Podcast appearances and mentions of John C Snider

He started American Freethought Podcast in 2007. There must have been five podcasts at the time so I’d say a lot has changed in the interim. We’re almost 300 episodes in and John’s interviewed a ton of atheist leaders, authors, and just plain awesome people. He recently went to a Baptist congregation to talk about being a nonbeliever, and that’s the kind of dialogue we don’t get a lot these days. Let’s hear about the Atlanta community, getting out of being a Baptist, and making a show on his own. I’ll be a guest on his podcast shortly.   American Freethought links   http://www.americanfreethought.com/ https://americanfreethought.libsyn.com/ https://twitter.com/AMERFREETHOUGHT   Live Read   Worst Year Ever -- how to fill out a FOIA request https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-worst-year-ever-49377032/episode/how-to-use-foia-requests-to-58255622/   Support me on Patreon:  http://www.patreon.com/zachrilege Itunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/zachrilege-cast/id996785602?mt=2 Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/zachrilege

As mentioned in episode 296, here's the actual event audio from February 12, 2020, during which First Baptist Church Decatur's Paul Wallace interviews Chuck Porterfield and John C. Snider about their atheism as part of the church's adult education program Religion 101. Thanks to Paul and Chuck for permission to post this. For more about FBC Decatur visit http://www.fbcdecatur.com. Enjoy!

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

Encore release September 20, 2018. Encore release June 13, 2017. We look at selected results of the 2012 election cycle. Overall, a good year for secular voters! Recorded November 11, 2012. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll.

Encore release September 14, 2018. Encore release June 7, 2017. We interview Michael Meyerson, author of Endowed by Our Creator: The Birth of Religious Freedom in America (hardcover or Kindle), an analysis of church-and-state from Colonial times through the presidency of James Madison. For more information visit MichaelMeyerson.com. ANNOUNCEMENTS We'll be at the Atlanta Skeptics Star Party on Thursday, August 30, just ahead of Dragon*Con. Come to our live show at Dragon*Con's Skeptrack on Saturday, September 1 at 2:30PM. CONTACT Visit our blog at AmericanFreethought.com. Visit the podcast at AmericanFreethought.LibSyn.com. Email us at john@americanfreethought.com or david@americanfreethought.com. (John and David are available, either together or separately, to speak in person to your group.) If you like what you hear, take a moment and leave feedback on our iTunes feed. Join our communities at Facebook, Atheist Nexus, or Think Atheist. Shop through us at Amazon.com or at CafePress.com. If you’d like to donate to the operation of this podcast, you can contribute through PayPal to sniderishere@gmail.com. We promise not to spend it on beer. August 29, 2012. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll.

Encore release September 13, 2018. Encore release June 6, 2017. Mitt Romney has picked Congressman Paul Ryan as his Vice Presidential running mate. Will this have any effect on secular voters? Interesting that Ryan until very recently embraced the libertarian teachings of Ayn Rand, which he now condemns as an "atheistic" philosophy. Who's to blame in the recent mass shooting at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin? Atheists? Satanists? Both? Pat Robertson has some (crack-brained) ideas. You've probably heard of the shocking incident in Miami, in which police were forced to shoot and kill Rudy Eugene as he chewed off the face of the homeless Ron Poppo. At first people blamed "bath salts" for Eugene's strange behavior. No hard drugs were found in Eugene's system, but he was a regular churchgoer in possession of a Bible. Finally, a new poll shows religiosity on the downtrend worldwide. ANNOUNCEMENTS We'll be at the Atlanta Skeptics Star Party on Thursday, August 30, just ahead of Dragon*Con. Come to our live show at Dragon*Con's Skeptrack on Saturday, September 1 at 2:30PM. Secular World Podcast has just posted its first post-David Driscoll episode. We'll be listening, and we wish them the best of luck. CONTACT Visit our blog at AmericanFreethought.com. Visit the podcast at AmericanFreethought.LibSyn.com. Email us at john@americanfreethought.com or david@americanfreethought.com. (John and David are available, either together or separately, to speak in person to your group.) If you like what you hear, take a moment and leave feedback on our iTunes feed. Join our communities at Facebook, Atheist Nexus, or Think Atheist. Shop through us at Amazon.com or at CafePress.com. If you’d like to donate to the operation of this podcast, you can contribute through PayPal to sniderishere@gmail.com. We promise not to spend it on beer. August 13, 2012. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll.

Encore release September 12, 2018. Encore release June 5, 2017. We interview comic Jass Richards, author of The Blasphemy Tour (paperback or Kindle). For more about Jass and her book visit JassRichards.com. In the aftermath of the horrific shootings in Aurora, Colorado, right wingnuts--Mike Huckabee and Republican Texas Congressman Louie Gohmert among them--are wasting no time in blaming it on godlessness. Finally, David recommends this interview about the Vatican's criticism of US nuns, by NPR's Terry Gross. CONTACT Visit our blog at AmericanFreethought.com. Visit the podcast at AmericanFreethought.LibSyn.com. Email us at john@americanfreethought.com or david@americanfreethought.com. (John and David are available, either together or separately, to speak in person to your group.) If you like what you hear, take a moment and leave feedback on our iTunes feed. Join our communities at Facebook, Atheist Nexus, or Think Atheist. Shop through us at Amazon.com or at CafePress.com. If you’d like to donate to the operation of this podcast, you can contribute through PayPal to sniderishere@gmail.com. We promise not to spend it on beer. August 1, 2012. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll.

Encore release September 11, 2018. Encore release June 4, 2017. We interview journalist Katherine Stewart, author of The Good News Club: The Christian Right's Stealth Assault on America's Children (hardcover or Kindle). For more about Katherine and her book visit TheGoodNewsClub.com. CONTACT Visit our blog at AmericanFreethought.com. Visit the podcast at AmericanFreethought.LibSyn.com. Email us at john@americanfreethought.com or david@americanfreethought.com. (John and David are available, either together or separately, to speak in person to your group.) If you like what you hear, take a moment and leave feedback on our iTunes feed. Join our communities at Facebook, Atheist Nexus, or Think Atheist. Shop through us at Amazon.com or at CafePress.com. If you’d like to donate to the operation of this podcast, you can contribute through PayPal to sniderishere@gmail.com. We promise not to spend it on beer. June 28, 2012. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll.

Encore release September 10, 2018. Encore release June 3, 2017. Well, here's a surprise. Snake-handling preacher Mark Wolford died after being bitten by a snake he was handling. Just like his daddy before him. Qu'ran-burning preacher Terry Jones is in the news again--this time for hanging President Obama in effigy on his church's property. Prosperity gospel con-man Creflo Dollar has been arrested in a domestic dispute with his teenage daughter. And in international news, Indonesia has jailed a man for 30 months (basically) for being an atheist. CONTACT Visit our blog at AmericanFreethought.com. Visit the podcast at AmericanFreethought.LibSyn.com. Email us at john@americanfreethought.com or david@americanfreethought.com. (John and David are available, either together or separately, to speak in person to your group.) If you like what you hear, take a moment and leave feedback on our iTunes feed. Join our communities at Facebook, Atheist Nexus, or Think Atheist. Shop through us at Amazon.com or at CafePress.com. If you’d like to donate to the operation of this podcast, you can contribute through PayPal to sniderishere@gmail.com. We promise not to spend it on beer. June 18, 2012. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll.

Encore release September 8, 2018. Encore release June 1, 2017.   We interview Staise Gonzalez, mover and shaker with Houston Atheists, about her recent (and thus far successful effort) to prevent Helen Ukpabio from visiting the United States. For those unfamiliar with Ukpabio, she is an infamous Nigerian preacher/filmmaker whose poisonous teaching about demon possession has led many children to be abandoned, abused--even murdered--by their families. To see just how nutty Ukpabio is, check out her film "End of the Wicked." Also...North Carolina preachers with an anti-gay agenda are in the news again. This time it's Pastor Charles Worley of Providence Road Baptist Church in Maiden, NC. Worley's Final Solution for "the lesbians and the queers" has gone viral on the web. Finally, we review the controversy surrounding one-time Republican lobbyist Edwina Rogers as the new executive director of the Secular Coalition for America. Rogers has gotten off to a rocky start with prominent freethought bloggers, mostly for her insistence that Republicans are NOT largely anti-choice, anti-gay and anti-seperation-of-church-and-state. Read and/or listen to her interview with Greta Christina for more. Meanwhile, videos from her Republican lobbying days, like this one in which she's shown living in an 18,000 square foot mansion and wrapping gifts in money, can't help. ANNOUNCEMENTS If you're in Atlanta on Saturday, May 26, come to the Atlanta Science Tavern to hear "The Christian Right's Assault on Public Education and the Science Curriculum," a talk by Katherine Stewart, author ofThe Good News Club: The Christian Right's Stealth Assault on America's Children (hardcover or Kindle). The Tavern requests RSVPs, and since it fills up early, the sooner you reserve your place the better. CONTACT Visit our blog at AmericanFreethought.com. Visit the podcast at AmericanFreethought.LibSyn.com. Email us at john@americanfreethought.com or david@americanfreethought.com. (John and David are available, either together or separately, to speak in person to your group.) If you like what you hear, take a moment and leave feedback on our iTunes feed. Join our communities at Facebook, Atheist Nexus, Think Atheist or Yahoo Groups. Shop through us at Amazon.com or at CafePress.com. If you’d like to donate to the operation of this podcast, you can contribute through PayPal to editor@scifidimensions.com. We promise not to spend it on beer. May 27, 2012. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll.

Encore release September 7, 2018. Encore release May 31, 2017.   Finally! President Barack Obama goes on the record in support of gay marriage--but only a day after North Carolina voters approved a state constitutional amendment banning it. And speaking of North Carolina, pastor Sean Harris of Fayetteville's Berean Baptist Church preached a sermon in which he advocated parental violence against gay children. He later issued a non-apology apology, dismissing the whole thing as a poor choice of words. Meanwhile, gay activist Dan Savage is under fire from critics for calling bull$#!+ on Christians obsessed with Old Testament prohibitions against homosexuality. Finally, David highly recommends Kurt Vonnegut's classic novel Cat's Cradle. ANNOUNCEMENTS If you're in Atlanta on Saturday, May 26, come to the Atlanta Science Tavern to hear "The Christian Right's Assault on Public Education and the Science Curriculum," a talk by Katherine Stewart, author ofThe Good News Club: The Christian Right's Stealth Assault on America's Children (hardcover or Kindle). The Tavern requests RSVPs, and since it fills up early, the sooner you reserve your place the better. CONTACT Visit our blog at AmericanFreethought.com. Visit the podcast at AmericanFreethought.LibSyn.com. Email us at john@americanfreethought.com or david@americanfreethought.com. (John and David are available, either together or separately, to speak in person to your group.) If you like what you hear, take a moment and leave feedback on our iTunes feed. Join our communities at Facebook, Atheist Nexus, Think Atheist or Yahoo Groups. Shop through us at Amazon.com or at CafePress.com. If you’d like to donate to the operation of this podcast, you can contribute through PayPal to editor@scifidimensions.com. We promise not to spend it on beer. May 10, 2012. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll.  

Encore release September 5, 2018. Encore release May 29, 2017.   We interview Matthew Bowman; scholar, historian, and author of The Mormon People: The Making of an American Faith (hardcover or Kindle). (Oh, and he's a real-live Mormon, which makes for very interesting conversation.) Matthew also contributes to the Peculiar People blog at Patheos.com/blogs/PeculiarPeople. David wraps-up his report on the recent Reason Rally on the National Mall. John reports on Richard Dawkins' recent appearance in metro Atlanta for a public lecture and private fundraiser. Also: David is "retiring" from the Secular World Podcast after four-plus years of exemplary service. John and Allison will be in London and Edinburgh over the next couple of weeks. Friend of the show and fellow podcast Sean Slater has kindly offered to show us around Edinburgh for a day. The American Freethought Podcast will be back in late April. Meanwhile, check out Sean's occasional Scot's History Podcast at http://scotshistory.wordpress.com. The long-defunct St. Louis band Body Found (whose music is featured in the theme song for this podcast) are now on iTunes. Download the 12-song alt-rock goodness of "Body Found Studio" for only $9.99. CONTACT Visit our blog at AmericanFreethought.com. Visit the podcast at AmericanFreethought.LibSyn.com. Email us at john@americanfreethought.com or david@americanfreethought.com. (John and David are available, either together or separately, to speak in person to your group.) If you like what you hear, take a moment and leave feedback on our iTunes feed. Join our communities at Facebook, Atheist Nexus, Think Atheist or Yahoo Groups. Shop through us at Amazon.com or at CafePress.com. If you’d like to donate to the operation of this podcast, you can contribute through PayPal to editor@scifidimensions.com. We promise not to spend it on beer. April 3, 2012. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll.

Encore release September 4, 2018. Encore release May 28, 2017.   David Driscoll reports live from the Reason Rally on the National Mall. Also: Giveaway! Richard Dawkins will be speaking in metro Atlanta on Tuesday, March 27th. "An Evening with Richard Dawkins" is sold out, but we have a pair of tickets to give away. Join our Facebook group or email your name and cellphone number to john@americanfreethought.com for a chance to win. A winner will be randomly selected on March 24th. John will meet you at the venue to give you your tickets, so please don't email if you are not absolutely certain you can make it. And for those will a little cash on-hand, there will be a private fundraising reception at an Atlanta location to be announced with Richard Dawkins and Sean Faircloth on Wednesday, March 28th. Contributions for attendees starts at $1,000 for individuals and $1,500 for couples. Email Sean Faircloth at sean.faircloth@richarddawkins.net. John and Allison will be there as well, for what it's worth. CONTACT Visit our blog at AmericanFreethought.com. Visit the podcast at AmericanFreethought.LibSyn.com. Email us at john@americanfreethought.com or david@americanfreethought.com. (John and David are available, either together or separately, to speak in person to your group.) If you like what you hear, take a moment and leave feedback on our iTunes feed. Join our communities at Facebook, Atheist Nexus, Think Atheist or Yahoo Groups. Shop through us at Amazon.com or at CafePress.com. If you’d like to donate to the operation of this podcast, you can contribute through PayPal to editor@scifidimensions.com. We promise not to spend it on beer. March 24, 2012. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll.

Encore release September 3, 2018. Encore release May 27, 2017.   We interview Dr. Darrel Ray, author of Sex and God: How Religion Distorts Sexuality (paperback or Kindle). Dr. Ray is also the author of The God Virus and founder of the group Recovering from Religion. For more visit TheGodVirus.net, IPCPress.com, or RecoveringfromReligion.com. Also: A recent poll shows that, incredibly, only a tiny minority of likely Republican voters in Mississippi and Alabama believe that President Obama is a Christian. Fully 88% of Mississippi Republicans either believe he is a Muslim or say they are unsure what religion he practices. The numbers are only slightly better in Alabama. And speaking of Alabama...he's b-a-a-a-ck! Roy Moore, the former Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, who was removed from office a few years ago for refusing to uninstall a massive Ten Commandments monument he had placed in the Supreme Court building, is seeking re-election and has just won the Republican primary. He assures us he has no intention of revisiting the Ten Commandments issue. Which makes us feel so much better. Giveaway! Richard Dawkins will be speaking in metro Atlanta on Tuesday, March 27th. "An Evening with Richard Dawkins" is sold out, but we have a pair of tickets to give away. Join our Facebook group or email your name and cellphone number to john@americanfreethought.com for a chance to win. A winner will be randomly selected on March 24th. John will meet you at the venue to give you your tickets, so please don't email if you are not absolutely certain you can make it. And for those will a little cash on-hand, there will be a private fundraising reception at an Atlanta location to be announced with Richard Dawkins and Sean Faircloth on Wednesday, March 28th. Contributions for attendees starts at $1,000 for individuals and $1,500 for couples. Email Sean Faircloth at sean.faircloth@richarddawkins.net. John and Allison will be there as well, for what it's worth. CONTACT Visit our blog at AmericanFreethought.com. Visit the podcast at AmericanFreethought.LibSyn.com. Email us at john@americanfreethought.com or david@americanfreethought.com. (John and David are available, either together or separately, to speak in person to your group.) If you like what you hear, take a moment and leave feedback on our iTunes feed. Join our communities at Facebook, Atheist Nexus, Think Atheist or Yahoo Groups. Shop through us at Amazon.com or at CafePress.com. If you’d like to donate to the operation of this podcast, you can contribute through PayPal to editor@scifidimensions.com. We promise not to spend it on beer. March 17, 2012. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll.

Encore release September 2, 2018. Encore release May 26, 2017.   Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum says the concept of separation of church and state makes him want to "throw up." Fellow Catholic JFK would have disagreed. And speaking of wanting to throw up, conservative radio blowhard Rush Limbaugh issues a peculiarly nonapologetic apology to college student Sandra Fluke. Last week Limbaugh labeled Fluke a "slut" and a "prostitute" because of her Congressional testimony in favor of ensuring that birth control is covered in university healthcare programs. Oh, the horror! Watch Ms. Fluke's testimony here. ANNOUNCEMENTS John and Allison will be attending a Marian Call concert in metro Atlanta (at the Doravllle Civic Center, specifically) on Saturday, March 10th. If you like folksy-but-clever Americana in the vein of Susan Werner, you will love Marian Call. For details visit MarianCall.com. CONTACT Visit our blog at AmericanFreethought.com. Visit the podcast at AmericanFreethought.LibSyn.com. Email us at john@americanfreethought.com or david@americanfreethought.com. (John and David are available, either together or separately, to speak in person to your group.) If you like what you hear, take a moment and leave feedback on our iTunes feed. Join our communities at Facebook, Atheist Nexus, Think Atheist or Yahoo Groups. Shop through us at Amazon.com or at CafePress.com. If you’d like to donate to the operation of this podcast, you can contribute through PayPal to editor@scifidimensions.com. We promise not to spend it on beer. March 3, 2012. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll.

Encore release September 1, 2018. Encore release May 25, 2017.   We interview Deborah Scroggins, author of the Wanted Women: Faith, Lies and the War on Terror: The Lives of Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Aafia Siddiqui. This dueling biography contrasts the lives of the world’s most hated female apostate and the world’s (at one time) most wanted female Islamic terrorist. Also: The Cranston, Rhode Island school board has decided NOT to appeal the recent court ruling that a prayer banner at Cranston High School West was unconstitutional. Student Jessica Ahlquist, who brought the lawsuit, has been the subject of abuse and even death-threats in the mostly Catholic state, which was (ironically) founded on the principle of religious freedom. School board chairwoman Andrea Iannazzi claims they won’t be pursuing an appeal, not because they understand the unconstitutionality of a religious banner in a public school, but because the district cannot currently afford the legal costs (as if the ACLU is flush with cash nowadays). Some progress in the fight for gay rights. Washington has become the 7th state to legalize same-sex unions, but New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (often mentioned as a potential Republican VP nominee) has vetoed a similar measure passed by his state’s legislature. A November referendum is a possibility in both states. Giveaway! Either join our Facebook group or leave feedback on our NEW iTunes feed, and you’re eligible to win a copy of Cullen Murphy’s new book God’s Jury: The Inquisition and the Making of the Modern World. A winner will be randomly selected on February 25th. CONTACT Visit our blog at AmericanFreethought.com. Visit the podcast at AmericanFreethought.LibSyn.com. Email us at john@americanfreethought.com or david@americanfreethought.com. (John and David are available, either together or separately, to speak in person to your group.) If you like what you hear, take a moment and leave feedback on our iTunes feed. Join our communities at Facebook, Atheist Nexus, Think Atheist or Yahoo Groups. Shop through us at Amazon.com or at CafePress.com. If you’d like to donate to the operation of this podcast, you can contribute through PayPal to editor@scifidimensions.com. We promise not to spend it on beer. February 20, 2012. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll.

Encore release August 31, 2018. Encore release May 24, 2017.   Controversy at the National Prayer Breakfast! Congressman Phil Gingrey (R-GA) walked out during President Obama's sermon. Gingrey is shocked--shocked!--to find that there's politicking going on at the NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST. "Rabbi" Ralph Messer has crowned Atlanta's New Birth Missionary Church "Bishop" Eddie Long as king. To see the 15-minute ceremony, go here and skip forward to the 53:30 point. Needless to say, this has pissed off actual Jews. Also: Read "Atheism in America" by Julian Baggini. If you live in Virginia, call your state representative and urge him/her to vote no on House Bill 189, which would allow religious organizations to discriminate against would-be adoptive parents on the basis of religion. If you live in Georgia, call your state representative and urge him/her to vote no on House Resolution 425, which proposes to amend the state constitution to allow direct and indirect state funding of religious charities. Giveaway! Either join our Facebook group or leave feedback on our new iTunes feed, and you're eligible to win a copy of Culllen Murphy's new book God's Jury: The Inquisition and the Making of the Modern World. A winner will be randomly selected on February 25th. CONTACT Visit our blog at AmericanFreethought.com. Visit the podcast at AmericanFreethought.LibSyn.com. Email us at john@americanfreethought.com or david@americanfreethought.com. (John and David are available, either together or separately, to speak in person to your group.) If you like what you hear, take a moment and leave feedback on our iTunes page. Join our communities at Facebook, Atheist Nexus, Think Atheist or Yahoo Groups. Shop through us at Amazon.com or at CafePress.com. If you'd like to donate to the operation of this podcast, you can contribute through PayPal to editor@scifidimensions.com. We promise not to spend it on beer. January 21, 2012. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll.

Encore release August 30, 2018. Encore release May 23, 2017.   We interview Cullen Murphy, editor-at-large for Vanity Fair and author of God's Jury: The Inquisition and the Making of the Modern World. For more on Cullen visit CullenMurphy.com. John also recommends Wanted Women: The Lives of Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Aafia Siddiqui by Deborah Scroggins.   Giveaway! Either join our Facebook group or leave feedback on our new iTunes feed, and you're eligible to win copies of Christopher Hitchen's books Hitch-22 and Arguably. A winner will be randomly selected on February 1st. CONTACT Visit our blog at AmericanFreethought.com. Visit the podcast at AmericanFreethought.LibSyn.com. Email us at john@americanfreethought.com or david@americanfreethought.com. (John and David are available, either together or separately, to speak in person to your group.) If you like what you hear, take a moment and leave feedback on our iTunes page. Join our communities at Facebook, Atheist Nexus, Think Atheist or Yahoo Groups. Shop through us at Amazon.com or at CafePress.com. If you'd like to donate to the operation of this podcast, you can contribute through PayPal to editor@scifidimensions.com. We promise not to spend it on beer. January 28, 2012. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll.

Encore release August 29, 2018. Encore release May 22, 2017.   We look at the aftermath of highschooler Jessica Ahlquist's First Amendment victory in Rhode Island. After winning a lawsuit to have a prayer banner removed from a public high school, Ms. Ahlquist has received threats and harassment--even local florists refuse to deliver flowers to her house! The Supreme Court has supported the concept of "ministerial exception," ruling that religious organizations may hire or fire "ministers" for any reason, even if the reason would otherwise violate laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act. Consider it fair warning that if you accept a job with a religious organizations, you could be checking your civil rights at the door. Also discussed: The new documentary Ayn Rand and the Prophecy of Atlas Shrugged, now in very limited release. The 2003 documentary Touching the Void, about mountaineer (and atheist) Joe Simpson's hair-raising story of survival in the Peruvian Andes. Holey Scripture! If Tim Tebow's 316-passing-yard victory over the Steelers points to John 3:16, what verse does his 136-passing-yard loss to the Patriots point to? True believers probably don't want to know. Speaking of John 3:16, Crosshairs, er, Focus on the Family has a new TV ad that's running during football games. Where it's more annoying than effective, we may never know. The Supreme Court refuses to hear two cases relating to prayer at government meetings, letting stand lower court rulings. We're reading God's Jury: The Inquisition and the Making of the Modern World by Cullen Murphy, and Wanted Women: The Lives of Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Aafia Siddiqui by Deborah Scroggins. Giveaway! Either join our Facebook group or leave feedback on our new iTunes feed, and you're eligible to win copies of Christopher Hitchen's books Hitch-22 and Arguably. A winner will be randomly selected on February 1st.   [Opening soundbite from "My First Hardcore Song"] CONTACT Visit our blog at AmericanFreethought.com. Visit the podcast at AmericanFreethought.LibSyn.com. Email us at john@americanfreethought.com or david@americanfreethought.com. (John and David are available, either together or separately, to speak in person to your group.) If you like what you hear, take a moment and leave feedback on our iTunes page. Join our communities at Facebook, Atheist Nexus, Think Atheist or Yahoo Groups. Shop through us at Amazon.com or at CafePress.com. If you'd like to donate to the operation of this podcast, you can contribute through PayPal to editor@scifidimensions.com. We promise not to spend it on beer. January 21, 2012. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll.

Encore release August 28, 2018. Encore release May 21, 2017.   We'd barely shouted "Happy New Year!" when 2012's first religious controversy reared its ugly head. In this case, Cee Lo Green changed the lyrics to John Lennon's classic "Imagine" during the NBC broadcast. Tim Tebow has been catching a lot of flak lately over his pious kneeling on the football field. The Baltimore Ravens' Terrell Suggs has mocked him; Bill Maher has posted insulting tweets; and Saturday Night Live took a good-natured jab at how much Tebow loves him some Jesus. Not everyone is amused at the Tebowing blowback, including CBN host Pat Robertson, who decries the anti-Christian bigotry that's run amok in America. And Pat Robertson knows what he's talking about. Why, God Himself has been talking to Robertson, sharing with him (among other things) secret knowledge of who's going to win the 2012 presidential election. Finally, we take a look at the latest overblown "medical miracle" touted by the mainstream media. In this case, college student Sam Schmid miraculously emerged from his coma as he was being readied for organ donation. Only, he wasn't being readied for organ donation, and the miracle occurred because of the best efforts of a world-renowned neurologist who thought the boy would make it. CONTACT Visit our blog at AmericanFreethought.com. Visit the podcast at AmericanFreethought.LibSyn.com. Email us at john@americanfreethought.com or david@americanfreethought.com. (John and David are available, either together or separately, to speak in person to your group.) If you like what you hear, take a moment and leave feedback on our iTunes page. Join our communities at Facebook, Atheist Nexus, Think Atheist or Yahoo Groups. Shop through us at Amazon.com or at CafePress.com. If you'd like to donate to the operation of this podcast, you can contribute through PayPal to editor@scifidimensions.com. We promise not to spend it on beer. December 20, 2011. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll.

Encore release August 27, 2018. Encore release May 20, 2017.   We mourn the death of journalist and activist Christopher Hitchens, who died December 15th after a long battle with cancer. We'll read from some of his recent work, share our favorite stories and Hitch quotes, and read what others are saying about him. CONTACT Visit our blog at AmericanFreethought.com. Visit the podcast at AmericanFreethought.LibSyn.com. Email us at john@americanfreethought.com or david@americanfreethought.com. (John and David are available, either together or separately, to speak in person to your group.) If you like what you hear, take a moment and leave feedback on our iTunes page. Join our communities at Facebook, Atheist Nexus, Think Atheist or Yahoo Groups. Shop through us at Amazon.com or at CafePress.com. If you'd like to donate to the operation of this podcast, you can contribute through PayPal to editor@scifidimensions.com. We promise not to spend it on beer. December 20, 2011. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll.

Encore release August 26, 2018. Encore release May 19, 2017.   Rick Perry plays the homophobia card in his latest TV advertisement. Holiday displays in Leesburg, Virginia stir a free speech controversy The co-discoverer of a new earth-like world wants to call it the "Christmas planet." The wife of Eddie Long ("Bishop" of Atlanta-based New Missionary Baptist Church) has filed for divorce. Meanwhile, Long has gone on hiatus from the pulpit. A woman claims she was imprisoned for over a decade on a Scientology cruise ship. Finally, researchers at the University of British Columbia have published a paper showing that religious folk distrust atheists as much as rapists. CONTACT Visit our blog at AmericanFreethought.com. Visit the podcast at AmericanFreethought.LibSyn.com. Email us at john@americanfreethought.com or david@americanfreethought.com. (John and David are available, either together or separately, to speak in person to your group.) If you like what you hear, take a moment and leave feedback on our iTunes page. Join our communities at Facebook, Atheist Nexus, Think Atheist or Yahoo Groups. Shop through us at Amazon.com or at CafePress.com. If you'd like to donate to the operation of this podcast, you can contribute through PayPal to editor@scifidimensions.com. We promise not to spend it on beer. December 10, 2011. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll.

Encore release August 25, 2018. Encore release May 18, 2017.   Critics of Barack Obama take the president to task for not having enough god-talk in his annual Thanksgiving message. Not so much a War on Christmas as a Theocratic Beachhead Established over the Christmas Break: Georgia Republican Senator Bill Heath submitted a bill on November 15th to make the national motto ("In God We Trust") mandatory on all state license plates. If they want to cover it up, motorists can purchase a sticker with their county's name for an extra dollar.  Over Thanksgiving weekend, the Pope addressed a delegation of US bishops to say that child molestation isn't just a Catholic problem--it's a societal problem. Finally, we share our Top Five Holiday Gift Suggestions for Nonbelievers: David's picks: 5. The Faith Healers by James Randi, Inside Scientology by Janet Reitman, or any number of freethought-related books. 4. A Kindle, because portable freethought has never been so easy. 3. Membership in the new Atheist Alliance of America 2. DVD of the recent AAA convention, including Christopher Hitchens' Richard Dawkins Award acceptance speech (when it's available). 1. Flying Spaghetti Monster merch. John's picks: 5. Arguably: Essays by Christopher Hitchens. 4. Stocking stuffers from Unemployed Philosopher's Guild. 3. Books about 19th century fossil hunter Mary Anning: The Fossil Hunter by Shelley Emling, Remarkable Creatures by Tracey Chevalier, and Curiosity by Joan Thomas. 2. Trip to the Reason Rally and the American Atheists convention in March 2012. 1. The Life an Morals of Jesus of Nazareth by Thomas Jefferson (aka "The Jefferson Bible") [Amazing high-speed photography by Alan Sailer] CONTACT Visit our blog at AmericanFreethought.com. Visit the podcast at AmericanFreethought.LibSyn.com. Email us at john@americanfreethought.com or david@americanfreethought.com. (John and David are available, either together or separately, to speak in person to your group.) If you like what you hear, take a moment and leave feedback on our iTunes page. Join our communities at Facebook, Atheist Nexus, Think Atheist or Yahoo Groups. Shop through us at Amazon.com or at CafePress.com. If you'd like to donate to the operation of this podcast, you can contribute through PayPal to editor@scifidimensions.com. We promise not to spend it on beer. November 20, 2011. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll.  

Encore release August 24, 2018. Encore release May 17, 2017.   We interview Sean Faircloth, author of Attack of the Theocrats: How the Religious Right Harms Us All and What We Can Do about It. Sean was formerly Executive Director of the Secular Coalition for America, but recently accepted the position of Director of Strategy and Policy for the Richard Dawkins Foundation. CONTACT Visit our blog at AmericanFreethought.com. Visit the podcast at AmericanFreethought.LibSyn.com. Email us at john@americanfreethought.com or david@americanfreethought.com. (John and David are available, either together or separately, to speak in person to your group.) If you like what you hear, take a moment and leave feedback on our iTunes page. Join our communities at Facebook, Atheist Nexus, Think Atheist or Yahoo Groups. Shop through us at Amazon.com or at CafePress.com. If you'd like to donate to the operation of this podcast, you can contribute through PayPal to editor@scifidimensions.com. We promise not to spend it on beer. November 20, 2011. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll.

Encore release August 23, 2018. Encore release May 16, 2017.   PLEASE NOTE our new podcast feed: http://americanfreethought.libsyn.com/rss Our new iTunes link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/american-freethought-podcast/id478593934 Due to a capacity issue with the blog host, we've moved the podcast to the Liberated Syndication service.  You'll need to ditch your existing podcast subscription and resubscribe to the new one. Most of the older episodes will be unavailable (at least for a while). Our apologies for the inconvenience. We interview American Atheists president David Silverman, who provides an update on the upcoming Reason Rally (March 24, 2012 on the National Mall), as well as the recent court rulings on the Utah crosses (we won) and Kentucky Homeland Security (we lost...for now). For more about American Atheists visit atheists.org. For more on the Reason Rally visit reasonrally.org. CONTACT Visit our blog at AmericanFreethought.com. Visit the podcast at AmericanFreethought.LibSyn.com. Email us at john@americanfreethought.com or david@americanfreethought.com. (John and David are available, either together or separately, to speak in person to your group.) If you like what you hear, take a moment and leave feedback on our iTunes page. Join our communities at Facebook, Atheist Nexus, Think Atheist or Yahoo Groups. Shop through us at Amazon.com or at CafePress.com. If you'd like to donate to the operation of this podcast, you can contribute through PayPal to editor@scifidimensions.com. We promise not to spend it on beer. October 25, 2011. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll.

Encore release August 22, 2018. Encore release May 15, 2017.   We interview documentary filmmaker Vic Losick about his new movie In God We Teach, which explores the recent controversy involving Kearny, New Jersey public school student Matthew LaClair, who secretly recorded history teacher David Paszkiewicz and his fundamentalist Christian rants. The Kearny Incident became a cause célèbre with church-state separationists as well as Christian Nation boosters (although for totally different reasons). See the film and decide for yourself who won. In God We Teach will be playing on Tuesday, November 1st at the Newseum in Washington, DC. Vic Losick will be there, of course, and American Freethought's David Driscoll will be in attendance. Tickets are free, but you do have to RSVP. Contact Ashley Hamilton at ahamilton@freedomforum.org or (202) 292-6288 to secure a seat. For more on the film visit InGodWeTeach.com. For more on Vic Losick visit VicLosick.com. CONTACT Visit us online at AmericanFreethought.com. Email us at john@americanfreethought.com or david@americanfreethought.com. (John and David are available, either together or separately, to speak in person to your group.) If you like what you hear, take a moment and leave feedback on our iTunes page. Join our communities at Facebook, Atheist Nexus, Think Atheist or Yahoo Groups. Shop through us at Amazon.com or at CafePress.com. If you'd like to donate to the operation of this podcast, you can contribute through PayPal to editor@scifidimensions.com. We promise not to spend it on beer. October 25, 2011. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll.

Encore release August 21, 2018. Encore release May 14, 2017.   We interview philosopher Alex Rosenberg, author of The Atheist's Guide to Reality: Enjoying Life without Illusions, an examination of the philosophical, ethical and social consequences of a clear understanding of scientific reality. For more about Alex visit his official websiteduke.edu/~alexrose. And in local (for David Driscoll) news, an early volley has been fired in the annual War on Christmas. The Leesburg, Virginia city council has voted 6-to-1 to rename the Holiday Parade the Christmas and Holiday Parade. That'll show those pesky non-Christians. CONTACT Visit us online at AmericanFreethought.com. Email us at john@americanfreethought.com or david@americanfreethought.com. (John and David are available, either together or separately, to speak in person to your group.) If you like what you hear, take a moment and leave feedback on our iTunes page. Join our communities at Facebook, Atheist Nexus, Think Atheist or Yahoo Groups. Shop through us at Amazon.com or at CafePress.com. If you'd like to donate to the operation of this podcast, you can contribute through PayPal to editor@scifidimensions.com. We promise not to spend it on beer. October 17, 2011. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll.

Encore release August 20, 2018. Encore release May 13, 2017.   We interview journalist Kathryn Joyce, author of the new Mother Jones article "Horror Stories from Tough-Love Teen Homes," a disturbing exposé of just how bad it can get when homes for troubled kids go unregulated simply because they've slapped a religious label on themselves. Kathryn is also the author of the bookQuiverfull: Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement. Jesus or Jail! If you're a first-time non-violent offender, the town of Bay Minette, Alabama has a deal for you: attend one of the local churches for 52 straight weeks, or serve your time and pay your fine. Several secular watchdogs are filing suit. Galileo was a douchebag. Here John's response to a Catholic priest's claim that "The Galileo Affair was not so much about religion versus superstition as it was about Galileo being kind of a doucebag." (That's a quote.) Death of an Atheist. You here a lot from religious folk about how there are no atheists in foxholes and that in the face of death nonbelievers cry for help from the Almighty. Don't believe it. Atheists can (and do) die with dignity and can even do good after they're gone. ANNOUNCEMENTS John will present "20th Century Twain: Mark Twain's Final Years and Freethought Legacy" to the Alabama Freethought Association, Sunday, October 16th. Join us on the shores of beautiful Lake Hypatia! Social hour starts at 11AM Central, followed by a potluck lunch at noon, and the presentation at 1PM. CONTACT Visit us online at AmericanFreethought.com. Email us at john@americanfreethought.com or david@americanfreethought.com. (John and David are available, either together or separately, to speak in person to your group.) If you like what you hear, take a moment and leave feedback on our iTunes page. Join our communities at Facebook, Atheist Nexus, Think Atheist or Yahoo Groups. Shop through us at Amazon.com or at CafePress.com. If you'd like to donate to the operation of this podcast, you can contribute through PayPal to editor@scifidimensions.com. We promise not to spend it on beer. October 6, 2011. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll.

Encore release August 19, 2018. Encore release May 12, 2017.   As the world observes the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, we talk to GA Tech professor Bob Blaskiewicz about the puzzling longevity of some of the conspiracy theories. Bob has spent considerable time delving into the nature and structure of conspiracy communities, and has just published an article with Skeptical Inquirer titled "You Can't Handle the Truthiness: A Night Out with the 9/11 Truth Community." Bob is active in the Atlanta Skeptics, and is the Chair of the Independent Investigations Group Atlanta (IIG-Atlanta), a research group and public resource for information about the paranormal and extraordinary. Bob is also co-editor of the blog Skeptical Humanities. ANNOUNCEMENTS David Driscoll's Secular World podcast(formerly Secular Nation podcast) continues. CONTACT Visit us online at AmericanFreethought.com. Email us at john@americanfreethought.com or david@americanfreethought.com. (John and David are available, either together or separately, to speak in person to your group.) If you like what you hear, take a moment and leave feedback on our iTunes page. Join our communities at Facebook, Atheist Nexus, Think Atheist or Yahoo Groups. Shop through us at Amazon.com or at CafePress.com. If you'd like to donate to the operation of this podcast, you can contribute through PayPal to editor@scifidimensions.com. We promise not to spend it on beer. September 11, 2011. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll.

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.