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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.
Dr. Rebecca Goldstein and J.J. communicate the story of Spinoza's herem and outline the radicalism of his Ethics. Our first mini-series!! Welcome to the first episode of our three-parter covering friend of the pod, Benedict "Barukh" Spinoza.Please send any complaints or compliments to podcasts@torahinmotion.orgFor more information visit torahinmotion.org/podcastsRebecca Newberger Goldstein graduated summa cum laude from Barnard College and immediately went on to graduate work at Princeton University, receiving her Ph.D. in philosophy. She then returned to her alma mater as an Assistant Professor of Philosophy, where she taught the philosophy of science, philosophy of mind, and philosophy of mathematics. She has also been a Professor or Fellow at Rutgers, Columbia, Trinity College, Yale, NYU, Dartmouth, the Radcliffe Institute, the Santa Fe Institute, and the New College of the Humanities in London.Goldstein is the author of six works of fiction, the latest of which was Thirty-Six Arguments for the Existence of God: A Work of Fiction, as well as three books of non-fiction: Incompleteness: The Proof and Paradox of Kurt Gödel; Betraying Spinoza: The Renegade Jew Who Gave Us Modernity; and Plato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won't Go Away.In 1996 Goldstein became a MacArthur Fellow, receiving the prize which is popularly known as the “Genius Award.” In 2005 she was elected to The American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2006 she received a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Radcliffe Fellowship. In 2008, she was designated a Humanist Laureate by the International Academy of Humanism. Goldstein has been designated Humanist of the Year 2011 by the American Humanist Association, and Freethought Heroine 2011 by the Freedom from Religion Foundation. In that year she also delivered the Tanner Lectures on Human Values at Yale University, entitled "The Ancient Quarrel: Philosophy and Literature," which was published by University of Utah Press.In September, 2015, Goldstein was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Obama in a ceremony at the White House. The citation reads: "For bringing philosophy into conversation with culture. In scholarship, Dr. Goldstein has elucidated the ideas of Spinoza and Gödel, while in fiction, she deploys wit and drama to help us understand the great human conflict between thought and feeling.”
Premiered Sep 19, 2020 In the current climate of Black Lives Matter, dismantling institutional structures and civil unrest, engaging the Black community means more interaction with believers, and having potentially tough conversations. Mandisa Thomas will discuss how to better engage religious counterparts or both personal and professional levels, and why it is important to try and forge working relationships while also standing strong with our nonbelief. Mandisa Thomas is the Founder and President of Black Nonbelievers. She currently serves on the Boards for American Atheists and the American Humanist Association, and facilitates the Morrow, Georgia chapter of Recovering from Religion. In 2019, Mandisa was named the Freedom From Religion Foundation's Freethought Heroine, and was the recipient of the Secular Student Alliance's Backbone Award. Hosted by Amaia Perez, the RfR Online Programming Director, and Eric Wells, the RfR Support Group Director. Resources List - “Contradiction: A Question of Faith” by Jeremiah Camara - “Coming Out Atheist” by Greta Christina - https://streetepistemology.com More about Mandisa Thomas - https://blacknonbelievers.com - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackNonbelievers - Twitter: @BNonbelievers - Instagram @bnonbelieversinc - YouTube: @BlackNonbelieversInc --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/recovering-from-religion/message
Dating, seeking romantic partnerships, and establishing personal connections can be extremely challenging. As nonbelievers, it is important to evaluate our approaches and thinking, as well as manage our expectations in order to achieve the types of relationship(s) we want. Mandisa Thomas will offer advice and insight, as well as discuss possible solutions to assist with dating as a nonbeliever. Mandisa Thomas is the Founder and President of Black Nonbelievers. She currently serves on the Boards for American Atheists and the American Humanist Association, and facilitates the Morrow, GA chapter of Recovering from Religion. In 2019, Mandisa was named the Freedom From Religion Foundation's Freethought Heroine, and was the recipient of the Secular Student Alliance's Backbone Award. This discussion is hosted by Eric Wells, the RfR Support Group Director, and Amaia Perez, the RfR Online Programming Coordinator. For RfRx comments, inquiries & topical questions, email us at RfRx@recoveringfromreligion.org. Any time you are struggling with religious doubts or fears you can connect with a trained RfR Helpline agent 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To chat online go to http://www.recoveringfromreligion.org. To talk over the phone, dial: (844) 368-2848 in the US & Canada If you are in need of professional help, we can offer the Secular Therapy Project to provide options to connect with a professional therapist. All therapists have been thoroughly vetted by our organization and offer only evidence-based and non-religious treatment. Connect with them at http://www.seculartherapy.org. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tiktok. Volunteer: http://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/volunteer Donate: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/donate --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/recovering-from-religion/message
The future of our society rests in many ways on how the ongoing challenge of racial injustice in the country is addressed. We also may not understand how racism affects the mental health and overall perspectives of people leaving religion. Yet, atheists/humanists remain divided over what, if anything, should guide humanist thought and actions toward matters of racial and other societal injustices. It is important that the secular community knows that critical thinking, education, and recovery includes addressing, understanding and undoing other societal problems as well. Mandisa Thomas is the Founder and President of Black Nonbelievers. She currently serves on the Boards for American Atheists and the American Humanist Association, and facilitates the Morrow, GA chapter of Recovering from Religion. In 2019, Mandisa was named the Freedom From Religion Foundation's Freethought Heroine, and was the recipient of the Secular Student Alliance's Backbone Award. Candace R. M. Gorham MA, LPCS is a licensed professional mental health counselor. She is a former ordained minister turned atheist-humanist activist, researcher, and writer on issues related to race and religion. She is a member of the Black Humanist Alliance advisory board, The Secular Therapist Project, and The Clergy Project. Candace is also the author of "The Ebony Exodus Project: Why Some Black Women Are Walking Out on Religion—and Others Should Too." For RfRx comments, inquiries & topical questions, email us at RfRx@recoveringfromreligion.org. Any time you are struggling with religious doubts or fears you can connect with a trained RfR Helpline agent 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To chat online go to http://www.recoveringfromreligion.org. To talk over the phone, dial: (844) 368-2848 in the US & Canada If you are in need of professional help, we can offer the Secular Therapy Project to provide options to connect with a professional therapist. All therapists have been thoroughly vetted by our organization and offer only evidence-based and non-religious treatment. Connect with them at http://www.seculartherapy.org. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tiktok. Volunteer: http://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/volunteer Donate: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/donate --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/recovering-from-religion/message
The feelings of isolation and despair that many experience when leaving religion can be overwhelming. Many still think they must endure the attacks and questions that come from their family and friends alone. However, secular communities abound and are waiting for you to plug into them. This week we will talk about the importance of having communities, how to find, build, get involved in and support these communities so that we can not only help ourselves, but also help others. Mandisa Thomas is the Founder and President of Black Nonbelievers. She currently serves on the Boards for American Atheists and the American Humanist Association, and facilitates the Morrow, GA chapter of Recovering from Religion. In 2019, Mandisa was named the Freedom From Religion Foundation's Freethought Heroine, and was the recipient of the Secular Student Alliance's Backbone Award. This discussion is hosted by Eric Wells, the RfR Support Group Director, and Todd Yoder, the RfR Helpline Director. For RfRx comments, inquiries & topical questions, email us at RfRx@recoveringfromreligion.org. Any time you are struggling with religious doubts or fears you can connect with a trained RfR Helpline agent 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To chat online go to http://www.recoveringfromreligion.org. To talk over the phone, dial: (844) 368-2848 in the US & Canada If you are in need of professional help, we can offer the Secular Therapy Project to provide options to connect with a professional therapist. All therapists have been thoroughly vetted by our organization and offer only evidence-based and non-religious treatment. Connect with them at http://www.seculartherapy.org. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tiktok. Volunteer: http://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/volunteer Donate: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/donate --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/recovering-from-religion/message
In the midst of a new Presidential administration and battling a global health pandemic, many atheists still face challenges with openly expressing their views, and fear ostracism from family members and friends. Mandisa Thomas will discuss navigating coming out, the resources available, and also the changing climate of acceptance, and what it means to have “religious freedom”. Mandisa Thomas is the Founder and President of Black Nonbelievers. She currently serves on the Boards for American Atheists and the American Humanist Association, and facilitates the Morrow, Georgia chapter of Recovering from Religion. In 2019, Mandisa was named the Freedom From Religion Foundation's Freethought Heroine, and was the recipient of the Secular Student Alliance's Backbone Award. Hosted by Amaia Perez, the RfR Online Programming Director. Recorded on February 15th, 2021 Discussion resources: https://www.ifyc.org/article/celebrating-nonbelievers-interfaith-america “Coming Out Atheist” by Greta Christina https://www.amazon.com/Coming-Out-Atheist-audiobook/dp/B00JPZDUF8 Street Empistemology: https://streetepistemology.com Being Non-Religions in America: https://www.secularsurvey.org RfRx - Our Community is Here - USE AND SUPPORT US!!! with Mandisa L. Thomas: https://youtu.be/vkP6C9FL51g Learn more about Mandisa L. Thomas https://blacknonbelievers.org YouTube: @BlackNonBelieversInc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bnonbelieversinc/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/bnonbelievers Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackNonbelievers --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/recovering-from-religion/message
Mandisa Thomas is the founder of Black Nonbelievers – a nonprofit that connects Black Americans and their allies who are living free of religion and might otherwise be shunned by family and friends in a caring, friendly, and informative environment. The group now has chapters in 14 major cities across the country. Mandisa serves on the board of directors for the American Humanist Association, and has been recognized as the Unitarian Universalist Humanist Association’s 2018 Person of the Year, the Freedom From Religion Foundation’s Freethought Heroine for 2019, and the Secular Student Alliance’s 2019 Backbone Award winner. She talked to John about why she believes Christianity can't be unlinked from white supremacy, why she took on the role of helping other Black atheists come out of the closet, and the importance of putting people first and keeping the momentum of this moment alive. Mandisa on Twitter Black Nonbelievers on Twitter Black Nonbelievers on Instagram
Today I speak with Mandisa Thomas. Mandisa is a native of New York City and is the founder and President of Black Nonbelievers, Inc. Although never formally indoctrinated into belief, Mandisa was heavily exposed to Christianity, Black Nationalism, and Islam. As a child she loved reading, and enjoyed various tales of Gods from different cultures, including Greek and Ghanaian. “Through reading these stories and being taught about other cultures at an early age, I quickly noticed that there were similarities and differences between those deities and the God of the Christian Bible. I couldn’t help but wonder what made this God so special that he warrants such prevalence today.” she recalls.Mandisa has many media appearances to her credit, including CBS Sunday Morning, CNN.com, and Playboy, The Humanist, and JET magazines. She has been a guest on podcasts such as The Humanist Hour and Ask an Atheist, as well as the documentaries Contradiction and My Week in Atheism. Mandisa currently serves on the Boards for American Atheists and the American Humanist Association, and previously for Foundation Beyond Belief, and the Secular Coalition for America. She is also an active speaker and has presented at conferences/conventions for the Freedom from Religion Foundation, Secular Student Alliance, and many others.In 2019, Mandisa was the recipient of the Secular Student Alliance’s Backbone Award and named the Freedom from Religion Foundation’s Freethought Heroine. She was also the Unitarian Universalist Humanist Association’s 2018 Person of the Year.As the president of Black Nonbelievers, Mandisa encourages more Blacks to come out and stand strong with their nonbelief in the face of such strong religious overtones. "The more we make our presence known, the better our chances of working together to turn around some of the disparities we face. We are NOT alone."*****Now that we’ve begun to process our history with toxic religion, we seek to regain autonomy over our minds and bodies from residual narratives, whether cultural or religious; while working towards respecting and empowering the autonomy of others. Together, we seek to rejoin the human race and participate in this chaotic experience of existence Thanks for listening and remember: You are autonomous and so is everyone else. Please subscribe to my podcast and leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts. Your financial support, if you are willing and able, can make a huge impact on my ability to continue in secular activism. You can become a Patreon supporter or make a one-time donation via PayPal. Links are on EA's website. *** Podcast Links*** www.everyonesautonomous.com facebook.com/everyonesautonomous twitter.com/s_autonomous instagram.com/everyonesautonomous/ *** Marie's Links *** mariedelephant.com fb.me/mariedelephant twitter.com/MarieDElephant Instagram.com/mariedelephant *** MarKei Photo & Video Links *** markeiphoto.com www.facebook.com/markeiphotography/ www.instagram.com/markeiphoto/ twitter.com/markeiphoto *** Credits *** Produced by Marie D'Elephant Edited by Post Christian Podcasting (Caleb Rowe) *** Time Stamps*** 1:08 Monologue 6:53 Intro9:36 Interview 2:03:15 Announcements
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers comes out as a nonbeliever. We celebrate the life of former congressman Pete Stark, condemn White House "spiritual advisor" Paula White, parse Trump's outrageous "Rally For Life" remarks, and balance that with the song "Every Sperm is Sacred," co-written by Terry Jones. FFRF attorney Patrick Elliott tells us what is wrong with Vice President Michael Pence's "celebration" of school choice. Then we hear FFRF "Freethought Heroine” Mandisa Thomas, founder and president of Black Nonbelievers.
Black Nonbelievers was founded in 2011 to provide support and increase the visibility of black atheists and religion doubters. Mandisa Thomas will discuss the organization’s historical context, its founding, its work, and her vision for the future.Mandisa Thomas, a native of New York City, is the founder and President of Black Nonbelievers, Inc. As the president of Black Nonbelievers, Inc., Mandisa encourages more blacks to come out and stand strong with their nonbelief in the face of such strong religious overtones. Mandisa has many media appearances to her credit, including CBS Sunday Morning, CNN.com, and Playboy, The Humanist, and JET magazines. In 2019, Mandisa was the recipient of the Secular Student Alliance’s Backbone Award, and named the Freedom from Religion Foundation’s Freethought Heroine.
Happy Halloween! Before hearing the song “Spooky Mormon Hell Dream” we announce state/church victories, lawsuits and complaints in Indiana, Arkansas, and Virginia, dealing with a nativity pageant, a city Facebook page, and praying coaches. We hear Anita Weier’s acceptance speech at the 38th annual convention for the “Freethought Heroine” award for getting atheism added as a protective class to city ordinances, and lead staff attorney Rebecca Markert recapping thousands of complaints and hundreds of victories by FFRF’s legal staff in 2015.
FFRF unveils its northern “Atheists in Foxholes” monument and the first-ever “Atheist Marquee” at the national office in Madison, Wisconsin. We hear the welcoming remarks of Madison Mayor Paul Soglin at FFRF's annual “Non-Prayer Breakfast” during our 38th annual convention. Then we listen to atheist Bangladeshi author and poet Taslima Nasrin talk about the fatwah and death threats she has been facing for decades because of her outspoken criticism of Islam.
Freethought Radio's featured guest is Feminist Majority president and 3-decade feminist activist Eleanor Smeal, previously named a "Freethought Heroine" by the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Ellie discusses religion's role in fighting the ERA, abortion rights and global human rights for women. The show features a brief "Theocracy Alert," and will honor Thomas Paine, whose birthdate is January 29. Song: "The World is My Country." The weekly show, which airs locally in Madison, Wis. (see link above to listen live via your computer), is co-hosted by Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, Foundation co-presidents. (MP3, 51 min, 23.1 MB)