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Patreon supporters who give $5 a month will get an ad-free version of the show!Join our private Facebook group and Discord server!Jessica and I spoke about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics.— Trump's inauguration happened. And Christian Nationalism came along for the ride. (0:21)— An Episcopal bishop asked Trump to follow Jesus. He took that as an insult. (15:25)— The Center For Inquiry's latest statement continues to push anti-trans bigotry. (32:55)— After Pagan and atheist invocations, Tulsa City Council replaces prayer with silence. (50:30)— An Oklahoma lawmaker's sneaky proposal would let the state indirectly fund Christianity. (57:13)— A pastor who was "betrothed" to a child, then abused her, will finally go to prison. (1:03:40)This content is CAN credentialed, which means you can report instances of harassment, abuse, or other harm on their hotline at (617) 249-4255, or on their website at creatoraccountabilitynetwork.org.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Bertha Vazquez is a former school teacher, the director of education at the Center For Inquiry and the director of TIES (Teacher Institute for Evolutionary Science). A long time ally in nurturing reason and critical thinking among children, she is passionate about training teachers across America in teaching evolution and science in ways that work. I was delighted to learn about her work in awakening a spirit of curiosity and inquiry in young students, and how TIES programs like Generation Skeptics and Save Science are changing the nature of school education and scientific learning. ....... Join Substack: https://richarddawkins.substack.com/ Subscribe to Poetry of Reality Channel: @poetryofreality Follow: Instagram: the.poetry.of.reality Twitter: richarddawkins Facebook: richarddawkinsbooks Reddit: thepoetryofreality
On today's episode we're taking a look at some of the rather silly psychic experiments conducted by the folks over at the Center for Inquiry, a non-profit organization dedicated to stopping the spread of nonsense and promoting reason and skepticism. We'll learn about the founder Paul Kurtz, secular humanism, ol' James Randi, and their history of legal battles against the most famous spoon bender in history, Uri Geller. They claim to be skeptics but are they actually haters? Or are we? Listen and find out!
Alison, Liz, and Rebecca are joined by Professor Marci Hamilton, legal icon and leading expert on the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) and extreme religious liberty. Professor Hamilton explains the origin story of RFRA, how it has led us to the emerging theocracy we face, and what Americans can do to reclaim true religious liberty before it's too late. Submit a question for the holiday mailbag episode here! Background Professor Marci Hamilton's bio CHILD USA, Prof. Hamilton's think tank FFRF's FAQ on RFRA Congressional Research Service primer on RFRA Cases City of Boerne v. Flores (1997) Employment Division v. Smith (1990) Tanzin v. Tanvir (2020) FFRF's amicus brief, written by Marci Hamilton American Atheists and Center For Inquiry's amicus brief 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis (2023) U.S. Pastor Council (Braidwood Management) v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (2023) Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. EEOC (2012) Check us out on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Our website, we-dissent.org, has more information as well as episode transcripts.
0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders 0:03:32 You Can Count on Adrienne This week Adrienne interviews Susan Gerbic ftom Guerrilla Skeptics on Wikipedia. Susan, together with a host of other sceptics, as soon to head to Melbourne for the Australian Skeptics National Convention. Find out what Susan will be talking about in Melbourne and how you can meet this inspirational, skeptical activist. http://www.skepticon.org.au 0:10:24 The Book of Tim. With Tim Mendham What Goes Around By Tim Mendham Geese, Golddiggers and San Francisco. A reading from The Skeptic, Vol. 34 No. 3 http://www.skeptics.com.au 0:18:32 Testing a Paranormal Claim We join the Center for Inquiry Investigations Group as they test a claim of being sble to move clouds with paranormal powers. Incudes commentary by Kenny Biddle, Chief Investigator for the CENTER FOR INQUIRY. https://cfiig.org 0:27:10 A Dive into a Trove A wander through the decades of digitised Australian newspapers on a search for references to "Telepathic Twins". http://www.trove.nla.gov.au Also 10 Years Ago The Skeptic Zone #264 - 9.November.2013 Maynard's Spooky Action... Maynard interviews Dr Rob Morrison about 'The Curiosity Show', an Australian educational children's television show produced from 1972 to 1990. Find out how the show started, some of the adventures along the way and how you and your children can now enjoy this landmark of Australian TV - A Week in Science - Don't get fooled at the Track. From the Scamwatch web site, advice about not getting taken for a ride at the racing track - Sydney Skeptics in the Pub. The question this week... If you could go to Mars but not come back.. would you? https://skepticzone.libsyn.com/the-skeptic-zone-264-9-nov-2013
0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders 0:06:04 You Can Count on Adrienne. With Adrienne Hill Psychic and Facilitated Communication, claiming to unlock unheard voices. Adrienne, Susan Gerbic, and Janyce Boynton delve into the parallels between Psychics and facilitated communicators after viewing videos that exemplify each as frustrating, and heartbreaking. https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/an-artist-with-a-science-based-mission https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=fcisnotscience https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=psychics+explained 0:19:34 Uri Geller - X-Files Fan? Did this "entertainer", really see the bodies of dead aliens? Or is this a case of watching too many science-fiction TV shows? When does X turn into the X-Files and who can tell the difference? https://www.gamingbible.com/news/uri-geller-shares-proof-aliens-exist-fans-debunk-905157-20230815 0:30:24 CFI - Reject Pro-Homeopathy Amendment CFI calls on their supporters to help defeat a pro-homeopathy amendment being proposed for the federal appropriations bill H.R. 4368. The homeopathy lobby is pushing hard for this amendment, and CFI needs their supporters to voice their opposition to their members of the U.S. Congress. https://centerforinquiry.org/alerts/tell-your-representative-to-reject-pro-homeopathy-amendment 0:35:40 I Think We Need to Think! With Susan Gerbic Skeptics on tour. Susan Gerbic and Kenny Biddle travel to Oregon where Kenny is to give lectures about critical thinking. Find out about how are you can benefit from the Center For Inquiry's information. https://centerforinquiry.org/create-a-group/group-resources/ 0:39:46 A Dive into a Trove A wander through the decades of digitised Australian newspapers on a search for references to chiropractic. http://www.trove.nla.gov.au Also The Skeptical Box of Tricks - Bend, OR 29th Aug. https://www.facebook.com/groups/bendnerds/permalink/2381214925419396/ 10 Years Ago The Skeptic Zone #252 - 18.August.2013 Richard Saunders and Maynard at the Doctor Who exhibit, ABC centre in Sydney - Science Week at the Australian Museum. Interviews with science presenters doing outreach to students - A Week in Science - Another Big Psychic Show Rolls into Town. By Mal Vickers with assistance from Martin Hadley. Never has any psychic ever passed a rigorous scientific test of their claimed ability. While most skeptics are well aware of this, you'd think the media and society in general knew nothing of it. https://skepticzone.libsyn.com/-the-skeptic-zone-252-18-aug-2013
Welcome back. Today's episode features two returning guests: Xavier Bonilla and Angel Eduardo. Xavier has a doctorate in psychology and is a professor of psychology in Maryland. Xavier is also the host of a podcast called "Converging Dialogues" which can be found here. Angel is an Advisory Board member and Director of Messaging and Editorial for the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism (FAIR). In addition, Angel is a co-host of the FAIR perspectives podcast with Melissa Chen and a columnist at the Center For Inquiry. This conversation is a marathon - both in length and subject matter. Trying to construct a cohesive summary of the contents would require a laundry list of subjects that would only add to the impressive run-time of this conversation. But a few highlights include a rather lengthy conversation about fandoms - including a rather protracted discussion of Star Wars and its fandom. We also discuss, as we did in prior conversations, topics surrounding identity, representation, and the role of art in constructing meaning and the truth. As the podcast comes to a close, we discuss some elements of identity politics and the pitfalls that may befall those who argue that demography is destiny, particularly among Latino voters in the United States. It was wonderful having Xavier and Angel back on to give their shared perspectives on salient topics in our seemingly never-ending cultural quagmire. I hope you enjoy our marathon conversation! Xavier can be found on Twitter @xaverbonilla87. Angel can be found on Twitter @StrangelEdweird Introductory music was written by Alex Yoder. Find him here Please consider supporting the podcast here and following it on Twitter. Thank you for your support! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Robyn Blumner of the Center of Inquiry took the opportunity, in a recent editorial, to slam identity politics, woke progressives, and took a cheap shot at the American Humanist Association.Show NotesSubscribe to our free newsletterCheck out our merch01:35 Blumner is wrong about Humanism22:47 Dawkins the Snowflake34:42 When Did Free Inquiry Turn Into David Silverman's Twitter Feed?43:07 Why I am no fan of CFISupport the show
Interview with Robyn Blumner. She is the President and CEO of the Center for Inquiry.Investing Skeptically: JP Morgan pays 19 Million settlement, More Regulations?Bonus audio: Recordings of Robert Green IngersollYou can buy the audio CD here....https://centerforinquiry.org/store/product/2-cd-set-lectures-by-ingersoll/
Oral Arguments for the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Center for Inquiry, Inc. v. John Warren
In this longer than usual episode Douglas talks with Nick Little, Vice President and General Counsel of the Center for Inquiry, about his group's effort to force big retailers to be honest about homeopathy products they sell. We discuss the group's current work to allow secular celebrants to solemnize marriages in all the states. Finally we look at the current status of church and state litigation in the time of Trump. It isn't good. Show Notes
On this episode of the podcast we talk with Robyn Blumner. Robyn is a journalist, civil rights expert and the current president and chief executive officer of the secular educational organization Center for Inquiry and executive director of the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science.
Whether you’re in the mood to surf some waves or binge some TV, this episode of Go Fact Yourself is for you! As an actor, Quinn Cummings saw success at an early age. She was nominated for an Oscar for her role in the film The Goodbye Girl. It was a great experience, but one that put a bit of a strain on her relationship with her mother… and her hair. She’ll explain. Quinn can be heard on the podcast "Quinn Cummings Gives Bad Advice". Like Quinn, Greg Behrendt also has experience giving others advice, especially with relationships. He’s written several books about love, including He’s Just Not That Into You and serves as a private life coach. What exactly are his qualifications? Just a 30-year comedy career, multiple books on the New York Times bestseller list and the fact that he survived cancer (twice). The guests will compete to answer trivia questions about surf music, animated Netflix shows and their respective expertise on cats and dogs. This episode is sponsored by Spencer Marks’ new science-fiction novel Living History. Go to livinghistorynovel.com and enter the promo code "HELEN" to purchase the book for a discount and to have it personally autographed. What’s the Difference: wasted What’s the difference between liquor and liqueur? What’s the difference between trash and garbage? Areas of Expertise Quinn Cummings: High fashion, the Netflix series "Bojack Horseman" and domestic cats. Greg Behrendt: Surf music, dog shows and Dots candy Appearing in this episode: J. Keith van Straaten Helen Hong Quinn Cummings Greg Behrendt With guest experts: Mike Hollingsworth, Emmy-nominated producer and supervising director of "Bojack Horseman." Dean Torrence, one half of the surf-music duo Jan and Dean. Go Fact Yourself was devised by Jim Newman and J. Keith van Straaten, and produced in collaboration with Maximum Fun. The show was recorded at the Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan theater at The Center For Inquiry in Los Angeles. Theme Song by Jonathan Green. Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher. The show is edited by Julian Burrell. Go to gofactyourpod.com for information and tickets to the next recording of Go Fact Yourself!
Interview with Martina Fern. We talk about all of the amazing speakers and workshops at the 2019 conference!Investing Skeptically: Michael Burry and Index Funds
25:04 Can we derive moral values from reason? 27:30 Veganism 42:20 The nature of sentience 53:20 AI 59:50 Humans versus non-humans 1:03:50 Cognitive dissonance in everyday life 1:08:20 Are the lives of endangered animals worth more? Is there a value to things even when humans can’t experience them? 1:17:20 Potential problems with sentientism 1:30:02 Humanists and their responses to sentientism Jamie would love to hear your questions or feedback about Sentientism on Twitter at @jamiewoodhouse or @sentientism, via his website or on Medium. “Sentientism,” writes Jamie, “is a simple, potentially unifying moral philosophy that commits to using evidence, applying reason and granting moral consideration to all sentient beings. It can be seen as an extension of secular humanism. People from over 50 countries are working to build a global community around sentientism. Anyone interested is welcome to participate, whether or not the term sentientism fits personally.” You can find some sentientist groups here: • Facebook (public) https://www.facebook.com/Sentientism/ • Facebook (private) https://www.facebook.com/groups/sentientism/ • Twitter https://twitter.com/sentientism/lists/sentientists/members • Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/Sentientism/ • GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/840236-sentientism • LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12263069/?fbclid=IwAR3aybCvf_mPkB72nufGvM9iyWpmpYZgdjqQwUNK5B2bclJxpxPGEXDmHK0 • Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sentientism/ Jamie’s writing on Sentientism has been published by Areo and by the Center For Inquiry’s Free Inquiry Further References Peter Singer: https://petersinger.info/ Sam Harris, The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values (2010) My description of the Sanjay Gandhi national park: https://fireandvultures.wordpress.com/2017/10/25/india-diary-the-word-for-world-is-forest-trail-hiking-in-the-sanjay-gandhi-national-park/ The petition to save Aarey forest: https://www.change.org/p/cm-devendra-fadnavis-jica-stop-the-cutting-of-3500-trees-in-aarey-forest Alan Weisman, The World Without Us (2007) Derren Brown, Happy: Why More or Less Everything Is Absolutely Fine (2016) Ursula K. Le Guin, “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” (1973)
Rob served for more than a decade as a director, dean, and provost in the California community college system, before branching out to begin his work helping a number of colleges, as well as regional and national organizations, navigate their way through his challenging new landscape.
Encore release November 1, 2018. Encore release July 25, 2017. We interview Rachael Berman, Grassroots and Celebrant Program Coordinator for the American Humanist Association (AHA). AHA's Humanist Celebrant program is coordinated by the Humanist Society, an adjunct of AHA. We discuss the difficulty nonbelievers have had when it comes to finding someone to officate at weddings, funerals, baby naming ceremonies, etc. They're usually faced with the choice of finding a random judge or county clerk, or of enduring a wedding infused with prayer and religious bromides. A number of organizations, including the Center For Inquiry and the AHA are challenging religion's monopoly on private weddings. There is still the occasional bump in the road: CFI recently won an appeal in Indiana against a state law that privileged SOME religions over others, and over secular groups. And in Georgia, a Humanist Celebrant encountered difficulty when a judge balked at her credentials. And for what it's worth... John Snider is now a Humanist Celebrant, endorsed by the Humanist Society to officiate at weddings and other major life events! If you need help finding an officiant, or just want John to do the deed, give him a call. Finally, check out this blog entry by John's niece, in which she discusses the difficulty of finding marital advice that doesn't have a religious tinge. Plus: American Freethought will be at DragonCon yet again, presenting a live show at 10PM, Friday, August 29th, at the Skeptrack. David won't be able to make this year, but Allison has generously offered to pinch hit for him so AF can keep our DragonCon streak going. Also, if you're in town for DragonCon, you might as well include annual Star Party in your plans. This year it's on Thursday, August 28th, at the Emory Math and Science Center. This annual event features celebrity skeptics and astronomers, with the proceeds benefiting the Alzheimer's Foundation of American and CosmoQuest.
Double interview show! Mandisa Lateefah Thomas (Black Nonbelievers) & Barry Karr (Center for Inquiry). Plus they both have a conference soon!CSIOctober 18-21, 2018https://csiconference.org/BNNovember 24-29, 2018https://plannedbyalison.regfox.com/black-nonbelievers-2018-convention-at-seaInvesting skeptically: 401(k) information
Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. -- The new Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, the one right-wing group that opposed him (temporarily), and his claim that church/state separation is "based on bad history." (0:30) -- This is why it's a problem believing communion wafers are the literal body of Christ. (20:14) -- Apparently you're not a real man unless you have a first-born son. (25:29) -- Kentucky can't decide if religious license plates should be allowed because atheists would get to have them. (27:44) -- Donald Trump's spiritual adviser Pastor Paula White says (wrongly) Jesus never broke the law. (33:00) -- A judge ruled against the least offensive atheist bus ad ever. (38:09) -- What did you do, Papa John? (43:47) -- The studio behind God's Not Dead wants to make a movie about the Thai kids trapped in a cave. (46:53) -- The Center For Inquiry is suing CVS for selling homeopathic medicine in misleading ways. (52:40) -- Australia is punishing parents who don't vaccinate their kids. Good. (57:52) -- The UK government is planning on banning gay conversion therapy. (1:01:10) -- A 12-year-old girl is working to bring a Pride parade to Buffalo Grove, Illinois. (1:04:20)
#127: Center For Inquiry and Civics Day Today’s episode is special and one that Tanner felt was needed after a long day of talking to legislators. This episode is done in solo as Hanna has taken off a few weeks to be with his wife and newborn daughter. This episode will focus on the recent Civic’s Day hosted by CFI Michigan at the Michigan State capitol building. The episode will talk about his experiences, the desire to start working toward changing people’s minds when it comes to interacting with local politics, and staying involved with up to date information about the bills going around in Michigan. The goals the Chris Squared Duo have set for themselves and their desire to promote local politics first, lead them to start researching and attending different events in an effort to continue their pursuit of a better government. Sit back, relax, grab a drink (especially unsweetened ice tea), and listen in as Tanner talks about learning to become more involved politically. Links ------ https://cfimichigan.org/ https://cfimichigan.org/events/ https://states.secular.org/states/michigan https://cfimichigan.org/event/civics-day-2018/ ------ https://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(bg4dlrctqzvgduna2dvqednn))/mileg.aspx?page=Bills https://votespotter.com/ www.house.mi.gov www.senate.mi.gov www.openstates.org https://www.govtrack.us/ http://www.centerforinquiry.net/opp/opp_work/category/bills/ https://hq.salsalabs.com/dia/api/getLocal.jsp
A discussion on the importance of skepticism and how people fall into dogmatic thinking with James Underdown, Executive Director of the Center of Inquiry, LA. Stay tuned, Before You Go (41:55): Rachel talks scams & why they work.
This week Kevin is joined by Nancy, The Reformed, Martina and Dan as they welcome Aaron Baynes from the Center ForInquiry (CFI). Much like the BC Humanists, the people at CFI do their best to advance science, secularity and humanistic values. Find out what is the link between UFV, FVASH and CFI Nancy takes us into another This Day in History The Reformed gives us another Report And we also sympathize with a listener who just lost a family member; what can we as atheists offer? This episode was pre-recorded
Robyn Blumner spent 16 years as a nationally syndicated columnist and editorial writer at the Tampa Bay Times newspaper, where she wrote a lot about civil liberties, church/state separation, and free speech issues. In 2012, she was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize along with the rest of her editorial team. Before she was writing professionally, she headed up ACLU affiliates in Florida and Utah. She entered the world of organized atheism, if you will, in 2014, when she was tapped to run the Richard Dawkins Foundation. Recently, RDF announced a merger with the Center For Inquiry, and Robyn will soon become CEO of the new merged organization. I spoke with Robyn about her experience coming out as an atheist publicly long before it became commonplace, how the CFI/RDF merger took shape, and -- yes -- Richard Dawkins' tweets.
With misinformation about vaccines proliferating among certain groups in the U.S., diseases that had previously been thought eradicated are creeping back into American life. As far as the law is concerned, whether or not a parent chooses to put their own child at risk by denying them vaccinations remains, largely, their personal choice. But this hands-off attitude toward vaccinations, particularly among children, puts everyone else at risk. Here to talk about the threat posed by the anti-vaccination movement, and what we can do to stop it, are Sarah Levin and Ed Beck. Sarah Levin is the Legislative Associate of the Secular Coalition and Ed Beck is the senior policy analyst for the Center For Inquiry’s Office of Public Policy. CFI is working with SCA to launch a new campaign called Put Kids First. For additional information about how you can help combat anti-vaccination laws in your area check out the campaign website, and visit CFI’s Keep Health Care Safe and Secular website to learn more about the fight to keep religion and pseudoscience out of health policy.
Guests - Ryan Long / John Rael / Jimmy Palombi
RFT Classics - Out take on skepticism EditionSome of the best from our first season:Ahead of the Curve - A warning about Conspiracy Theory with Jesse VenturaScience and SkepticismInterview with Jennifer Kaban discussing Science and MediaInterview with Justin Trottier, then national director of Center For Inquiry, discussing skeptical tribalism and free speech.Check us out online at www.radiofreethinker.com and email us at info@radiofreethinker.com and follow us on twitter at @citrrft
In Thomas Coleman’s interview for the RSP with Tom Flynn, secular humanism is described as a “complete and balanced life stance” rejecting supernaturalism. Recorded at the Center For Inquiry’s 2013 Student Leadership Conference, Tom argues that secular humanism offers more than agnosticism and atheism.
Ten years have passed since the 9/11 attacks but a large number of Americans still have negative impressions of Muslims. While much of this distrust seems to be related to political ideology and misinformation in the media there are also deeper psychological forces at work. For many Christians, simply reading a passage of the Koran (or Richard Dawkins "The God Delusion") triggers feelings of physical disgust. Atheists are the only other group that face the same kind of popular distrust. That is why the Center For Inquiry is launching a new billboard campaign aimed at challenging negative stereotypes of atheists. The doubtcasters share the local reaction when one of those billboards went up in their hometown of Grand Rapids, MI. Also on this episode: another installment of Polyatheism and some obligatory reflections on the September 11th attacks.
Nate Phelps made a daring escape from his father, Fred Phelps and Westboro Baptist Church on his 18th birthday. Now, he is Executive Director of Center For Inquiry in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. In this episode he shares how he made that journey, and what is ahead for Nate Phelps. Center For Inquiry Nate Phelps Westboro … Continue reading Freedom From Westboro Baptist – Nate Phelps – Episode 29
Banning the Burka, Edmonton School Board, and the Shroud of Turin.
Mike gives us details about the upcoming International Blasphemy Day and we discuss the topics making the news.
We interview Justin Trottier, the acting executive director of the Center for Inquiry Canada.
Ronald A. Lindsay is a bioethicist, lawyer, and chief executive officer and senior research fellow of the Center for Inquiry. For many years he practiced law in Washington, DC, and was an adjunct professor at Georgetown University and American University, where he taught jurisprudence and philosophy courses. His new book is Future Bioethics: Overcoming Taboos, Myths, and Dogmas. In this discussion with D.J. Grothe, Ron Lindsay recounts his nearly thirty year history with the organization, including his role in a landmark legal case in Alabama regarding the question of whether or not secular humanism is a religion, elaborating on how the argument has been used since by the religious right. He describes the relationship of the "family of organizations" at the Center for Inquiry, including the Council for Secular Humanism and the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (formerly CSICOP), giving their histories. He talks about Paul Kurtz' inspiring and foundational role in all of these organizations and in the worldwide movements that they support. And he talks about why it is more important now than ever to get involved at the grassroots to advance the scientific and secular values of the Center for Inquiry, even with President Obama in the White House, highlighting concerns he has with Obama's positions on a number of issues.
Paul Kurtz, considered by many the father of the secular humanist movement, is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the State University of New York at Buffalo. As chair of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP), the Council for Secular Humanism, and Prometheus Books, and as editor-in-chief of Free Inquiry Magazine, he has advanced a critical, humanistic inquiry into many of the most cherished beliefs of society for the last forty years. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and has been featured very widely in the media, on topics as diverse as reincarnation, UFO abduction, secular versus religious ethics, communication with the dead, and the historicity of Jesus. In this conversation with D.J. Grothe, Paul Kurtz describes the Center for Inquiry's transnational efforts, detailing its activities to advance science and secular values in the Netherlands, Romania, Germany, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, Canada and various countries in Africa, the Middle East and South America. He shares some of the history of the worldwide skeptical and humanist movements, and shows how the recent worldwide expansion of the Center for Inquiry is a result of its commitment to what he calls "planetary humanism."
Religious apologists are fond of sharing "testimonies"; emotional stories of the life changing experiences often associated with religious conversion. But what happens when a person looses faith? DJ Grothe (associate editor of Free Inquiry Magazine, host of the Point of Inquiry as well as Vice President and Director of Outreach Programs for the Center For Inquiry)joins us on the show to share his personal "de-conversion" story. Jeremy and Dave also comment on the joys and frustrations of leaving the faith, while Luke shares some illuminating research comparing the psychology of skeptics verses the religious when confronted with life's difficult moments. Also featured is a brief "History of Reasonable Doubts" in the form of an old time radio short. Please spread the word about Reasonable Doubts: your skeptical guide to religion offering news and commentary of interest to skeptics, atheists, humanists, apologists looking for a challenge and freethinkers of all persuasions.