency of certain key words or phrases. (And since the GOP didn't bother to create a new platform for 2020, I play a clip from American Freethought episode 254, in which David Driscoll and I look at their 2016 platform.) Theme music courtesy of Body Found. Follow American Freethought on the intertubes: Website: AmericanFreethought.com  Twitter: @AMERFREETHOUGHT Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/21523473365/ Libsyn Classic Feed: https://americanfreethought.libsyn.com/rss Contact: john@americanfreethought.com Support the Podcast: PayPal funds to sniderishere@gmail.com

Part one of this podcast may be found here: http://americanfreethought.libsyn.com/281-superfreethought-part-1 John Snider from the American Freethought podcast comes down to listen to Andrew's personal story with religion as well as give insight into his own. Part One of this podcast may be found at the American Freethought podcast. The American Freethought podcast is wherever you listen to your podcasts as well as here: http://americanfreethought.com https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/american-freethought-podcast/id478593934 PATREON: www.patreon.com/superhousepodcast www.SuperHousePod.com SUPERHOUSE SHOPS: TWITTER: Twitter.com/SuperHousePod

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I talk with Andrew Bush (one of the co-hosts of the pop-culture SuperHouse Podcast) about his time in Japan, his observations about Japanese religion, and how the Japanese view such American hot-button topics as separation of church and state, abortion and LGBT rights. (Minor correction: I misspoke during our conversation, saying we were recording episode 282 when in fact it's 281.) Listen to Part 2 of our conversation over at the SuperHouse Podcast, where we talk about being brought up religious in the American South, conversion experiences, deconversion experiences and more. Andrew has been on American Freethought once before, waaay back in 2010 in episode 87. Watch video segments recorded in 2010 with me (John C. Snider) and David Driscoll for Andrew's unrealized documentary effort "Southern Reason." Theme music courtesy of Body Found. Follow American Freethought on the intertubes: Website: AmericanFreethought.com  Podcast Page: http://americanfreethought.libsyn.com  Twitter: @AMERFREETHOUGHT Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/21523473365/ Libsyn Classic Feed: https://americanfreethought.libsyn.com/rss Find out how to support the show here and here. Contact: john@americanfreethought.com

American Freethought is back to continue the fight for separation of church and state, reason-based living and secular culture! Find out why we're back and what to expect in the coming weeks. Follow American Freethought on the intertubes: Website: AmericanFreethought.com  Podcast Page: http://americanfreethought.libsyn.com  Twitter: @AMERFREETHOUGHT Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/21523473365/ Libsyn Classic Feed: https://americanfreethought.libsyn.com/rss Find out how to support the show here and here. Contact: john@americanfreethought.com

Encore release December 21, 2018. Encore release September 13, 2017. We interview Matthew O'Neil, author of After Life: Solving Science and Religion’s Great Disagreement. In his new book, he looks at what the Bible actually says about things like Heaven, Hell, the soul and Resurrection, and how it differs from modern, mainstream Christian ideas. He also delves into what science can tell us about an afterlife and about the process of death. We previously spoke with Matthew in episode #242 about his book What the Bible Really Does (and Doesn’t Say) about Sex. Plus: If you're coming to DragonCon, come see American Freethought live at the Skeptrack, Monday, September 5th at 11:30am. The topic will be "Diversity in the Freethought/Skeptic Community" and there will be special guests.

Encore release December 20, 2018. Encore release September 12, 2017. We take a look–from a freethinking and skeptical viewpoint–at Democratic Platform 2016, as well as the political positions of Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, Hillary Clinton's pick as Vice Presidential running mate. Plus: The recent leak of emails from the Democratic National Committee shows that some staffers, at least, entertained the despicable notion of using presidential candidate Bernie Sanders' supposed atheism against him in an effort to aid rival Hillary Clinton among the "Southern Baptist peeps." Body Found--an alt-rock band active in St. Louis, Missouri in the early 1990's, whose song "To Be Dead" is this podcast's theme song--has a new album! Desert Ressurection is available August 1st via Amazon.com, iTunes, and all the usual places you can download music. Show your appreciation for their contribution to American Freethought!

Encore release November 9, 2018. Encore release August 2, 2017. It's time once again to celebrate the non-existent War on Christmas. For those heathens who enjoy celebrating the holidays, here are our recommendations for gifts for nonbelievers. Even if you don't like our suggestions, you can buy whatever you want at Amazon.com through American Freethought using this link. David's Recommendations: EvolveFish.com - You're sure to find something on this site that will tickle the fancy of any nonbeliever. The Unbelievers DVD - It's Planes, Trains and Automobiles with Richard Dawkins and Lawrence Krauss as they travel across the globe, speaking publicly about the importance of science and reason in the modern world. Think Like a Freak by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner - The authors of Freakonomics return, taking us inside their thought process and teaching us all to think a bit more productively, more creatively, more rationally—to think, that is, like a Freak. Tickets to the 2nd Annual Freethought Cruise with David Silverman, President of American Atheists (Jan 26 - Feb 2, 2015). Gift Membership to Freedom from Religion Foundation. John's Recommendations: Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey Blu-Ray - Neil deGrasse Tyson's update to Carl Sagan's classic 1980 science series was a special treat on TV earlier this year. Now it's available on Blu-Ray. Storm: The Book by Tim Minchin, artwork by DC Turner and Tracy King. This is an illustrated edition of Minchin's popular anti-woo beat poem, made famous by King's animated short. Foreword by Neil Gaiman, introduction by Tim Minchin. If you’re lucky you can find the hardcover limited edition signed by Tim. Otherwise, it’s available in paperback. Also, check out Timminchin.com/stormthebook  Science…for Her! Megan Amram's satirical science-book-for-girls, available in hardcover, for Kindle, or as an audiobook. Greenwood Space Travel Supply Co. This honest-to-goodness brick-and-mortar store in Seattle not only has nifty space- and science-related gifts (t-shirts, books, posters, etc.), it's also an extension of The Greater Seattle Bureau of Fearless Ideas, a nonprofit writing and tutoring center for the young people of Earth. Newton's Attic - If you're looking to donate to a charity on behalf of a friend or family member, consider Lexington, Kentucky based Newton's Attic. Founded by David Cloyd in 1998, the organization's mission is to inspire young people to embrace science, math and engineering. Donate between now and December 11th at BGgives.org/newtonsattic. Newton's Attic is participating in the 2014 GoodGiving Challenge, and receiving donations through this site does two things: automatically generates a tax donation receipt for the donor and helps them achieve our goals during this challenge. In fact, donations between $10 and $1,000 made at noon EST or very shortly thereafter on December 11th will receive a 50% match thanks to a challenge grant. After December 11th, donate via check to Newton’s Attic, 4974 Old Versailles Road, Lexington, KY 40510; contact them by phone (859-233-3337) for a credit card donation; or go to the “Support Newton’s Attic” button on the left side of their homepage or to the “Donate” button on the bottom of this page: http://newtonsattic.com/support.html. Plus: It's almost over, but this month is Openly Secular Month! School administrators in Montgomery County, Maryland have removed "Christmas" and "Yom Kippur" from the school calendar rather than add the Muslim holiday of Eid al Adha. Kids still get off on  Christmas and Yom Kippur, but the holidays just won't get listed as such. So much for inclusiveness. Finally, in Fayette County, Georgia, county commissioner David Barlow (a Republican) greeted newly elected commisioner Pota Coston (an African-American and a Democrat) by issuing a statement bemoaning the "evil" of the "Demoncrats" and vowing to ensure a Republican wins the White House in 2016 "in the mighty name of Jesus." He later issued a non-apology apology, blaming his stupidity on his "passion for Jesus Christ" (which is probably correct but for different reasons). It's not surprising that such morons exist, but it is disturbing that they get elected.

Encore release October 22, 2018. Encore release July 15, 2017. We look at the recent rash of legislation (either proposed or actually passed) in several states that try to protect anti-gay discrimination under the banner of religious freedom. Briefly, these broadly-worded bills require the state to show that there is a compelling state interest and no practical alternative when infringing on the religious freedom of citizens. That's all fine and dandy, but what it's really sets out to do is allow discrimination against homosexuals, among other things. Arizona Governor Jan Brewer just vetoed one such bill, arguing (correctly, but much to her chagrin, we are sure) that she could not find "one example in Arizona where a business owner’s religious liberty has been violated." Plus: (Another) snake-handling preacher dies handling a snake. Herbert and Catherine Schiable have just been sentenced to no more than seven years in prison for allowing their infant son to die of pneumonia without medical attention because they believed in the power of prayer. Even more outrageous is the fact that another son--two years old--died a few years ago under similar circumstances. Americans are stunningly ignorant of basic science facts. 26% of those surveyed said the sun orbits the earth, while 48% did not know (although we suspect they "know" but simply "deny") that humans developed from earlier species. If it's any consolation, Europeans didn't do much better in the same survey. We're excited about the upcoming revival of COSMOS, a continuation of Carl Sagan's classic documentary miniseries. The new COSMOS, hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson, premieres on FOX TV, Sunday, March 9th, 9pm Eastern. We're less excited about the new feature films Son of God (February 28th, nothing more than an edited version of the Jesusy episodes from the recent television miniseries The Bible) and Heaven Is for Real (April 16th, based on the "non-fiction" baloney-fest book in which preacher Todd Burpo claims his son Colton had a near-death experience and saw Jesus riding a rainbow pony). All is not lost at the cinema, however: Darren Aronofsky's Noah comes out March 28th, and it's already pissing off religious types because it promises NOT to be a straight-up Old Testament documentary. Finally, the American Freethought podcast is now on Stitcher!

Encore release October 14, 2018. Encore release July 7, 2017. We discuss the puzzling sideshow of Diane Reidy, the stenographer who works for the US House of Representatives, who grabbed the microphone after the vote to end the government shutdown, ranting about the Freemasons, the Constitution, and how this was never One Nation Under God. Why did she do it? And what is a stenographer, anyway? See the whole thing here. Plus: Police in Montgomery, Alabama are dispatching clergy to crime scenes. While their intentions may be good, they are creating a dangerous and unnecessary relationship between government and religion. American Atheists and the Freedom From Religion Foundation have sent letters of objection. Support a Kickstarter campaign to animate the story of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Check out the new miniseries documentary from Roderick Bradford called "American Freethought" (no connection to the American Freethought podcast), which explores "the history of secularism and censorship in America." For more visit AmericanFreethought.tv.

Encore release October 9, 2018. Encore release July 2, 2017. We interview Ryan Cragun, sociologist and author of What You Don't Know about Religion (but Should) (available in hardcover and for Kindle). Ryan is also the co-author of Could I Vote for a Mormon for President? as well as the landmark study "How Secular Humanists (and Everyone Else) Subsidize Religion in the United States." For more about Ryan Cragun, visit RyanTCragun.com. Plus: David and Vonda will miss it this year, but John and Allison will be at the upcoming Atlanta Star Party, Thursday, August 29, 7PM on the campus of Emory University. Guests will include astronomers Phil Plait, Nicole Gugliucci, Pamela Gay and Derek Demeter. For more visit AtlantaStarParty.com. John will be introducing Dr. Frans de Waal (The Bonobo and the Atheist) at the Decatur Book Festival, Sunday, September 1, 5PM. For more visit DecaturBookFestival.com. Finally, our live presentation of American Freethought will be Sunday, September 1, 10PM at Dragon*Con's SkepTrack! For more visit SkepTrack.org. See you there!

Encore release October 8, 2018. Encore release July 1, 2017. We interview scholar Reza Aslan, author of Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth (available in hardcover and for Kindle). In this new book, he seeks to separate the mythological Jesus from the actual, historical figure. For more about Reza Aslan, visit RezaAslan.com. Plus: David and Vonda will miss it this year, but John and Allison will be at the upcoming Atlanta Star Party, Thursday, August 29, 7PM on the campus of Emory University. Guests will include astronomers Phil Plait, Nicole Gugliucci, Pamela Gay and Derek Demeter. For more visitAtlantaStarParty.com. John will be introducing Dr. Frans de Waal (The Bonobo and the Atheist) at the Decatur Book Festival, Sunday, September 1, 5PM. For more visit DecaturBookFestival.com. Finally, our live presentation of American Freethought will be Sunday, September 1, 10PM at Dragon*Con's SkepTrack! For more visit SkepTrack.org. See you there!

Encore release September 29, 2018. Encore release June 22, 2017. We interview Chip Walter, author of Last Ape Standing: The Seven Million Year Story of How and Why We Survived, an excellent new summation of the best current understanding of human evolution. It's available in hardcover and for Kindle. For more about Chip and his work, visit ChipWalter.com and AllThingsHuman.net. Plus: Oddsmakers are taking bets on who the new Pope will be (although after we recorded this the Cardinals inconveniently chose Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who has taken the name Pope Francis). A Christian school in California fired a pregnant woman for breaking the school code by fornicating--then offered the job her fiance (the man who got her pregnant)! Muslim rioters in Pakistan burned 100 homes over rumors that a Christian garbageman made disparaging remarks about the Prophet Mohammed. Luckily, President Asif Zardari is "asking religious leaders for suggestions on how to prevent misuse of the blasphemy law." Problem solved. The Baseball Bat of Doubt - By popular demand, we introduce a new, recurring segment in which listeners share the moment in which, for them, the cognitive dissonance of superstition was knocked aside by science, reason or logic. And a reminder:  Derek Colanduno of Skepticality, Blake Smith of Monster Talk, and John Snider of American Freethought will do a special presentation for the Atlanta Skeptics. It’s a fundraiser for the upcoming Atlanta Skepticamp. For more info visit meetup.com/atlantaskeptics.

Encore release September 28, 2018. Encore release June 21, 2017. We interview Troy Boyle, president of the new National Atheist Party. For more about the NAP visit USANAP.org. Plus: Pat Robertson is at it again. This time he's warning against the dangers of possessed pre-owned sweaters. And finally, check out the new hardcover edition of the Skeptic's Annotated Bible. It's a bug-crushing 1,632 pages, containing the full King James Bible with detailed skeptical commentary from author Steve Wells.  As always, the SAB is available online at SkepticsAnnotatedBible.com. And a reminder:  Derek Colanduno of Skepticality, Blake Smith of Monster Talk, and John Snider of American Freethought will do a special presentation for the Atlanta Skeptics. It’s a fundraiser for the upcoming Atlanta Skepticamp. For more info visit meetup.com/atlantaskeptics.

 Encore release September 27, 2018. Encore release June 20, 2017. We interview Dan Riley, author of Generation Atheist, which profiles the experiences of 25 young up-and-comers in the  atheist community. It's available in paperback or for Kindle). For more information visit GenerationAtheistBook.com. Meanwhile...Russia gets smacked by a meteor, and the Pope announces he's retiring. The Pope! Retiring! And a reminder:  On March 16th, Derek Colanduno of Skepticality, Blake Smith of Monster Talk, and John Snider of American Freethought will do a special presentation for the Atlanta Skeptics. It’s a fundraiser for the upcoming Atlanta Skepticamp. For more info visit meetup.com/atlantaskeptics.  

Encore release September 24, 2018. Encore release June 17, 2017. We interview Susan Jacoby, journalist and outspoken nonbeliever, about her new book The Great Agnostic: Robert Ingersoll and American Freethought. Susan is also the author of (among other titles) Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism and The Age of American Unreason. The Great Agnostic is available in hardcover and forKindle. Also, be sure to read Susan's recent essay in the New York Times, "The Blessings of Atheism." For more about Susan and her work visit SusanJacoby.com. Plus: John recommends the book Roger Williams and the Creation of the American Soul: Church, State and the Birth of Liberty by John M. Barry. On a non-freethought note, John also recommends the 1954 proto-Indiana-Jones adventure flick Secret of the Incas, starring Charlton Heston, and featuring the "Peruvian Songbird" Yma Sumac (for ultimately kitschy goodness, check out Sumac's albumMambo).

Encore release September 22, 2018. Encore release June 15, 2017 We look at the mostly overhyped controversies surrounding the holiday season: a Loudoun County (VA) politician calls atheists "terrorists" and "fanatics," while Bloviatin' Bill O'Reilly calls us "fascists." Plus: The American Family Association has issued a "Scrooge Alert," urging the faithful not go give their holiday business to companies that "refuse" to mention "Christmas" in their advertising. (Jesus may be the reason for the season, but if you don't link his birthday to the consumerist orgy that is modern Christmas, shame on you.) Finally, we off our suggestions for holiday gifts for nonbelievers. A reminder, you can shop at Amazon.com via American Freethought using this link and a small percentage of the purchase price will benefit this podcast.

Podcast #215 – Bill Reel (Mormon Discussion Podcast) Posted on December 13, 2014 by John C. Snider We interview Bill Reel, practicing Mormon, defender of the faith, and host of the Mormon Discussion Podcast. We discuss his conversion to Mormonism as a teen, and how he squares the latest scientific and historical revelations with his […] The post 115: Bill Reel’s appearance on the American Freethought Podcast appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.

Government prayer is run amok! Hear updates about FFRF complaints in Texas and Alabama, as well as the Cullman County "Prayer Caravan" saga, in which the governor takes sides against FFRF. Then we interview Susan Jacoby about her newly released book, The Great Agnostic: Robert Ingersoll and American Freethought.

Point of Inquiry is on a short hiatus right now as we transition to a new podcast team. In the meantime, enjoy these classic episodes from the POI archives, featuring Neil deGrasse Tyson, Bill Nye, Susan Jacoby, and other luminaries in the science and secularism movement. Susan Jacoby is the author of Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism, now in its tenth hardcover printing and recently published in paperback. Freethinkers was hailed in the New York Times as an “ardent and insightful work” that “seeks to rescue a proud tradition from the indifference of posterity.” Named a notable nonfiction book of 2004 by The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times, Freethinkers was cited in England as one of the outstanding international books of 2004 by the Times Literary Supplement and The Guardian.   In this interview with DJ Grothe, Jacoby talks about the role that freethinkers played in American social justice movements, and discusses the forgotten history of Robert Green Ingersoll.   Also in this episode, Tom Flynn asks Did You Know?, detailing facts about Robert Green Ingersoll and new data about nonbelievers from University of Akron, and Lauren Becker shares some thoughts on Darwin and Oliver Sacks and what these scientists teach us about ourselves.

We bring you not one, not two, but three Atlanta podcasters, all smashed up into one big pot of simmering live skepticism. For one night only, they have the power. There may be tears but it will be a fun ride! Derek Colanduno co-hosts Skepticality, one of the longest running skeptical podcast. Monster Talk's Blake Smith regales listeners with stories of things that go bump in the night. John Snider of American Freethought fame, encourages us to think for ourselves.

Host: Chris Mooney Our guest this week is Susan Jacoby. She's the bestselling author of a number of books about secularism and American culture, including Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism and The Age of American Unreason. Jacoby started her career at the Washington Post, and her work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Los Angeles Times Book Review, Newsday, Harper's, The Nation, Vogue, The American Prospect, Mother Jones, and the AARP Magazine, among other publications. Her latest book, just published and the subject of our interview, is The Great Agnostic: Robert Ingersoll and American Freethought.

This week's Skepticality hits the highlights and plays excerpts from Atlanta Skepticamp. Topics from the two day "un-conference" included: raising children to be critical thinkers; homeopathy; the question of what organic food labels really mean; and (in discussion with the hosts of the American Freethought podcast) the role of new media in promoting the growth of the skeptical community. Also, Derek & Swoopy check the Skeptic events calendar to keep listeners updated on upcoming Skepticamps and other events for skeptics around the world.

Freethought Radio's featured guest is Norm Allen, executive director of African Americans for Humanism, and editor of the anthology, African-American Humanism. The featured song: a delicious version of "It Ain't Necessarily So" sung by Sammie Davis Jr. Freethinker's Almanac looks at January-born freethinkers Zora Neale Hurston and Butterfly McQueen. Co-hosts are Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-presidents of the Freedom From Religion Foundation. (MP3, 48 min, 22.2 MB)

Susan Jacoby is the author of Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism, now in its tenth hardcover printing and recently published in paperback. Freethinkers was hailed in the New York Times as an "ardent and insightful work that seeks to rescue a proud tradition from the indifference of posterity." Named a notable nonfiction book of 2004 by The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times, Freethinkers was cited in England as one of the outstanding international books of 2004 by the Times Literary Supplement and The Guardian. In this interview with DJ Grothe, she discusses America's freethought heritage, and talks about Robert Green Ingersoll, and the role of freethinkers in various social justice movements. Also in this episode, Tom Flynn asks Did You Know?, detailing facts about Robert Green Ingersoll and new data about nonbelievers from University of Akron, and Lauren Becker shares some thoughts on Darwin and Olver Sacks and what these scientists teach us about ourselves.